Re: Euro 2012 Thread

**Jayo Cluxton** Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:37 pm

Slovakia are the 'other half' of the old Czechoslovakia. They are techinically far superior to us and they are at home. They qualified for WC2010 by topping their group and beat the Italians in Sth Africa. We have five/six players of way below international standard, no midfield and a poor attack - made worse by Doyle's absence - but at least he won't be taken off this Tuesday and Keane left on. Anyone who thinks we could or should win this game is nuts.

Slovakia are 5/4 - wade in.

**Grenvile** Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:58 pm

That's the spirit Jayo.. Suspect

Having traveled across Slovakia I will testify to it being the worst Country in Europe I have visited. Everywhere we stopped in the country was a schithole, especially the Bratislava. In stark contrast to the Czech Republic where the people went above and beyond to accommodate, the Slovaks were extremely unhelpful and seemed to do all in their power to make journeys and stays as difficult as possible. So for that reason I hope we hammer them..

Yes the same old story they are "technically superior" however so are most of the teams Ireland play against and they still get a lot of good results.

Wading in against your own country? A disgraceful act. Mind would you burn your lips on that oul' soup Jayo.. Razz

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:08 am

No sentiment in gambling JS!! That is a top price. Also looking at the 4/1 on offer for Brian Kerrs fishermen, bankers, teachers, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers to frustrate Norn Iron with a draw ....

**Grenvile** Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:26 am

I'm firmly against this. How does it sit with you when you're watching the game? Say Ireland are a goal down 94th Minute, Penalty awarded to Ireland, does your loyalty lie with the slip in your pocket or the right boot of Robbie Keane?
Taking the edge of the bitter taste of defeat by cashing in on that defeat it is against the nature of support. If I wanted to make money backing against Cavan I could be a millionaire by now!

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:30 am

You could indeed. Nah if Robbie was taking a peno to just get a measly point I'd be roaring 'miss!'!!! If it was 1-1 and it was for 3 points I'd be hoping he would score!!!

**The Puke** Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:50 am

They might be technically superior but they will be missing their main goalscorer and their most creative player in Stock....Marek Hamsik is a class act but in the 5 or 6 times I have seen Slovakia in recent times he has been fairly anonymous....They looked to be very much a team with a WC hangover last friday night....Martin Skrtel at centre half looks like a player who's confidence is on the floor at the minute, which is a shame as he is a fine defender when on form.....At the WC they played a fairly conservative counter attacking game and set themselves up defensively similar enough to ourselves....

Don't think they are any great shakes, just one of the many average national football teams in europe at the moment....

Would want a bit more than 5/4 especially seeing as they are without Vittek and Stock(bigger losses than Duff and Doyle for us) and will struggle to finish chances....Anyone who saw their performance friday night wouldn't be too confident of them winning, bad and all as we were at least we were outplayed by a far superior team, they were completely overran and outplayed by Armenia

**clash-of-da-ash** Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:13 am

Like most international teams fairly weak at the back and no great shakes. Ireland should take the game to them and try to pass it a bit more. Not too much difference between Slovakia now and 3 years ago when we last played them. Hamsik could be dangerous and is a goal threat but didn't do much against Armenia.

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:55 am

And we have Whelan ... and Lawrence ... and Green ... and Kilbane. And McShane on the line.

**Real Kerry Fan** Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:32 pm

Jayo Cluxton wrote:And we have Whelan ... and Lawrence ... and Green ... and Kilbane. And McShane on the line.

I say bring back Phil Babb. At least he was avble to score in a Russian match Embarassed

**Grenvile** Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:00 pm

Every single lazy p**** of a journalist writing on Tuesday's game follows the same boring template... "Blah blah blah.. Technically superior.. Blah blah blah... Kevin Kilbane should be put down.. Blah blah blah.. Stephen Ireland and Andy Reid.. Blah blah blah.. Trapatonni is past it.."

We're playing Slovakia!! Not Brazil for God's sake.. Slovakia who beat a woeful Italy team and Drew with New Zealand and were hammered by Paraguay. Were extremely lucky to beat Russia were taken to the cleaners by an Armenian side that we beat in Armenia.

We're no great shakes, nobody is pretending otherwise, but can people not just get behind the team instead of going on about Kilbane and Green as if enough complaining will turn them into Maldini and Zidane..

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:08 pm

Not their fault they are picked. Surely we have better than them - even in the LoI? Whats wrong with the Coleman lad from Everton? All journalists are lazy. But I have been saying how limited we are for years now ......

Look JS its fine for you to accept mediocrity and trot out the bland - get behind them blah blah blah line. Being from Cavan you're used to that ..... Twisted Evil

**The Puke** Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:47 pm

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Not their fault they are picked. Surely we have better than them - even in the LoI? Whats wrong with the Coleman lad from Everton? All journalists are lazy. But I have been saying how limited we are for years now ......

Look JS its fine for you to accept mediocrity and trot out the bland - get behind them blah blah blah line. Being from Cavan you're used to that .....

Coleman hasn't 20 games played yet at a decent level, he is a good prospect but still very green and defensively he needs to improve a bit, but is very accomplished going forward....He will come good but needs time to firstly nail down a first team place with Everton and secondly improve his defending....This time next year he will the first choice Irish right back...He will more than likely be given a chance against Norway next month and in the 4 association tournament.....But throwing him in at the deep end v Slovakia isn't the right option

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:04 pm

Would he be worse than what we have there?

