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23 Mar 11
12:21
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Date Joined:
20 May 10
Ireland would appear to be quite short in this match, no Shay Given although Westwood looks ok doubts over Keane and Dunne but i expect both to play, although Keane can't be that sharp if he makes it. Macedonian side looks full and they were unlucky not to get a draw in Slovakia earlier in the group when they finished with 10 men and lost a goal in injury time.
Bet i was looking at was Macedonia +1.25 on the Asian line meaning Ireland would have to win by a 2 goal margin to lose your bet in full, 1 goal win by Ireland you win half draw or Macedonian win you collect in full.
I reckon we would need to go back years, maybe to 2003 to see Ireland win a match by 2 goals against similar opposition when they beat Georgia 2-0 but Macedonia is a step up from the 2003 Georgia imo. That Georgian team were in the middle of a near 3 year run where they only beat 2 teams both at home (Russia & Albania*2). So you may have to go back to Iran in WC cup playoff in '01 to get an Ireland 2 goal margin win against similar opposition in my view that Macedonia will provide Saturday.
Macedonia lost 4-0 and 3-1 to Holland and Russia both better teams than Ireland, but unluckily lost 2-0 in Scotland in a game they dominated the first half and saw Scottish keeper make 3 top class saves, After the Scots took the lead following a set piece the game became very open as Macedonia looked for a Equaliser and they were caught by the Scots to make it 2-0 but not until after they missed a couple of great chances themselves. Bar this you're going back to 2005, and a decent Finland (Under Hodgson), when they lost to a similar team to Ireland by a 2 goal margin.
To me Ireland will be delighted with a win no matter what the score is and will gladly take a 1-0. So i think Macedonia @ 10/11 +1.25 is value in my book.
Bet i was looking at was Macedonia +1.25 on the Asian line meaning Ireland would have to win by a 2 goal margin to lose your bet in full, 1 goal win by Ireland you win half draw or Macedonian win you collect in full.
I reckon we would need to go back years, maybe to 2003 to see Ireland win a match by 2 goals against similar opposition when they beat Georgia 2-0 but Macedonia is a step up from the 2003 Georgia imo. That Georgian team were in the middle of a near 3 year run where they only beat 2 teams both at home (Russia & Albania*2). So you may have to go back to Iran in WC cup playoff in '01 to get an Ireland 2 goal margin win against similar opposition in my view that Macedonia will provide Saturday.
Macedonia lost 4-0 and 3-1 to Holland and Russia both better teams than Ireland, but unluckily lost 2-0 in Scotland in a game they dominated the first half and saw Scottish keeper make 3 top class saves, After the Scots took the lead following a set piece the game became very open as Macedonia looked for a Equaliser and they were caught by the Scots to make it 2-0 but not until after they missed a couple of great chances themselves. Bar this you're going back to 2005, and a decent Finland (Under Hodgson), when they lost to a similar team to Ireland by a 2 goal margin.
To me Ireland will be delighted with a win no matter what the score is and will gladly take a 1-0. So i think Macedonia @ 10/11 +1.25 is value in my book.
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I made the big mistake of reading the first line without seeing the username, then I saw the username and stopped reading.
Sorry Dec i should have said this maybe to complicated for some to understand 
I'd rather not see Keanem in the team myself, especially at the expense of Long. Coleman and McGeady should both start as should aforementioned Long, Palying the negative counterattacking way we do, we need to have pace in the team, but aside from that they are our best and most in form attackers. I want Gibson in midfield as well.
****, there goes a fair degree of our attacking threat, we need McGeady to start now and play well, Duff uses the ball well but his days as a flying winger are over
ya I know, managerial negligence, but I'm talking about what they should be doing, even coming on as a sub, he's probably our biggest threat, as it stands we could end up playing too wingers with no pace, 2 pedestrian midfielders and a slightly overweight Robbie Keane up front.
Robbie Keane is our best striker by a mile and anyone who thinks he should not be in the team knows nothing about football.
Heard TheGalwayMan wants to see Stokes in ahead of Keane.
Really? If you hear any more of that guy's opinions please post them here. He is notoriously shrewd.
Duff is playing quality stuff for Fulham of late, the lad can still play. Coleman was never going to start to be fair, let's hope we see McCarthy at some stage.
Lazy analysis to say that he has to be in the team, Keane has lost a yard and now needs certain conditions in order to show his best, he drops deeper and deeper these days in order to get on the ball, as he knows that these days he is no threat in running in behind defenders with his lack pace. He either needs to play in the hole with a pacy striker in front of him or feeding off the knockdowns of a big man. The team at West Ham will suit Keane better with the pace of Obinna, Cole and Ba. As Doyle MUST play, I don't think the team is suited to Keane's style of play anymore. Long and Doyle are our best options up front if we are to play 2 up.
No offense but the trick is not what me and you or anybody think they should be doing it's as to what Trap will do and he will play Keane up front mate. And Keane's international form is part of the reason i think we will struggle to cover the handicap of -1.25.
