Comments on: Giovanni Trapattoni names Ireland team to face Spain

By: Propagandhi

Propagandhi — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:44:39 +0000

Poland draw with Russia and Greece knock them out of the Championships. I am convinced that if we weren’t sent out to play in such a naive, negative and irrational way against Russia and France at home, we would have got better results against teams like that.

Crapattoni is really getting shown up for the clueless, arrogant dinosaur that he is.

Scotland, Lithuania and the Czechs taking it to Spain in qualifying. Poland and Greece getting results against Russia in the Euros. Italy’s laughable showing back in South Africa….

It goes on and on and on.

A few short years before we allowed Bulgaria to completely dominate possession in World Cup qualifying, Bulgaria were getting hammered 5-0 by Sweden.

But of course,Bulgaria are probably “better” than little Ireland in Crap’s eyes.

Why we only have the likes of O’Shea, Dunne, Duff, Keane, Given, Ireland, McCarthy, Coleman, McClean, Hoolahan and Long available to us.

Bulgaria had Radostin Kishishev.

Time will show Crapattoni’s reign as the abject failure that it was. Just because Steve Staunton was a complete failure (and who didn’t see that coming?) doesn’t make Trapattoni anything resembling a success.

Just getting to Euro 2012 is good enough for some people, but not me and not other countries.

Can’t wait to get 4th place in World Cupqualifying out of the way, so we can move forward with a view to the next Euros.

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:29:16 +0000

how does this lineup look?very like how Martin O’Neil set up Celtic
Given
O’Shea(CB)-Dunne(CB)-Clark(CB)
Coleman(WINGBACK)-Gibson-McCarhy-Duff(WINGBACK)
McClean-Long-McGeady

Hoolahn or Ireland could also fit into the centre or even as the support players to Long up top,St.Ledger could also pip JO’S

By: Propagandhi

Propagandhi — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:23:49 +0000

Nick brought up a good point there. Duff can play at fb and has played at fb for Newcastle. Another example of Crapattoni’s cluelessness. Duff at fb to accomodate McClean. That’s ah unpossible!

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:10:26 +0000

1.Given-stay
2-St.Ledger-stay
3-Ward-stay but should not be first choice has been caught out on to many occasions since his debut
4-O’Shea-stay(but as a centre half possible not first choice)
5-Dunne-Stay
6-Whelan-go(has 40 odd caps and all hes realy done is score against italy,has gone missing in games and looks invisable,too slow on the ball and hasnt a clue what to do when on the ball)replace with James McCarthy
7-McGeady-stay(but not first choice may be more effective off the bench as he showed against bosnia)
8-Andrews-stay(but not as first choice and not as holding midfielder,should play higher up the pitch and be brought on late on in games possibly our player of the tournament which dosnt say much)
9-Doyle-stay(but needs to get back on form and must leave wolves where he is simply just rotting away)
10-Kenae-stay(but another impact sub,his move 2 L.A has decreased his intensity of play and looked anonymous,our best technical player and finisher but at this stage his place may be on the bench which could be benefiaciary as it could provide a lift when he comes off the bench in a game,in my opinion not best choice for captain)
11-Duff-stay(however lack of pace,maby an option at left back?mcclean will push him for a stating place but must be given oporyunity to run at fullbacks instead of being given too much defensive duties by trap)
12-Kelly-stay(pushing for start)
13-McShane-out(simply not good enough)replace with Marc Wilson
14-Walters-stay(alternative attacking option and can play out wide,possibly our most physical player)
15-Gibson-stay(but should be given chance in less conservative role where he has become oblivious)
16-Westwood-stay
17-Hunt-stay(but should be picked depending on his form and should not be automatic pick,has a great delivery and maby the best set piece taker in our squad at present but not the player he was at the start of traps reign)
18-O’Dea-Stay(simply because he genuinly has potential and could still make a good player,like hunt should be picked on form and not be a guaranteed pick,needs to sort out club career)
19-Long-Stay-possible starter
20-Cox-Go-should make way for Stokes or Pilkington possibly Best as he is a bigger option,if he gets more 1st team action should be considered but just runs and provides little industry
21-Green-GO GO GO-should never have been alowed pull on an Irish shirt in the first place and is the ultimate plastic paddy and an utter disgrace.not good enough for Derby and should not get a sniff of a call up in the future was an insult to the Irish fans that he was included)replace with Hoolahan
22-McClean-(hes our future)
23-Forde-go-(sub for milwall after a shocking season)replace with Randolph,Henderson,Brain Murphy or possibly Paddy Kenny even Meara at NYRB

Others that should be considered-Clark,Paddy McCarthy,Joey O’Brien,Tierney,Aidy White,Cunningham,Duffy,Coleman,Brady,Pilkington,Barry Maguire,Carruthers,Ireland(should he want a return),Mason,Best

and exploit the granny rule for decnt player NOT the likes of Paul Green, Alex Bruce,Alex Pearce etc,Trap should do his homework like big Jack and find us some gems

By: Propagandhi

Propagandhi — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:52:00 +0000

I’d love to ask Crapattoni why he tells his defenders to punt the ball aimlessly up the pitch if he is going to select players like Walters and Cox who cannot head the ball (or do much of anything). Still frustrated by Long’s absence. He could score 20 goals next season and Cox could play in the reserves and Cox would still be ahead of him. Must be even more frustrating for Long.

