Ah Jayo, the old "Lucky manager" chestnut! Is it not the case that you make your own luck though?! But totally agree with the centre midfield situation. Andy Reid and Stephen Ireland are clearly far superior players to Whelan and Gibson, get them in!!

P.S. I know nothing of the ground football game. Isnt it true that soccer was invented when Cromwell and his hordes kicked Catholics heads around Drogheda??

Rio Bingo (Tyrone) - Posts: 788 - 16/10/2008 09:55:26    120130

P.S. I know nothing of the ground football game. Isnt it true that soccer was invented when Cromwell and his hordes kicked Catholics heads around Drogheda??
Rio Bingo , 16/10/2008 at 09:55
__________________________

Dunno about that Rio - but there is a street in Drogheda called Scarlet St which got its name from the blood flowing down the street when Cromwell came calling!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 16/10/2008 10:30:21    120161

Having been at the game i can see where people are coming from with regard to irelands approach but trap is in the results business and we certainly are getting it right under him. For those of you who want stephen ireland and andy reid in midfield that is simply ludicrous. That would mean 4 attacking midfielders and 2 strikers on the pitch. I think had steven reid been available last night we would have had alot more control in midfield. When we play both duff and mcgeady (who both caused alot of havoc last night) we need defensively minded central players. I would have steven reid playing with lee carsley in the centre. Under the system we are playing there is no place for either andy reid or stephen ireland to start. Great subs to have. Im delighted with the regime, now we have a manager with a clear idea of a system and players who are working their socks off and fitting into it. I'd be more than happy to keep winning games one nil.

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 16/10/2008 11:10:51    120217

Stephen Ireland is the best central midfielder we have, a country like ourselves can't afford to have our best players not playing. Play Stephen Reid or Whelan or whoever else beside him, but we would need him against Italy and Bulgaria and the likes. There was no creativity in the middle last night at all. But sure if Ireland doesn't want to come back, fair enough we'll soldier on without him.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 16/10/2008 11:30:20    120239

mayonews - I didn't suggest he should play them both. I understand exactly what your are saying and it is great to have two good midfielders wide - this will cause no end of problems to teams in the future - hopefully. I also accept Mr Trap is in the results business and 1-0 everytime would do me too. Fact is we were extremely lucky last night against a good team - but they are no Italy. Stephen Reid and Lee Carsley would also be my ideal centre under this system. Stephen 'anyone but' Ireland would also bring quality if that could be sorted. But this dogged persistence with something that is broken will come unstuck someday. He should have had Reid on last night - with strict instructions to play a holding role. It can only have helped Whelan. As it was we had two inexperienced lads - lacking the quality required in midfield for ninety minutes. We got away with it - just - but anyone else would've eat us!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 16/10/2008 11:32:19    120241

Jayo i shudder to think what would have happened last night if richard dunne wasnt playing. His positioning, strength and desire was a joy to watch. Trap even called him a wardrobe afterwards! I take your point about andy reid for last night as the two young lads looked a bit lost (never giving the right ball, no awareness, not dictating the play) which are the essential traits for a central midfielder. Trap seems to be hell bent on the two holdingish midfielders so its a matter of getting the right men in there. Andy reid is probably our best footballer but he nearly needs a team built around him and hence he just doesnt fit. I still think he'll have an important role to play in the campaign though. Another point is i think messers duff and mcgeady should get on the training ground and practise over and over again their finishing. They got into some great positions close to goal last night and couldnt finish it off. I suppose for two wispy lads they are never going to have a powerful shot...pity. To have them both as a threat on opposite wings is savage though as its no longer 3 defenders marking duff and forgetting about the other wing. The great thing is that we're in the box seat for the play offs and hopefully we can consolidate that with at least 4 points in our next two homw matches v georgia and bulgaria....then we can start dreaming!

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 16/10/2008 12:46:26    120320

Is there a problem with the site today there lads? Posted a couple of non-controversial posts and they never appeared. Also big gaps in publishing.

ps Mayonews agree with ya and posted more but alas .........

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 16/10/2008 15:07:04    120472

Has everyone seen that Steven Reid is out for the season? Needs surgery on his knee which will sideline him for 6-7 months. We can't afford to be without him, especially with Stephen Ireland not playing with us and Andy Reid out of favour.

Looks like the centre midfield will be Glenn Whelan and 1 of Darren Gibson, Liam Miller and the rest.

3inarow08 (Kerry) - Posts: 2455 - 17/10/2008 12:44:15    121231

Tip of the weekend
Everton to beat Arsenal.
Yakubu to score only goal

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 17/10/2008 15:00:23    121382

What a week. 3 points in the bag after Cyprus.... 3 points after Wigan fightback.... Was at both :) Fantastic!!!

