FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[AQMP]

Turkey would be a tough draw and Bosnia are no pushovers, they've been improving steadily over the years and made the play offs for the last World Cup.  Ireland would fancy their chances against Estonia or Montenegro but neither would be an easy away game

[haranguerer]

A lot of lads on here posting, i would say several of you watched Iireland for the first time last night since Paris maybe?
Trap has obviously sacrificed an entertaining side for one that gets results and is hard to break down, for me i accept that. Yesterday was our first goal conceded in 9 games. In those 9 games we won the carling nations cup, beat Italy in Italy and got 2nd place in the EC group. Lets be honest, we have some very average players. To get us 2nd again is a very good achievement and we'll now be 2nd seeds in the WC Qualifying campaign, when Trap took over we were 4th seeds. My one main gripe with Trap is his refusal to give youth a chance, Coleman, McCarthy, Long etc. But he's obviously a very loyal man and if you mess him about your in his bad books.

McGeady whos getting lots of abuse, granted was very poor last night, but in this group so far he's been one of our best players - Away to Slovakia, Home to Macedonia, Away to Andorra. He is frustrating but is capable of the moment of class that brought about the winning goal last night, thats why he's on the team

Have we ever finished top of a group? and under Charlton (who had much better players to work with) we were equally as dull to watch, but it was the results that counted. International football is far from entertaining lads

Roll on the play offs

The draw has already taken place for the World Cup 2014 qualifying,we were 3rd seeds.

F**k so it has....i read the other day that we were 2nd seeds now going on our fifa ranking and results in this group, must be for the campaign after that 

[muppet]

A lot of lads on here posting, i would say several of you watched Iireland for the first time last night since Paris maybe?
Trap has obviously sacrificed an entertaining side for one that gets results and is hard to break down, for me i accept that. Yesterday was our first goal conceded in 9 games. In those 9 games we won the carling nations cup, beat Italy in Italy and got 2nd place in the EC group. Lets be honest, we have some very average players. To get us 2nd again is a very good achievement and we'll now be 2nd seeds in the WC Qualifying campaign, when Trap took over we were 4th seeds. My one main gripe with Trap is his refusal to give youth a chance, Coleman, McCarthy, Long etc. But he's obviously a very loyal man and if you mess him about your in his bad books.

McGeady whos getting lots of abuse, granted was very poor last night, but in this group so far he's been one of our best players - Away to Slovakia, Home to Macedonia, Away to Andorra. He is frustrating but is capable of the moment of class that brought about the winning goal last night, thats why he's on the team

Have we ever finished top of a group? and under Charlton (who had much better players to work with) we were equally as dull to watch, but it was the results that counted. International football is far from entertaining lads

Roll on the play offs

The draw has already taken place for the World Cup 2014 qualifying,we were 3rd seeds.

F**k so it has....i read the other day that we were 2nd seeds now going on our fifa ranking and results in this group, must be for the campaign after that 

A lot of lads on here posting, i would say several of you watched Iireland for the first time last night since Paris maybe?

You were keeping a close eye yourself. 

[Clown]

i watched every minute of every match and was down at macedonia and russia

it did slip my mind about the WC qualifying draw, i will admit 

[fearglasmor]

After all the weeping, wailing, knashing of teeth, cheat accusing, and embarrassingly needy pleading,  it has been proved conclusively, again,  that in sport everything evens out over the long run. What goes round comes round. Even if the lads didnt want to know about Bills prompting of a Cox handball.

I'm sure if it even crossed Mr Blatters awe inspiring mind, that he would have allowed himself a little smile.

[From the Bunker]

Well done to the lads last night! To make a system like Traps work takes alot of work.

On the side of talented players and our lack of it. The Diaspora pool has dried up a bit. I don't think players view the chance of international football as glamorous as it once was. Standards has slipped in English set-up (which we heavily rely) due to more foreign players in the game cross channel. It has become easier to get an English Cap.  this leaves more players holding out in delaring in the hope to put on the (more glamerous profile wise) white shirt. More are getting internationally snookered getting only a handful of caps and then getting discarded.

The Scottish model is different and most see Ireland as a far better option.

Likewise with the Northern Irish model which has collapsed with Catholic players since rule changes.

We don't seem to be as agressive as we once were, claiming players. Brian Kerr and Jack were ruthless in this regard.

On a footnote it is great to see so many home grown/born player playing for our national team.

[Main Street]

I kow the players aren't top notch, but this thing about them being championship players is a bit of a red herring. Yes, there are a lot of championship players, but there are a few lads actually playing in premiership teams that Trap won't play. Coleman and Long are two obvious examples. James McCarthy, is he still playing at Wigan? What about that Clarke lad at Villa?

Trap has given all of those some chance. Long is an established member of the squad, he was selected ahead of Doyle against Russia and Slovakia but he pulled out injured. McCarthy missed more than a few invitations, where he really needed to turn up and perform.
There was a vacancy at LB. Cunningham I´d say was Traps choice to take over and he showed well in a couple of games but then he broke his leg or something. Clark was tried and he didn't cut it,  that left us with Ward.

The first target is to get through the play offs and then bring in players like Coleman and McCarthy in the friendlies leading  up to the Finals.

[sans pessimism]

i watched every minute of every match and was down at macedonia and russia

it did slip my mind about the WC qualifying draw, i will admit 

Harder than 2 weeks in Lough Derg

[Heartbroken]

We all hoping to get Estonia in the playoff? Anyone any idea of what the other teams are like?

[Gold]

Turkey or Bosnia and we're fooked

Montenegro or Estonia and we have a chance

[J OGorman]

1 lose in 20, 1 goal conceded in 7...dont think any of the above will  be too keen on playing Trap's chaps in the qualifiers

[Main Street]

Well lets see,
your team have a chance of playing Ireland, Portugal,  Croatia or the Czech republic?

I'd say we would be in top demand by every unseeded team.

[Orangemac]

The first target is to get through the play offs and then bring in players like Coleman and McCarthy in the friendlies leading  up to the Finals.

Agree that if Ireland can get through the playoffs the team would see a few changes between now and next summer. Cox has came from nowhere in the last year and Walters if he gets a chance may be hard to displace in 1st team.

There is a young fella at Derby (Hendrick) who looks a real class act in midfiield although next year may be too early for him. Coleman has played most of his football in midfield for Everton and it is hard to see him getting a start on the wing for Ireland with Hunt,McGeady and Duff all ahead of him. McCarthy doesn't seem to be starting for Wigan, don't know if it is injuries or loss of form.

Never thought I'd say it but Ireland are miissing Kilbane. Ward has looked dicey at left back and apart from central midfield which Trap is unlikely to change this would be Irelands main position to worry about.

[Shamrock Shore]

WTF could we have to play Bosnia and Herzgovina?

Can we not just play one of them?

[Main Street]

Never thought I'd say it but Ireland are miissing Kilbane. Ward has looked dicey at left back and apart from central midfield which Trap is unlikely to change this would be Irelands main position to worry about.

It just exemplifies why he had to persist with KK.
But Ward (I think) is capable of playing better, at least he appears to play reasonable for Wolves, so I wouldn't write him off just yet.