Ya I agree he will play, and his all round game for Ireland has been so poor for so long that he no longer should be in the team imo. I know well what Trap is going to do, Shane Long would be a much better option, a great athlete who will apply pressure and who's football is improving all the time. The rumour I heard is that West Ham actually wanted Long instead of Keane, but they couldn't agree a fee with Reading who are chasing promotion. Robbie is an intelligent footballer, no doubt but his legs have gone, as for Duff,as I say, he'll use the ball well, but he'll start on the right and cut in every time making the game narrow as he doesn't have the pace to go down the outside, Coleman is a massive loss, The idea of a winger hitting the byeline and crossing is something Ireland have not been able to countenance for a long time.
It amazes me every time theres a big Ireland game and all the Keane knockers come out. Fair enough he's had a bad time of it at Spurs but for us he's still our most important player. Long is having a cracking year at Reading but he's not near the class of Robbie and never will be sadly. A class player like Keane makes the difference in games like this and thats why he has to start. It can be hard to forget he's still only 30 years old.
I wouldn't lay it Newmanix, I'd put it that way, he still has a lot of class, eg. that cracking volley he got for West Ham, but I just wonder if the way this team is set up is gonna suit him.
Keiren Westwood, Darren O'Dea and Kevin Foley will all make competitive debuts for the Republic of Ireland in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia.
Coventry keeper Westwood was always going to come in for the injured Shay Given to win his sixth senior cap, while Wolves defender Foley takes over from John O'Shea at right-back.
However, O'Dea, currently on loan at Ipswich from Celtic, has been drafted in as a late replacement for central defender Sean St Ledger, who has finally had to admit defeat in his efforts to shake off a knee injury picked up in a training ground collision with Ciaran Clark on Tuesday.
Kevin Kilbane will make his 65th successive competitive start in a back four which will also include the fit again Richard Dunne, while Manchester United's Darron Gibson will partner Glenn Whelan in central midfield with Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady providing the width.
Robbie Keane, captaining his country for a record-equalling 40th time, will start alongside Kevin Doyle in attack after finally shaking off the calf injury which has sidelined him for much of the last six weeks.
Manager Giovanni Trapattoni has confirmed that Wigan midfielder James McCarthy will be involved at some point, although Jon Walters is not now due to join up with the squad until after the game following the birth of his third child.
Coventry keeper Westwood was always going to come in for the injured Shay Given to win his sixth senior cap, while Wolves defender Foley takes over from John O'Shea at right-back.
However, O'Dea, currently on loan at Ipswich from Celtic, has been drafted in as a late replacement for central defender Sean St Ledger, who has finally had to admit defeat in his efforts to shake off a knee injury picked up in a training ground collision with Ciaran Clark on Tuesday.
Kevin Kilbane will make his 65th successive competitive start in a back four which will also include the fit again Richard Dunne, while Manchester United's Darron Gibson will partner Glenn Whelan in central midfield with Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady providing the width.
Robbie Keane, captaining his country for a record-equalling 40th time, will start alongside Kevin Doyle in attack after finally shaking off the calf injury which has sidelined him for much of the last six weeks.
Manager Giovanni Trapattoni has confirmed that Wigan midfielder James McCarthy will be involved at some point, although Jon Walters is not now due to join up with the squad until after the game following the birth of his third child.
Not sure about this Irish team looks ropey enough to me
What you all are forgetting is the home croud and anticipation. Been a good while since the last group game so the fans will be hungry and the team will oblige. Keane should start, he leads the young lads. McCarthy will come on for the last 20 mins and give us a boost.
Can see Darren O'Dea costing Ireland a goal and then everyone saying, what is Trappatoni at starting him.
How can clark not be in front of kilbane, playing in a league two divisions lower?
You could also switch him to centre half for odea.
The defence looks unnecessarily very shaky to me.
You could also switch him to centre half for odea.
The defence looks unnecessarily very shaky to me.
Defence is a big worry, would settle for a scrappy 1-0.
Kilbane starting is an utter joke at this stage. I would make him responsible for more than 50% of the goals conceded in the past 2 years when he has played.
O'Dea is slow and makes the odd blunder but i quite fancy him to pop up as FGS at a big price. The lad knows where the goal is and has a decent scoring record for a centre half.
O'Dea is slow and makes the odd blunder but i quite fancy him to pop up as FGS at a big price. The lad knows where the goal is and has a decent scoring record for a centre half.
Would you ever trust Ireland enough to back them at 1/2??
Mite have a small interest on 2-0 @ 11/2 & 2-1 @ 17/2......
Mite have a small interest on 2-0 @ 11/2 & 2-1 @ 17/2......
armenia v russia still 0-0 not a bad result for the irish
that win away to armenia looks crucial at the moment, with slovakia losing to them as well.
Exactly Dan job done......I see one of our loi men on another thread having a pop at the crowd figure.
you can thank me for the early goal
back 0-0 with a view to trading it, kiss of death
back 0-0 with a view to trading it, kiss of death
At half-time,Dunphy cliched that you don't expect to score two goals like that "at this level".
We were playing Macedonia, a team ranked 83 in the World, and their keeper plays his club football in Cyprus !
We were playing Macedonia, a team ranked 83 in the World, and their keeper plays his club football in Cyprus !
You definitely don't expect goals like that at International level. I would be disappointed to concede goals like that in a junior soccer game. Very basic errors from the keeper.
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