Demitri_C Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Does mon use subs these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 5, 2017 Moderator Share Posted September 5, 2017 It's Dr. Jekyll's turns. We had Mr. Hyde on Saturday. Watch us go out and beat Serbia now. We already made them look amateur over in Belgrade. That's what's so frustrating about us. We have no consistency. Although you can usually tell by the starting line-up what the instrructions have been on any given day. As much as we mock and deride Eamon Dunphy, it is true that our better performances come with Wes Hoolahan on the pitch. As we're at home tonight, I expect he will start and I expect we play better. The funny thing is, if we were to have a good and bad performance during this break, we are blessed it happened this way around. Had we beaten Georgia and floundered against Serbia we'd be 2nd in the group. This way around, if we do the biz then we're top. Of course we still have to go out and do it, but at least we've had the scare of Saturday and the minds are focussed now. No excuses. We're not the best squad we've ever had, but we've already shown over there that we're better than them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 11 hours ago, Zatman said: the level of performance and tactics have been shit, the style of football has been worse and the fact we have dropped 6 points in last 3 games in winnable games that could have put us in control of the group Ireland finished the last game with 4 wide players in midfield Ok they have dropped points in recent games but credit has to be given for getting themselves into a position where they can win the group in the first place with hardly the best squad in the group. Sorry I just think you are being over critical of Oneill. Good luck tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 5, 2017 Moderator Share Posted September 5, 2017 43 minutes ago, PaulC said: Ok they have dropped points in recent games but credit has to be given for getting themselves into a position where they can win the group in the first place with hardly the best squad in the group. Sorry I just think you are being over critical of Oneill. Good luck tonight. He's not being over-critical though. This team deserves criticism for some of the things they've done and not done. Getting into a position to win a group containing Austria, Serbia and Wales is not a miracle. It was always going to be do-able. And having watched our games this campaign, and what we've thrown away, we should be top. We may be come 10 tonight but it'll be as much despite O'Neill as because of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 5, 2017 Moderator Share Posted September 5, 2017 News now that Hoolahan is nursing a toit groin and is a major doubt Maybe a chance for Hourihane to shine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 6 minutes ago, BOF said: News now that Hoolahan is nursing a toit groin and is a major doubt Maybe a chance for Hourihane to shine! Knowing MON he will go for creative maestro David Meyler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 5, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted September 5, 2017 48 minutes ago, BOF said: News now that Hoolahan is nursing a toit groin and is a major doubt Maybe a chance for Hourihane to shine! Just get a Chinese commentator in and nobody will notice. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 5 hours ago, BOF said: He's not being over-critical though. This team deserves criticism for some of the things they've done and not done. Getting into a position to win a group containing Austria, Serbia and Wales is not a miracle. It was always going to be do-able. And having watched our games this campaign, and what we've thrown away, we should be top. We may be come 10 tonight but it'll be as much despite O'Neill as because of him. Wales were big favourites to win the group before everything started, they just had a post euros hangover that saw them drop silly points early on but are now on back on track and finishing strongly. I do agree with you BOF it wouldn't shock me if you won tonight, it's a sort of shut down all Serbia's attack and nick it 1-0 from a set piece game and fully expect that's how you'll approach it. I wrote off ROI at this point two years ago as Scotland had taken 4 points off you and seemingly done the hard work and then you went and beat Germany who hardly ever lose a qualifier. Point people aren't realizing though is there will be a 2nd place team that misses out and it is currently the ROI/Wales group. Not sure 18 points will be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 5, 2017 Moderator Share Posted September 5, 2017 And sure enough, a first half far removed from the crap in Tbilisi, with Hoolahan in a starring role. Just keep it up now cuz the Serbs are dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 yeah 1000 times better, prob end of Whelan time as a starter as well. Serbia have had too many free chances for my liking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 5, 2017 Moderator Share Posted September 5, 2017 5 minutes ago, Zatman said: yeah 1000 times better, prob end of Whelan time as a starter as well. Serbia have had too many free chances for my liking I think Whelan plays when defence needs dedicated help and against better sides. Otherwise yeah Meyler or Arter have to be the options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 what a finish. nobody saves that media wont pick up on it as he a darling but McClean was awful for the goal and except for reckless challenges doesnt offer that much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 You wouldn't think Serbia have 10 men. Classic O'neill tactics- punt it down the channel, wait for all the opposition defenders to get back, and then lump in a cross to a big guy upfront. Seems to be either that or a shot from a ridiculous position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Well once Murphy came on for hoolahan then hoofball was the plan. If that was the best way to score why didn't we do it from the start of game given we needed to win it. Not winning any home games means we won't qualify. Hopefully it's the end of mon-keane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 MON has to go. Trappatoni with a Derry accent. proper pile of shit as usual 3 points out of last 12 with 3 of them home games 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 he will but no quality in that Ireland team tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 I know England have some absolutely brainless players like Oxlade-Chamberlain, but McClean is on another level. Does he do anything apart from run around kicking people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 13 of the outfield players named in the squad are 30 or over...think ROI will be in the wilderness for a while regardless of manager although they always have that spirit to pick up results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 16 minutes ago, andym said: I know England have some absolutely brainless players like Oxlade-Chamberlain, but McClean is on another level. Does he do anything apart from run around kicking people? he has the infamous skill of Passion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 20 minutes ago, andym said: I know England have some absolutely brainless players like Oxlade-Chamberlain, but McClean is on another level. Does he do anything apart from run around kicking people? Proper Pulis player. Just a big useless nasty shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts