- Ben Blake reports from the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille
IRELAND MANAGER Martin O’Neill has rotated his squad for tonight’s make-or-break Euro 2016 match against Italy (8pm kick-off Irish time).
The Boys in Green must claim victory at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy to avoid going out of the tournament, and O’Neill has freshened up his team after falling to a 3-0 defeat to Belgium.
There are four changes in total from that line-up as Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh come in at centre-half for Ciaran Clark and John O’Shea.
In for Glenn Whelan, James McClean is named in what looks to be four-man midfield with James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick and Robbie Brady, while Daryl Murphy replaces Wes Hoolahan to partner Shane Long up front.
With O’Shea and Robbie Keane not starting, Seamus Coleman will skipper the side.
Ireland: Randolph; Coleman (c), Keogh, Duffy, Ward; McClean, Hendrick, McCarthy, Brady; Long, Murphy.
Italy: Sirigu; Barzagli, Bonucci, Ogbonna; Bernardeschi, Sturaro, Motta, Florenzi, De Sciligio; Zaza, Immobile.
What do you think of the starting line-up?
Great advertisement for the LOI. How ex Shels RTE commentator could say Matty Smith should not have been sent off is beyond me. Shels lost their discipline at the end.
What a game. Incredible to watch on telly.
Brilliant game of football! Up the Saints!
Incredible match , brilliant atmosphere .I wonder why Pats were only given 500 tickets when there was room for another 500
May not be riveting football, but I’d rather it that way with lots of goals any day. Some incredible finishes, particularly the two Shels goals. They still have a healthy lead but sometimes pressure affects less-experienced sides more when it matters most. Rovers with the more favourable fixtures too, albeit they need a win next week to truly unsettle Duff’s men for the run in. Those sides fighting relegation like Drogheda can become banana skins too in the latter stages of any league.
Great entertainment. Couple of wonderful finishes, Keenas effort from inside his own half outrageous.
Mistakes to be sure but guys on 100000 a week make mistakes.
Thought Shels should have brought on the big lad up front sooner.
It’s like a bunch of drunks doing a 100 metre race. If you’re invested in a team it may seem exciting, but it’s been a very poor season, particularly for Shams with all the resources at their disposal. Even if they do win in the end, Bradders has been exposed as clueless.
@Ian Cunningham: you do talk some drivel Ian!
@Ellis Dewald: Shels have 54 points out of 96, Shams 49 out of 96. In any other league in the world these stats wouldn’t put a team within an asses roar of the title. Just because anyone can beat anyone on a given day doesn’t make it a great league.
@Ian Cunningham: Bayern Munich ran away with the bundesliga every year until last year, did that make it a great league?
@Bert Carolan: Personally I will say yes ;) although not the ideal regular winner I agree. If we had a bit more nerve, BVB should’ve snapped up two of them titles too.
@Ian Cunningham:
Drivel is right
Great advertisement for the league with ROVERS back in it
After shels made it two each, they needed composure, and Duff just throne a tantrum on the line and it seeped into the team, it was a great game, it’s amazing how open it still is, if Pats were to win all four games and get to 59, the other teams are showing no consistency to say they will, poor season but has the makings of a great finish.
Brilliant stuff. Best LOI game I can remember seeing and delighted the TV cameras were there. Now imagine what our league could be with some investment.
The bluffer should be made watch fools and horses
Sh€ls are falling apart again