Robbie Keane He's a very good player , but when was the last time he put in a good performance for Ireland?
We did play very well, even without Magnin and Cabanas. Overall I think we are the deserving group winners. With that said, cheer up guys - maybe next time. I know you guys can play a lot better than you did in this qualification...
I think Kerr now has the same problem that McCarthy had when he took over. That is that there are several players from the McCarthy era who should be given a pat on the back and a "thanks for the memories" card. Kerr has to bring in his new players for his team. Remember that all of the current players are all Mick's men but it's up to Kerr to make it his team now.
Swiss Swiss , Congrats and enjoy Portugal However!!!!In all honesty I think you will be one of the weakest teams there and will not make it out of your group. Of all the teams in the group Russia were probably the most dangerous with Albania the most improved side. What does that make us ? A very poor side.
Re: Swiss On paper, you're probably right. But then again nobody, and I mean nobody, gave us any credit when the draw for this group was made. Now we won the group... The games always have to be played first. I don't know... Sure, we folded in Moscow like a lawnchair, but that was our only loss. We completely dominated Russia in Basel and they escaped with a 2:2 thanks to the Spanish Ref Not as poor as you might think. Things change quickly in Uefa. The loser of today is the winner of tomorrow...
You're making it sound like I'm claiming Healy is world class. In my opinion, he did more then Holland on saturday. He went forward and won a few tackles and created a chance and should have scored himself. Holland sat back, which is fair enough if you're actually going to win some tackles or get in the way of peoples attacks, but he didn't. Switzerland were attacking with ease and the mid field wasn't giving any defencive support. Healy is as much to blame, but at least he gave us an option going forward, which is why beside someone like Delap who can do the more commanding job properly, he'll work well. Healy just does more going forward then Holland. He is a better passer, as you said inconsistent, but potentially creative in a poor mans Gerrard type, and generally gets into the box more. Rory Delap does Hollands job and does it better, so he should replace him. If Miller or Kavanagh can come in and prove they can do Healys job better then him, fair enough, but I've not seen enough of either to comment.
No, as far as I know he's been injured but is due back soon. Strachan rates him highly, even said his injury at the end of last season was one of the main reasons their form turned as poor as it did.
Thanks for that Leto! Not very positive reading unfortunately but its done now and we must look to the future I suppose. With regard to Zacatecas comments, if you read my post carefully I said that we have the 'makings' of a solid spine to our team. Given is undoubtedly one of the best keepers in the premiership and there aren't many keepers that I would choose ahead of him. He hasn't looked confident of late for Ireland but he is playing in a premiership team that is performing very poorly but his reviews have been consistantly superb for Newcastle. It is ludicrous to suggest he is anything less that he was a few years ago. Just what evidence have you got to support this comment?? O'Shea has got oodles of potential and he should, if he continues on his current upward gradient of improvement, be a great player for us for the next ten years. It takes time for any young player to get to grips with playing centre half against quality strikers. It is the one position where experience is absolutely vital. This will come in time for O'Shea. Miller/Healy have shown enough potential to suggest that one of them will go on to be a strong consistant midfielder for us in the years to come. Please save me diatribe about Healy. If you want to know how I feel about his current level of play, go to the thread entitled "Squad for the Swiss game". Just because he is currently playing 1st division football doesn't mean that he won't be a top quality player in future - he IS young. Carr and Finnan are both top quality as has been shown by the fact that both have been voted best right back in the Premiership at some point in the past three years. Both have not been great as of late but there is nothing to suggest that they will not return to form at any given time.
Play off draw !! Russia to play Wales, that would have been a nice one for us ?. I hope Wales get through and it will give me an added interest in the games in Portugal. I will no doubt be supporting who ever beats England as usual. Mr osc.
I hope so too, but once again I'm talking about current form and neither is setting the world on fire, and Carr specifically seems to not be the player he was before injury. He is slower, that's a fact. We can all sit here and say well sure they all have the potential for greatness, but I'd rather see lads performing at top level than talk about maybe down the road they might do so. There was a time when we all thought that Ian Harte would be the greatest left fullback in the world, or that Connolly was going to be a top class striker..... so I'm a bit gun-shy talking about potential.
Not to keep bringing him up ... But he turned down premiership sides, they say three but the only named one was Villa. Everton and Leeds are rumoured to be the others. This has been confirmed by Villa, Healy and Mick. The reason he did it was because he felt he owed McCarthy, which makes sense, without McCarthys faith in him and giving him exposure at international level he'd be having trails for Doncaster right now and Villa, or even Sunderland, would have been a dream. As for Carr, the word from White Heart Lane is he's playing as good as he's ever done, which is being put down to having a good pre season this year and him being made captain, and I've seen Finnan for Liverpool a bit this season and he's been superb, his delivery from wide areas is very impressive.
Hear hear. We were well beaten, and you deserve to go through as winners. Good luck in Portugal. Having said that, I hope we draw you in the next set of qualifiers
Doncaster and all that............... Slash, Your suggestion that he would be trialling for Doncaster says it all.
Yes my suggestion that without Ireland very few clubs would know about him is a really damning statement on his ability. My point was that without Irelands exposure he would be a very unknown player and that the Villa scouts wouldn't have a chance to see how good or not he was, I don't really see how it effects his placing in the Ireland squad or how anyone should rate him at all, but if you want to miss the point completley that's upto you.
That is total and utter bullsh1t. I've attended a couple of Spurs games this season plus three Irish games that he has started in and Carr is nowhere near the player he was. Spurs fans expect he will be sold in January to make way for Stephen Kelly who is an outstanding young right full currently being blooded at Watford having exceled at QPR last season. I haven't seen as much of Finnan but to say he's been suberb is unbelievable. He clearly has not settled at Liverpool where his defending has been noted by umpteen observers, who's judgement I trust, to have been very poor.
Well I'd not seen Carr myself but this is what I'd heard, disappointing if his forms been poor then. As for Finnan, he's looked at his best when I've seen him for Liverpool, aside from Lisibies third against them.