FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[mouview]

Fair play to the Irish team. Once again punching above our weight in Soccer. For the size, population, soccer infrastructure, we over achieve!

So do Croatia.

[beer baron]

As for the commentators, why were they surprised at the playacting? The Poles were winning away from home in a game where victory almost certainly would've knocked Ireland out of the run to qualify. That's the way soccer is these days and I've a feeling if Ireland are winning in the reverse fixture we might do similar. 

[beer baron]

Fair play to the Irish team. Once again punching above our weight in Soccer. For the size, population, soccer infrastructure, we over achieve!

So do Croatia.

They've arguably 2 of the top 10 or 15 midfielders in World football. Unfortunately we don't.

[From the Bunker]

Fair play to the Irish team. Once again punching above our weight in Soccer. For the size, population, soccer infrastructure, we over achieve!

So do Croatia.

They have an infrastructure?

Dinamo Zagreb 35k capacity stadium.

Hajduk Split 35k capacity stadium.

Osijek 22k capacity stadium.

In fairness their rival to soccer is Team Handball and is very popular there, but I doubt it has the same dominance over soccer that Gaelic games have here?

[Farrandeelin]

Great second half from Ireland. Pity one of the other missed chances did.'t go in. As a footnote, Ronnie Whelan, good and all as he might have been when he was playing, did my head in.

[Hereiam]

Great second half from Ireland. Pity one of the other missed chances did.'t go in. As a footnote, Ronnie Whelan, good and all as he might have been when he was playing, did my head in.

Totally agree Ronnie has got be a poor commentator

[laoislad]

North are a much better team.

Your lot are doing well in fairness.
Great win for ye last night.

[AZOffaly]

Great second half from Ireland. Pity one of the other missed chances did.'t go in. As a footnote, Ronnie Whelan, good and all as he might have been when he was playing, did my head in.

Totally agree Ronnie has got be a poor commentator

He is f**king dreadful. He's so negative and at the same time unrealistic.

[ballinaman]

One thing about MON last night was the he spotted that something needed to change badly unlike Trap who wouldn't have changed anything, got Hoolahan on the ball more by bringing him deeper and shifting him out wide right for parts of the 2nd half.
McLean was true to his word about going through a lad if he had the chance, actually said he would during a presser during the week....the chest bump after as well..."you want some?"
Keano, it's been a blast but I think that'll be his last competitive start...maybe in Faro in September but that's it I reckon.
The jocks will be up for the scrap in June if the game goes like it did in Glasgow and Strachan is a cute hoor....England the week before isn't exactly a great idea, another great move by Delaney...

[David McKeown]

One thing I will say about last night is it was easily the best atmosphere I have ever experienced at a soccer game, mainly due to the number of Polish there.  It wouldn't be often you would be able to see two sets of fans mix as they did last night.

On the match itself Ireland were brutal for the first 50 minutes and luckily Poland were little better or the game could have been over by HT.  It was almost as if Ireland had too much respect/fear of a mediocre opponent.  Once Ireland lost that they were the far better side and deserved to win on the basis of the chances created.  Coleman really should have done better with his chance.  Going forward I think we need at least 5 points from the Scotland, Poland and Germany matches to have any chance of making it to France.  Looking at the other tables I wouldn't like to be finishing third either potential for some tricky playoffs

In terms of top class players, for me we only have one, Coleman who was superb last night and was my MoM

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus It's gas the way different people see different things. I thought Coleman was average, or even below average. He failed to deliver any good crosses that I could see and ran down blind alleys. I also thought Holohan was average and I can't understand the love affair the Irish media have with him. As I've said before, I think he's a grand, tidy player. But he's weak on the ball, and to even start to compare him with Xavi is crazy. Put it like this, if Holohan was English, and Sky Sports were saying the same sort of things about him that the Irish media do, we'd be wading in sarcasm on this board That's nothing against the lad himself, I think he deserves his place, and he can be useful behind the front two, but he is not and never will be, a top international player.

The disappointing thing for me was it took until about 40 minutes in before Ireland decided to even have a go. I'm not talking about Up and At 'Em launching balls into the box, but pressing high up the pitch and trying to disrupt them. Everyone knows Poland are not world beaters, but they'll be tidy and technically decent. If you stand off them they'll make you look stupid, and that's what was happening. Why this was not the instruction going out at the start, I can't understand. Also, you can't play Keane up front on his own. He doesn't have the legs for that, and Poland were just too comfortable until at least Walters went up there, and Holohan and McGeady switched positions. Also, why was Robbie Brady on dead balls all night. They were 90% muck. Glen Whelan offers very little attacking wise, but he is a good striker of a dead ball, so as soon as it was obvious Brady was struggling, Whelan should have been told to take the corners and free kicks in my opinion.

Wilson and O'Shea were decent last night I thought. McCarthy brought nothing to the proceedings. Whelan was quiet, but he always is and he does a decent bit of work as a spoiler. McGeady was at nothing on the left, but a bit better on the right. Walters is honest and awkward, and the game just passed Robbie Keane by, albeit he was on a hiding to nothing on his own up front for the first part of the game.

If they don't drop silly points, beat Scotland at home and get a draw in Warsaw, I think they'll be grand. They need intensity though.

[highorlow]

McCarthy brought nothing to the proceedings.

That's harsh. I thought he had an excellent 2nd half. Poor in the 1st alright.

[ballinaman]

I also thought Holohan was average and I can't understand the love affair the Irish media have with him. As I've said before, I think he's a grand, tidy player. But he's weak on the ball, and to even start to compare him with Xavi is crazy. Put it like this, if Holohan was English, and Sky Sports were saying the same sort of things about him that the Irish media do, we'd be wading in sarcasm on this board That's nothing against the lad himself, I think he deserves his place, and he can be useful behind the front two, but he is not and never will be, a top international player.

He's the best we have at the moment. Doubt any of our other midfielders with the exception of Gibson the odd time can play a through ball pass to get Coleman in behind like he did in the 1st half. Agreed he's not hectic but offers a bit more than others going forward....

[AZOffaly]

Ah yeah, I said he's worth his place, and he can be useful in that role, for exactly that reason. I'm not saying he should be left at home or anything. But the Irish media, not just Dunphy, seem to think he is some sort of top class midfield playmaker. He's not.

[Thewildcat]

you been a liverpool fan AZOffaly i'd say would have nothing to do as why you don't rate Coleman and Gibson.  fair play to gibson for going back in the way he was thread in euro 2012 when Paul fu..ing Green got on ahead of him. 

i think the team done well when you see the team that went out, and they go way over the top about wes Holohan Dunphy the gobshit Xavi, Messi, been small they are but they don't play championship football with Norwich city and thats the level Holohan is at,  McClean he will be league one next season withn wigan, Robbie Brady at left back but still a better player than Stephen Ward, could Wilson not play wing back and bring Aston Villas Ciaran Clarke into the centre.