Jump to content

Playoff Semi Final , 18th October 2020


Recommended Posts

Late to the party but still absolutely over the moon getting through last night. To be one game away from a major tournament for the first time in 17 years is exciting.

Being blunt it is difficult to watch. However I can see why Clarke has gone 3/5 at the back - we conceded 19 goals in 10 games (8 if you discount San Marino) last campaign which is never going to get you through. Indeed over our last three qualifying campaigns and the first Nations League, we conceded 47 goals in 34 games. That record has to be changed and the 5 at the back is an attempt to both do that and fit in Robertson and Tierney. So I can accept that and go with it, too often we have watched Ireland shitfest their way to major tournaments while we have sat at home.

Where we struggled both last month against the same opponents and last night is the passive nature of the passing of our central midfield. Jack and McGregor do not pass the ball not carry the ball forward anywhere near enough, which allowed Israel to setup behind the ball with consummate ease. Only did we stretch them when Fraser came on.

Couple that with struggling wing backs and it led to a total lack of creativity. SOD is a trier but an international level player he is not. Robertson struggled against Dasa who was outstanding last night.

Dykes and McBurnie escape critical words from me due to the pitiful service they received.

Positively last night, Marshall was superb and the three centre halves were outstanding to a man in snuffing out Zahavi and Dabbur. To cough up one massive chance in 120 minutes is very commendable. Even McTominay looked comfortable last night.

The penalties by us were superb, great composure shown by all of them. Marshall was just fantastic.

It was a night that will bond this team closer together and give them confidence.

It may have been turgid but the same again in Belgrade would do me nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

People keep saying this as if glorious failure is our thing.  

We've not even had any of that for ages.  Abject, pitiful failure is our thing.

Absolutely this.

If 'glorious failure' was ever a thing (and it wasn't) we haven't 'achieved' it in decades.

It's just failure.

2 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

If we can somehow shitfest Serbia, maybe we'll win the whole affair.

Hey, if that honking Greece side can manage it...

That Greece side managed to score goals though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

People keep saying this as if glorious failure is our thing.  

We've not even had any of that for ages.  Abject, pitiful failure is our thing.

Unfair. abject  pitiful failure? usually we are great but lose

 

We are in the final. This once lets just believe man . its hardly 03 holland we are playing this time.

Edited by greenockraver
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

Absolutely this.

If 'glorious failure' was ever a thing (and it wasn't) we haven't 'achieved' it in decades.

It's just failure.

That Greece side managed to score goals though.

That Greece side could defend

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

People keep saying this as if glorious failure is our thing.  

We've not even had any of that for ages.  Abject, pitiful failure is our thing.

We snatched a draw and qualification/or play off (with Irelands amazing win) from the jaws of victory v Poland for euro 16

We threw away a play off spot v Slovenia after dragging ourselves back into contention with several wins for Russia 18

Glorious failure has remained a constant

Edited by Binos
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Antiochas III said:

Greece's midfield was solid in all passages of play.  We could only dream to have midfield that could do the basics of Greece

I think our midfield is our only area we can talk up

Mcginns fast becoming a talisman

But aye they two or three solid midfielders in that Greek team, forget their names

Kastouranis?

Edited by Binos
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Binos said:

I think our midfield is our only area we can talk up

Mcginns fast becoming a talisman

But aye they two or three solid midfielders in that Greek team, forget their names

Kastouranis?

If you watched the last three, hell even our last five games and came away with that the defence not our midfield is the problem then I would recommend re-watching the games.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, greenockraver said:

Unfair. abject  pitiful failure? usually we are great but lose

What are you on about you absolute madman?

"Usually we are great"!  I don't know that I've ever read quite such utter horseshit on here.  We are very, very seldom ever great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Binos said:

We snatched a draw and qualification/or play off (with Irelands amazing win) from the jaws of victory v Poland for euro 16

We threw away a play off spot v Slovenia after dragging ourselves back into contention with several wins for Russia 18

Glorious failure has remained a constant

You need to look up what glorious means.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


VAR generally only an issue if anything actually happens. I did wonder if it might get involved in the penalty shoot out though.
I was terrified the replay would show Marshall off his line for the save but he did well (possibly through sheer luck) to keep his left foot on the line as he dived.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, BucksburnDandy said:


Positively last night, Marshall was superb...
 Marshall was just fantastic.
 

I like Marshall and I approve of the fact that he now seems established as our first choice goalkeeper.

The use of the language above is just silly though.

He did fine the other night, making one good penalty save.  

A "superb" or "fantastic" goalkeeping display would require a string of remarkable saves.  It sure as Hell wasn't the sort of game that allowed for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

Absolutely this.

If 'glorious failure' was ever a thing (and it wasn't) we haven't 'achieved' it in decades.

It's just failure.

 

Decade, singular. The qualification campaign for 2008 Euros was glorious failure IMO. In a group with both WC finalists and a quarter-finalist. Beating France home and away and Ukraine at home. Then that last game against Italy. That was a great campaign ending in our usual (glorious) failure but it was the last memorable campaign for the right reasons where we went toe to toe with the big teams and you felt we had a good chance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Antiochas III said:

If you watched the last three, hell even our last five games and came away with that the defence not our midfield is the problem then I would recommend re-watching the games.  

 

Agreed, the defence has actually been pretty good the past 3-5 games, been a bit bizarre to see people slagging it off so much. The problem has been they’ve been left utterly exposed by the powderpuff midfield almost every time.

 

He played well on Thursday, but I still think McTominay would be better suited as a deep-lying midfielder protecting the defence. J*ck/Fleck/McGregor have been fairly terrible, offering no protection or forward momentum.

Edited by AngusTheBull
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, ropy said:

Next month is it Gallagher or McKenna at the back or does Tierney come in and push them both out

Possibly McTominay, Cooper, Tierney as our back three. 
 

Cooper gives a bit of experience over McKenna which is important too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Binos said:

We snatched a draw and qualification/or play off (with Irelands amazing win) from the jaws of victory v Poland for euro 16

We threw away a play off spot v Slovenia after dragging ourselves back into contention with several wins for Russia 18

Glorious failure has remained a constant

There was absolutely nothing 'glorious' about that failure.

2 hours ago, paul-r-cfc said:
13 hours ago, Distant Doonhamer said:

VAR generally only an issue if anything actually happens. I did wonder if it might get involved in the penalty shoot out though.

I was terrified the replay would show Marshall off his line for the save but he did well (possibly through sheer luck) to keep his left foot on the line as he dived.

I don't think it was luck. He was checking his position each time. Seemed to me he had practiced them.

1 hour ago, Scary Bear said:

Decade, singular. The qualification campaign for 2008 Euros was glorious failure IMO. In a group with both WC finalists and a quarter-finalist. Beating France home and away and Ukraine at home. Then that last game against Italy. That was a great campaign ending in our usual (glorious) failure but it was the last memorable campaign for the right reasons where we went toe to toe with the big teams and you felt we had a good chance.

The failure came about due to a hideously shitebag display against a terrible Georgia who were without several regular players and had to play 3 teenagers. Nothing glorious about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

There was absolutely nothing 'glorious' about that failure.

I don't think it was luck. He was checking his position each time. Seemed to me he had practiced them.

The failure came about due to a hideously shitebag display against a terrible Georgia who were without several regular players and had to play 3 teenagers. Nothing glorious about that.

A game we had two stonewall penalties denied...  one of then if given would have seen a red card though.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...