TheRevolution (Mayo) - Posts: 487 - 19/10/2008 21:10:25    122104

Looks like Cillian Sheridan may have some involvement in the Utd Celtic game this week due to an injury crisis. McDonald and Maloney will prob be given every chance to play, but best of luck to him all the same.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12376 - 20/10/2008 11:52:01    122338

good win for leinster saturday too... but can they bring this performance into the busines end of the competiton?

Southern Dandy (Wicklow) - Posts: 789 - 20/10/2008 12:16:58    122367

Breffni39, That lad was a great G.A.A. prospect. Saw him in the two minor games against Down a few years ago in Crossmaglen. Pity we lost him to soccer but sure he is making money now. He played well in those games and Down went on to win the A.I. Final. They lost Martin Clarke to the Aussie Rules as well.

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 20/10/2008 12:20:36    122374

The centre midfield selection against Cyprus was nothing short of ludicrous. A Stoke City sub and a United reserve player who isn't within a mile of the first team. We'd be destroyed by one of the better teams with that pairing. The situation with Andy Reid is worrying, in that Trap could have fallen out with one of the players so quickly, and as far as I know Reid did very little wrong to deserve such treatment. Trapatoni implied in an interview that Reid might do a job against one of the weaker teams, a thinly veiled insult. Paul McShane is out of his depth at this level also. As much as Steven Ireland may be a bit of an eejit we could badly do with him at this stage. That was surely the worst midfield pairing to ever line out for an Irish team in a competitive game.

aidangalway (Galway) - Posts: 648 - 20/10/2008 12:25:25    122382

What about Mafi's hit on Chabal there yesterday? Good or what!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 20/10/2008 15:58:19    122664

Aidan: You seem to have a habit of judging players on their club performances. Fair enough, but if he does the job for Ireland, what's the problem? To say Whelan hasn't performed is very very unfair. He's played 3 competitive games now and finished each one. The first two he recived man of the match and deservedly so. I don't see what's wrong with giving Gibson a start. All it can be is good for his confidence. Now he's another option. We don't know about the Reid incident. Regarding McShane, while I'm not a fan, he has played very well with Hull this year. Granted he made a couple of mistakes on Wed, he did alright. Besides he's all we had on the night.

I couldn't disagree with you more about Stephen Ireland. I don't care what anyone says, he doesn't deserve to put the green shirt back on. That's an honour (AN HONOUR!!) that he has thrown away. With an attitude like "we could badly do with Stephen Ireland" we won't go far at all mate. Big blow Stephen Reid is gone... But Trap will fill that void.

I don't think anyone is in a position to start slating Trapatoni... 3 games, 7 points, 2nd place, 4 points clear of third... What is the problem?? He is only one of the most decorated managers in football history...

As always I'll continue to support the lads 100%. Regardless what anyone thinks, Giovanni Trapatoni knows more about football than you (Not directed at you Aidan, I mean everyone).

TheRevolution (Mayo) - Posts: 487 - 20/10/2008 17:14:23    122766

With you all the way there TheRevolution except re: Stephen Ireland - like Keane/Saipan, he's made mistakes but nobody is blameless in the whole sorry situation.

The likes of Gibson need game time and traps reason for selecting stand up to scrutiny and the result is better than we could under Staunton WITH Ireland and Reid playing.

Had to laugh at Dunphys hilarious soapboxing about anyone who knows anything about soccer at an level, sunday league, junior, eircom league blah blah blah knows Andy Reid should be in that midfield. Sorry Eamo, I'll side with Traps Champions League + multiple Serie A victories, and trust his decisions, as the harsh reality is he's forgotten more about football than Dunphy will ever know

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12376 - 20/10/2008 17:42:45    122793

Stephen Ireland was losing his hair. He had a transplant, and his colleagues in the Irish team were slegging him, and bullying him about it. His employers failed to exercise a duty of care, so he left. He also made up loads of stuff about Grannies and girlfriends, but the bullying over his hair was the cause of his leaving Ireland.

As a City fan, you get to know these things.

Playing really well this year, best Irish FOOTBALLER, followed by Andy Reid.

There may be better players.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 20/10/2008 18:48:25    122841

is that tue about stephen ieland, he was going bald, i hope not otherwise hes a traiter, god to joke about your girlfriend miscarrying and your ganny dying.

lino_de_legend (Dublin) - Posts: 816 - 20/10/2008 19:56:26    122885

Patrique, are you sure that bit about the Grannies was'nt Wayne Rooney ?

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 20/10/2008 20:19:29    122905