Ireland vs Moldova & Wales v Ireland - World Cup Qualifiers 06/10/2017 & 09/10/2017

[dodgy_keeper]

Normally in play offs you want to be at home in the second leg but it might actually suit us to be away in the second leg.

Got 7 points from Wales, Serbia and Austria away. Only two points from them at home. We prefer when the onus is on the other team to attack and can defend deep in numbers.

In the “Henry” play off we were poor enough in the first leg but were excellent in Paris. If Duff had taken that chance at 1-0 we go through.

Going to be very tough whoever we get. Don’t want to face Italy, Croatia, Portugal, a rampant Switzerland, a rejuvenated Sweden or any of them really!

[Nembo_Kid]

Did I expect it?

No, I didn’t. It’s a big ask for a team to keep going to well and coming up trumps, the law of averages and the individual quality of the players available to us said we were up against it last night.

[Sidney]

@Nembo_Kid

Exactly.

Once again Ireland deliver big in a situation where if they don’t they’re gone.

It takes some guts and nerve to deliver and Ireland deserve huge credit for it.

And you called it, mate.

[Julio_Geordio]

@Rocko

@Big_Dan_Campbell

Joe Allen going off really was the turning point. Both him and Ramsey were very much to the fore in the first half an hour and they was pressure building on us constantly. As soon as he went off and Ramsey had to drop deeper he went completely out of the game and we got a foothold and never looked to be under anywhere near as much sustained pressure

I think we had started to come into the game already by then and were getting more pressure on them. Even the Allen injury was evidence of that with Meyler putting pressure on in their half.
But they really struggled once he went off. They didn’t really create a chance of note all game, but they didn’t look like creating one once Allen went off and Ramsey went all indulgent and deep.

We started out playing our 3 centre midfielders sat very far back in front of our defenders and basically conceded midfield to them for the first half an hour. Wales played us off the park in that time and Allen & Ramsey got on a load of ball and played it past our screen very easily and they created a few dangerous moments.
We then started to press them in midfield and basically kick them off the park. We started to get into the game at that point. We literally hadn’t strung a pass together before that.
As you said about 5 minutes into this Allen got done.
Wales didn’t like it up them at all and once we started going at them in midfield they lost their fluency completely.
Allen was a huge loss in terms of helping them unlock our defence towards the end. They played no slide passes behind our defence after he left the field, instead they were crossing high balls into the box which Duffy lapped up. Before that they’d picked out Kanu with a couple of decent ground balls and he looked dangerous enough. After that Duffy & Clarke horsed him out of the game.
We imposed our game on them really and they let us and there’s hardly a team in the World would beat us in hoof & tackle football.

[Sidney]

@Julio_Geordio

We imposed our game on them really and they let us and there’s hardly a team in the World would beat us in hoof & tackle football.

Jack Charlton had a phrase “we inflict our game onto people”.

That’s exactly what happened last night.

[Julio_Geordio]

Portugal aren’t the force they were, I’d be more afraid of Switzerland they look a very polished outfit and would pass us to death. Denmark or Sweden ideally, followed by Croatia.

[Julio_Geordio]

@Sidney

“we inflict our game onto people”

They inflict it on us all, but we’ll take it when we are winning.

[dodgy_keeper]

That Woodburn looks a player. He troubled us when he came on with a few dangerous crosses and generally looked lovely. They offered little else.

Text book performance. Soak up the pressure and take the chance you get. MON has come through in these cup final type matches all through his career.

Would gladly have taken a play off at the start of the group.

[Julio_Geordio]

From the position we were in after the first few games you’d have hoped for more but from where we were after the Georgia game we were savage lucky to survive

[dodgy_keeper]

@Julio_Geordio

Portugal aren’t the force they were, I’d be more afraid of Switzerland they look a very polished outfit and would pass us to death. Denmark or Sweden ideally, followed by Croatia.

I’m not sure, mate.

Portugal are European champions and still have Ronnie. Hard to see us keeping him quiet over two legs.

Joe Allen ran the show last night at times. If it’s Croatia we won’t get a get a kick with Modric bossing it.

The Swiss have good momentum and seem to be on an upward curve.

Sweden not missing Zlatan at all it seems.

Denmark look the best bet but they’d still be favourites against us.

Italy always qualify.

Just glad to have a chance still.

[Julio_Geordio]

There’s no easy games left that’s for sure. This is the big leagues and it’s great to be there

[flattythehurdler]

@Rocko

You’ll be lectured by me when I choose to lecture you.

Ah lovely.

[balbec]

Imagine what the pretend IRA meetings are like with @Rocko laying down the law. I’d say he wouldn’t spare the punishment tickles.

[Julio_Geordio]

@balbec

Imagine what the pretend IRA meetings are like with @Rocko laying down the law. I’d say he wouldn’t spare the punishment tickles.

The internet battalion are suspected to have been behind a number of punishment E-cappings

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@Ashman

A lot of that Welsh team are English born .

The rest of the British Isles have always relied heavily on England to provide them with players.

[HBV]

seeing the eire soccer fans with a pep in their step is one of the great sights in world sport

[the_man_himself]

@Julio_Geordio

Portugal aren’t the force they were

How do you make that out? They won the Euros a bit over a year ago and have lost one qualifying game which their best player missed

[myboyblue]

@the_man_himself

@Julio_Geordio

Portugal aren’t the force they were

How do you make that out? They won the Euros a bit over a year ago and have lost one qualifying game which their best player missed

Wasnt that the opening game of the campaign too? After winning the Euros, they could be forgiven that.

[Big_Dan_Campbell]

Nothing captures the Irish publics imagination more than a successful Irish soccer team.

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Nothing absolutely nothing

Huzzah