FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[Larry Duff]

I'll be at the Germany game but I'm definitely not as entusiastic about attending games this year as I was for the euro qualifiers.  The football wasn't any better during the last campaign but at least you could see the reasons behind it.  Trap was playing a system that could get results based on the abilities of the senior players he had available to him. It worked and those players got to a major tournament with, what should have been for many, their last opportunity.

This year is a much bigger test for Trap as he needs to bring through a new generation of players and get the best out of their abilities.  Instead of changing the style of play to suit the players, he is forcing them to change their natural playing style to suit his direct system.  Those who won't or can't adapt are being kept out of the team by players who have significantly less ability (or are completely finished).  What is that going to achieve medium to long term?

[CitySlicker11]

http://www.fai.ie/international/senior-men/102748.html

Two more friendlies at home announced, home to Greece in November and home to Poland in February. Two good matches.

[rodney trotter]

The aristocrats of Free flowing football Ireland - Greece..

Hopefully Brady will be starting in that game, if he doesn't get a run against the Germans in October.

[Main Street]

That fact does not prove your contention. There are many factors involved affecting attendances these days.
Generally Ireland get the some of highest attendances for internationals in Europe and very good tv viewership ratings also,
despite the quality of the fare.

Do you genuinely think that in times past a home game against Germany wouldn't have been a guaranteed sell out - This is despite recession etc. being a factor.

I know plenty of people who would have been regular attendees and who were in Poland who aren't going and in the end  it came down to the fact that they don't like watching us play anymore

You are assuming that the Germany game won't be a sell out and you will recall that in the past, 35,000 meant Lansdowne was a sell out.
Possibly you can argue that the demand would have been higher 10 years ago for such a game, but you are making statements of facts not an argument.
Demand will always be higher when the supply is more limited.

If I was in Dublin I would get a ticket and attend, regardless. Seeing as there are only 10k -15k who attend league football regularly in the capital city, I'd consider 50 -55k for such a game as an excellent attendance figure for live football and out of that i'd say there's a hard core of 25--35,000.

[Declan]

See Robbie's out   

[rodney trotter]

Have they enough for a team at this stage?

[sans pessimism]

Think I'll cut my toe nails this evening or read a
dictionary or some thing interesting

[laoislad]

Think I'll cut my toe nails this evening or read a
dictionary or some thing interesting

What has that got to do with the game Tomorrow night. 

[ballinaman]

See Robbie's out   

Happy days. Good to see Long get a chance. Looking forward to it now, in 114 behind the goal with other season ticket holders so should be a good atmosphere. Can't see anything but a 3-1 Germany or 3-0 win sadly.

[tommysmith]

See Robbie's out   

Happy days. Good to see Long get a chance. Looking forward to it now, in 114 behind the goal with other season ticket holders so should be a good atmosphere. Can't see anything but a 3-1 Germany or 3-0 win sadly.

I reckon Walters will play.

[ballinaman]

See Robbie's out   

Happy days. Good to see Long get a chance. Looking forward to it now, in 114 behind the goal with other season ticket holders so should be a good atmosphere. Can't see anything but a 3-1 Germany or 3-0 win sadly.

I reckon Walters will play.

wouldn't surprise me.

[rodney trotter]

Would they not just go with Walters and Long... Keane and Doyle are both out. Unless they are going to pack the midfield, and play one up front

[spuds]

See Robbie's out   

Happy days. Good to see Long get a chance. Looking forward to it now, in 114 behind the goal with other season ticket holders so should be a good atmosphere. Can't see anything but a 3-1 Germany or 3-0 win sadly.

Hope Long gets his chance, been playing the best club football and scoring of all the options up front for the last long time. Still hard to see anything but a comfortable win for the Germans. The management are currently a joke, bringing in Conor Clifford over regular premier league players is crazy and unfair on all involved. Tardelli talking about the future when asked of Clifford's inclusion is bizzare when he was on about bringing Duff out of retirement a few weeks ago.
Will it be a sellout or are there tickets available ?

[tommysmith]

Would they not just go with Walters and Long... Keane and Doyle are both out. Unless they are going to pack the midfield, and play one up front

He will stick Cox on the wing and will play Walters up front the man is not near solid.

[thewobbler]

Robbie Keane must feel a little hard done by when he reads rubbish written about him and his ability.

Here's the thing, Ireland's best chance of a result against a big team does not involve having a big guy up front who can hold the ball up. It involves nicking a goal. And the one player in Ireland's history who is most likely to nick a goal is Robbie Keane.

There is some amount of muck being written in the papers and on here about how Long etc would be better as the lone frontman. It's all nonsense. Ireland's midfield will neither have the athleticism or instructions to support the striker. You could play Jesus Christ himself up there and it wouldn't make a difference as the four Germans will routinely dispossess him.

If we make just one chance in a game we will need to take it. That's what Keane does.