At the beginning of the campaign I predicted that we would end up in a playoff, and here we are. Bosnia are a good side with some fantastic players (Dzeko, Pjanic, Lulic, Begovic...) and are well capable of beating us over two legs. I think (/hope) that the fact that we are at home second leg will be a massive advantage to Ireland. O'Neill named the preliminary squad today. Only notable absentee is Stephen Quinn who is injured. Shane Long faces a race against time to be fit. Walters and O'Shea are suspended for the first leg in Bosnia. David Forde (Millwall), Shay Given (Stoke City), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United). Richard Keogh (Derby County), Marc Wilson (Stoke City), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby County), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Derby County), Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Paul McShane (Reading), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Greg Cunningham (Preston North End), Robbie Brady (Norwich City); James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), Darron Gibson (Everton), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Paul Green (Rotherham United), Aiden McGeady (Everton), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Judge (Brentford), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), David Meyler (Hull City), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City); Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Anthony Stokes (Celtic), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Simon Cox (Bristol City).
Bosnia & Herzegovina squad: Goalkeepers: Asmir Begović (Chelsea), Ibrahim Šehić (Qarabag), Jasmin Burić (Lech). Defenders: Mensur Mujdža (Freiburg), Ermin Bičakčić (Hoffenheim), Emir Spahić (HSV), Toni Šunjić (Stuttgart), Marin Aničić (Astana), Edin Cocalić (Mechelen), Sead Kolašinac (Schalke 04), Ervin Zukanović (Sampdoria), Ognjen Vranješ (Gaziantepspor); Midfielders: Miralem Pjanić (Roma), Srđan Grahovac (Rapid), Anel Hadžić (Sturm), Haris Medunjanin (Deportivo La Coruna), Tino Sven Sušić (Hajduk), Muhamed Bešić (Everton), Senad Lulić (Lazio), Sejad Salihović (Guizhou), Edin Višća (Basaksehir), Ermin Zec (Qabala), Izet Hajrović (Eibar); Forwards: Edin Džeko (Roma), Armin Hodžić (Dinamo), Milan Đurić (Cesena), Vedad Ibišević (Hertha Berlin), Rade Krunić (Empoli).
Here is the final Irish squad: David Forde (Millwall), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United); Richard Keogh (Derby County), Marc Wilson (Stoke City), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby County), John O'Shea (Sunderland) , Alex Pearce (Derby County), Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Paul McShane (Reading), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Robbie Brady (Norwich City); James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), Darron Gibson (Everton), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Aiden McGeady (Everton), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Judge (Brentford), David Meyler (Hull City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City); Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City). Elliot, McShane, Judge, and most significantly O'Shea and Long are injury doubts. O'Shea and Walters are suspended for the first leg. To get out of Zenica with a score draw would be a brilliant result in my opinion. I expect a fairly conservative XI from O'Neill: ----------------------Westwood---------------------- ----------Coleman, Keogh, Clark, Wilson-------- McClean, Hendrick, Whelan, McCarthy, Brady -----------------------Murphy----------------------- It's a tough XI to predict, though. I wouldn't rule out Stephen Ward at left back, or Hendrick starting wider and Gibson or more likely Meyler coming into the side in place of McClean.
1-1 in Zenica. We didn't put two passes together for 90 minutes, but defended brilliantly and Robbie Brady took his chance when it came. Disappointing to give away an equalizer straight away, but it means we are right in the tie for Monday. Can't wait!
Hard to tell really... you could have put a hundred passes together in that match, but just couldn't be able to see it through all that fog... I could just barely see people moving let alone the ball...
Republic of Ireland team: Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, Clark, Brady; Whelan, McCarthy Hendrick, Hoolahan, Walters; Murphy.
1-0 at the half. Dodgy penalty which we would have been howling about if given against us. Then again maybe we're due some handball luck in playoffs. Ireland the better side, Bosnia not showing much but there's still 45+ of football.
Who you guys would say is the better Irish player overall (not only in this game), but in the NT itself?
Congrats Ireland from a French fan. You were absolutely the better team over the two legs. Also relieved that we get to welcome your great fans to France this summer, and not the Bosnian thugs who were disgraceful during the minute of silence in honor of the victims of the Paris attack.
Wow, what a solid, composed performance from Ireland! Even when we were 2-0 up I fully expected us to concede with 5 mins to go and give the Bosnians a real chance of snatching it. Clark, Brady, Whelan, Walters were all outstanding.
Nothing just joking Anyhoo... big congrats to Ireland for their win! One of the moments of the last Euros was seeing the Irish fans singing while losing 4-0 to Spain... the Euros would definitely be missing something without that... I mean, the Irish fans - not to 4-0 loss to Spain.
Seamus Coleman is who most people would say is the best Irish player currently. After that its debatable, but I think many would say James McCarthy.
On paper they are but not on the pitch when wearing the green jersey. Hopefully both will come into their own at a major tournament.
I dunno, Coleman has been pretty good for us when healthy. I agree on McCarthy he has been solid but unspectacular. If you just watched his Ireland performances you wouldn't understand where the big club rumors are coming from.