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I dont think I can take the heartache of missing out on another tournamnet especialy after Le Cheat in Paris but I feel its going to be very difficult now given recent results. Again Robbie Keane has cost us dear with all the chances he has missed especially in the two Slovakia games. Personally I hope he goes back to LA and never comes back. I havent rated him in years and he is not worthy of a shirt never mind the captains armband. His clubform over recnet yeras proves this. Top scorer or not he has missed and cost Ireland far more than he has ever done for us, and its an insult to all the great players of years past that this muppet is the top scrorer.
Anyway I will still be cheering and praying for a miracle in Russia. I hope we qualify but if we dont I hope Trapp is sacked, and keane dropped, for good!!
Come on the lads!!
All well and good to call for the Italian’s head but who would/could replace him? I can’t think of that many Irish managers out there. McCarthy and Coyle are on good money and I doubt the former would be bothered going back. Chris Hughton and John Sheridan are the only other two that spring to mind. The FAI would never put up with a maverick like Roy or Dave O’Leary so you could rule them out straight away.
They might not be easy on the eye but I think Trapattoni is making the best out of what he has. The reality is that we don’t have a reservoir of quality players. We have at best, good Premiership standard players in the form of Given, Dunne, O’Shea, Duff and Keane. Those five names are all in the decline at this stage too.
The rest of the Irish players are distinctly average. Doyle is your average low to middling Premiership striker. He is decent in the air but has no pace whatsoever and isn’t a lethal finisher. Long has only moved to the Premiership so I’ll reserve judgement on him for the time being but the fact that he has joined a club that will be in a relegation dogfight doesn’t bode well. McGeady is one of the few Irish players with a modicum of technical ability but he hasn’t the slightest notion how to channel it correctly. The likes of Kelly, O’Dea, St Leger, Hunt, Lawrence, Ward, Andrews & Whelan are journeymen who would barely stand out in the Scottish league.
McCarthy is touted as the great white hope but people relying on a player who plies his trade for Wigan Athletic to come in and revolutionise things are clutching at straws. Stephen Ireland is away with the fairies and doesn’t want to be involved anyway. Andy Reid is more interested in appearing on Aprés Match. Wes Houlihan doesn’t appear to be on the radar at all.
Ireland don’t have a fraction of the talent they had back in the late eighties/early nineties and we are screwed when the likes of Dunne retire because there are no young players coming through. Circa 1990, you had Irish players at all the top clubs in England – Paul McGrath, Liam Brady, Roy Keane, Mark Lawrenson, Denis Irwin, John Aldridge etc. Even the players at lesser clubs were the key men in their teams – John Sheridan at Sheffield Wednesday. English clubs can source better talent on the continent nowadays and we have no domestic soccer ourselves to produce our own talent (notwithstanding Shamrock Rovers’ recent success). The only hope for Irish soccer in the short/medium term is that we can entice a few decent ex-pats to throw in their lot. This is unrealistic though because the diaspora these days don’t have as strong a connection with the aul sod than they had in the eighties. I can’t forsee a wagon full of plastic Paddies riding to the rescue.
As I post we are currently 0-0 with Russia after being battered for 75 mins. That is our level and if anything we are punching above our weight. Considering soccer is only the third or fourth most popular sport on this small island, we aren’t doing that badly.
Well put!! I think scotland and ireland suffer from having too high expectations of the quality that they have!! 7 consecutive clean sheets at international level is astonishing to be honest so Trapatoni is doing something right! And Robbi Kean is by far Irelands best player.. who else would you play instaead of him!?? I really hope they get to the Euro’s and they have a great chance if they continue what they are doing!!
Well put!! I think scotland and ireland suffer from having too high expectations of the quality that they have!! 7 consecutive clean sheets at international level is astonishing to be honest so Trapatoni is doing something right! And Robbi Kean is by far Irelands best player.. who else would you play instaead of him!?? I really hope they get to the Euro’s and they have a great chance if they continue what they are doing!!
For a start saying Robbie Keane is Irelands best player is rubbish. He was once a good player until his head swelled up a few years ago. Instead of putting the ball away he started trying to for the spectacular. He is now an embarresment. When he plays all the chances fall to him as he does take good positions but he cant finish his dinner. His time at liverpool proves this and his disgraceful attempted flick in a champions league game sealed his fate there. Look at what he did at west ham then after been loaned out, his shocking miss from 3 yards cost them dear. To add to it he is as cowardly and windy as hell. His effort against slovakia the other night an example of this, watching the keeper instead of the ball.
I would drop him, play 5 in the middle and long or doyle up front. Get Coleman and McCarthy into the midfield. And if you want to know Ireland best player did you see richard dunne last night. Unbelievable performance. I accept we are a small nation and GAA takes first preference for most as regards playing at grass roots but we have been good enough in recent years only for Robbie Keane not putting the chances away. If you cant see this then i dont think you know much about football. His record is full of friendly sitters and penalties. Even through his career one on one he rarely scores. He was once a great player but he lost it upstairs.
We are blessed Slovakia somehow got hammered last night. The only problem nowe is our record in playoffs.
Sorry to touch a nerve there fitzer! fair enough though… I was wrong to say Robbie is the best Ireland player but I would still say he is the best striker you have and like trapatoni i would stil continue to play him because even though he has dried up in goals, he still has the movement and cleverness to make things happen!
All but qualified now. Hats off to the Italian for somehow shaping this motley crue of journeymen into an effective outfit. The players at his disposal are a pale shadow of those that were available to Jackie Charlton.
"The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Irish."
They may not be as famous as Julie, but Andrews and Walters certainly done your boys proud tonight. I love seeing the Irish at major championships, your fans are absolutley fantastic.
Good luck.
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