People may laugh but Jon Daly should have been tried out in friendlies. It would have made more sense than for our redundant system than selecting Cox and Walters. Someone who actually knows how to score and someone who is tall enough to perhaps do a better job of winning long balls.

And don’t give me the SPL hogwash. Playing week in, week out for a team that regularly competes for European football is good enough, if selecting a League 1 standard striker is.

Look how Denmark performed in this tournament and half of their squad are in the Danish League. Look how Scotland performed against Spain in qualifying.

Crap is a bit of a bigot and I wish we would get a more enlightened and progressive manager in.

A balance between a Staunton and Trapattoni. Not as bad and not as overrated and outdated.

By: John

John — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 09:48:38 +0000

I’ve got to say, when Green came on at 3-0 I nearly sh*t a brick. What was he doing? Shutting up shop? Gibson might be the only midfielder we have that can play the ball out of a tight corner and he couldn’t even get on the pitch.

mikeeire has a lineup there which is worth moving towards, although I hope that we can get a new contender at left back. Neither Ward nor Wilson are capable of doing the job to a decent standard.

By: Propagandhi

Propagandhi — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:52:20 +0000

Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Spain 3-1 Lithuania
Scotland 2-3 Spain
Spain 2-1 Czech Republic
Lithuania 1-3 Spain
Czech Republic 0-2 Spain
Spain 3-1 Scotland

Euro 2012

Spain 4-0 Ireland

Are we really worse than Scotland and Lithuania or is Crapattoni clearly the wrong man for the job?

If the FAI weren’t an insolvent and incompetently run organisation, then Crapattoni would/should have been sacked.

“Right man for the job” my arse. Beating Estonia and Andorra is one thing. How the fuck are we going to beat Germany, Sweden or Austria with the way we play? We are in for one hell of an embarrassing WC campaign.

Redundant system with players who are ill equipped to play in said redundant system. Players not being picked on merit. No plan b. No tactical flexibility.

Cox, Walters and Green, the former on the left wing. Gibson doesn’t get a game and McClean and Long are an afterthought.

Crapattoni is a fucking stubborn idiot and I don’t want him holding my country back any more than he already has.

XAVI is an undroppable player. PIRLO is an undroppable player. WHELAN is expendable. ANDREWS is expendable. Even O’Shea, Given and Keane are expendable at their age and performance level. He has got to drop players if they aren’t good enough. Blind loyalty is getting us NOWHERE.

By: Propagandhi

Propagandhi — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:41:02 +0000

Out of the current squad, here is who should/not be involved in World Cup qualifiers

Given – Should (provided he stays fit)
Westwood – Should
Forde – Shouldn’t
Dunne – Should
St Ledger – Should (Reflects on lack of options; with O’Shea, Paddy McCarthy, Wilson, Clark, Duffy, Gunning and O’Dea around, he is by no means a bonafide starter)
O’Dea – Should
Ward – Shouldn’t (Found out in a big way)
Kelly – Should
McShane – Shouldn’t
O’Shea – Should replace St Ledger at cb, he is redundant at fb
McClean – Should
McGeady – Should
Hunt – Shouldn’t (Too many young attacking midfielders available to justify Hunt’s inclusion)
Duff – Should
Whelan – Shouldn’t (Hoolahan would be better in a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1; way too mistake prone and indisciplined; cost us 5 or 6 goals over the last year and a half)
Andrews – Shouldn’t (Better than Whelan but too old; goes missing)
Green – Shouldn’t (Came on against Hungary and Spain and managed to gift Spain a goal and do his best to gift Hungary a goal; useless at this level)
Gibson – Should
Keane – Should
Doyle – Should
Long – Should
Cox – Should (Decent performance against Spain makes it hard to justify exclusion but needs a move to cement his squad place)
Walters – Shouldn’t

By: Simon Z

Simon Z — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:27:51 +0000

trap is playing a load of deadweights, much better players sitting on the bench and at home. Look we wouldnt beat Spain with them, but we would be much more competitive in this tournament with them.

Complete outdated tactics

By: mikeire

mikeire — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:47:53 +0000

Well that’s my team for the next campaign -

Given

Kelly
Dunne
O’Shea
Coleman

McClean
Ireland
Gibson
McCarthy
McGeady

Long

The Bench -

Stokes
Doyle
Hunt
St Ledger
Hoolahan
Andrews
Clark
Cunningham
Brady
Westwood
White
Pilkington