**clash-of-da-ash** Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:30 pm

Trapattoni knows Ireland's strengths and that we don't have the players to play attractive attacking football without getting hammered. The grass is always greener on the other side and we have people calling for Gibson to start and before that it was Andy Reid. The team that started against Russia is probably Ireland's strongest line-up with maybe Andrews and Duff to come in. Keith Fahey will proabably start against Slovakia and McCarthy should be on the bench but apart from that there isn't anybody else that could improve the team.

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:17 pm

So if we all accept our great limitations why do people think we should beat Russia or win away to a decent enough side like Slovakia???? scratch

**Grenvile** Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:34 pm

Jayo Cluxton wrote:So if we all accept our great limitations why do people think we should beat Russia or win away to a decent enough side like Slovakia????

Because we haven't lost a qualifying game in 2 years so people's expectations are high.

There was a Dublin-esque quality about last Friday's game.. All the build up and unfounded expectations before the hammering.. For a while there I even had to fight the urge to start a thread about how the whole of Europe is against us and how much we bring to the European qualifiers! Razz

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:49 pm

[quote="Jonsmith"]

Jayo Cluxton wrote:There was a Dublin-esque quality about last Friday's game.. All the build up and unfounded expectations before the hammering.. For a while there I even had to fight the urge to start a thread about how the whole of Europe is against us and how much we bring to the European qualifiers!

Very true. Except that Europe are just against us from a financial position and the fact that we bring nothing to the international football in the eyes of UEFA and FIFA as was proved by Mr Bladder last year .....

**Grenvile** Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:46 pm

Yes and even despite the disgrace that was seeding the play offs we still could and should have qualified for the World Cup..

Not bad for a team with Kevin Kilbane and Paul McShane on the field if you ask me..

Look at Ireland as individuals and they have no chance in most games. The team however is a different prospect.

**Jayo Cluxton** Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:53 pm

Jonsmith wrote:Not bad for a team with Kevin Kilbane and Paul McShane on the field if you ask me..

I wouldn't let them out in a field to plough .......

**The Puke** Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:19 pm

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Would he be worse than what we have there?

Coleman by his own admission isn't ready for international football yet

**Jayo Cluxton** Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:04 am

The Puke wrote:
Jayo Cluxton wrote:Would he be worse than what we have there?

Coleman by his own admission isn't ready for international football yet

Ah throw him in for jaysus sake Puke - its not like he's in a line of 10 for the position. If it doesn't break him it'll make him .....

**The Puke** Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:16 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:
The Puke wrote:
Jayo Cluxton wrote:Would he be worse than what we have there?

Coleman by his own admission isn't ready for international football yet

Ah throw him in for jaysus sake Puke - its not like he's in a line of 10 for the position. If it doesn't break him it'll make him .....

If he was anywhere near ready I would have no reservations about him, but he isn't up to it defensively yet Jayo...Throw him in and the likes of Weiss runs rings around him then it would only set his development back further....He has started the last two games for Everton but was absoluetly blessed not to have two stonewall penalties awarded against him in those games....Whether you like it or not Trap has done two things since he has taken over, he has shown consistency with regards the system we play and continuity in his team selections, when he took over the morale of the squad was on the floor and these two aspects of his management have been the main reasons for our improved performances(last friday aside, one bad result isn't enough reason to throw two years worth of squad development and progress out the window.....If you look at the new players Trap has brought into the team, Whelan/St Ledger/Whelan/Andrews/Green/Lawrence etc, they have all came through the same way, firstly called into the squad for traning, then blooded in friendly matches to see how they faired in the system and if they aquitted themselves well they were given a chance in competative matches and by the same token the likes of Gibson have played themselves down the pecking order due to relatively poor performances....I think it would be a big kick in the bollix for the likes of Stephen Kelly, Kevin Foley etc if a greenhorns like Coleman was fast tracked in ahead of them and would undo all the good work he has done in rebuilding the squads morale......The likes of Coleman, McCarthy, Wilson and possibly Stokes will be the next lads to be given a chance in the friendly v Norway and the four associations tournament....

**Jayo Cluxton** Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:26 am

Fair points P.

I am not normally given to the hurler on the ditch school or criticising from the armchair. I recognise we have the poorest squad of players in my lifetime and with the Premiership gone the way it is this will get worse. I am not and was never sold on Trap - why pay money you do not have when you cannot turn a pigs ear into a silk purse.

**The Puke** Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:31 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Fair points P.

I am not normally given to the hurler on the ditch school or criticising from the armchair. I recognise we have the poorest squad of players in my lifetime and with the Premiership gone the way it is this will get worse. I am not and was never sold on Trap - why pay money you do not have when you cannot turn a pigs ear into a silk purse.

He deserves credit for bringing stability to what was a shambles of a team after the last incumbant....Would much rather him over the team than a bluffer like David O'Leary, Joe Kinnear, Gerard Houllier etc who were also linked with the job at the time....Although we are a very average team but out side of the top 8 or 9 teams in Europe the rest are distinctly average or lacking depth as well....

**Jayo Cluxton** Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:42 am

I agree to a point that international football seems less important to a lot of players now - not so much ours or even Norn Irons. But look at the Scots, Welsh results in recent years. The days of Hansen, Dalglish, Souness, Rush, Andy Gray getting a chance to prove themselves in the Premiership are gone. It is nearly impossible for the top English talent to come through - sad and bad days.

Kerr knew the players inside out and had a system that wasn't a million miles from Trap's - and he was much cheaper. And lets face it the 'system' was torn apart last Friday and ought to have been before only for a wing and a prayer.

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