I'm sick to death of the worsening state of our fanbase as a nation. The naivity of the arguments are frightening... Expecting this team to suddenly play free flowing attacking football and win every game without a challenge is just ludicrous. No international side in the world can justifiably expect this except perhaps the top 2 or 3 nations. Of course we long Ireland to improve, but the starting point is always stability and making yourself hard to beat. Thats the starting point, but noone seems able to notice this? Dunphy and co are pushing an agenda to get rid of the manager as always, and its almost incredible that people take them seriously... they are not willing to allow any positive to stand without qualifying it with a negative. Being positive is seen as immature... well sorry for being immature, but I think I know a little bit about football, and there is no way on earth I would swap a Newcastle or Brazil approach (gung ho...useless at the back)instead of a more Italian or Liverpool approach (structured and organised...less glamourous). My view is that the latter approach will provide better results in the short term, with a few disappointments, but in the long run confidence grows and the team begins to play better football as time goes on. Liverpool are classic example of this. The Istanbul team was not as good to watch as the team today. It takes time... and obviously we're not exactly loaded with top quality players.
This means we need to stick with "structured and organised" for now, and live with the growing pains like the Bulgaria game, without acting like spoiled children who want some fantasy to suddenly appear miraculously before us on the pitch.
What a bunch of wasters who leave before the final whistle.....What a bunch of wasters called the panel of experts. If i'm the only one left in the country (and I know I'm not, cause there are many good men and women out there like the travelling fans - one of whom I'm not.) i'll never accept what Dunphy puts out there.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1 Sat 28 March 2009
Dunne
Italy 1 Ireland 1 Wed 1 April 2009
Keane
The performance in Italy was exceptional. Fascinating to see Trap suddenly bring on players who have hardly played before. Was he trying to fool Lippi? Did he have that up his sleeve all along? Certainly the likes of Folan was a masterstroke in terms of the trouble he caused, and pleased for Noel Hunt... (only a few years since seeing him make a debut for Shamrock Rovers...) Stephen Hunt was fantastic and I admire his two performances this week. Hes not Torres, but noone said he was. Same with a lot of these Irish players. They arent Brazil, but they are honest, and hardworking, and they pass the ball better than ever. (albeit that the Bulgaria game wasnt the best example of passing..Italy was though.)
