IT’S WILL DEFINITELY be an away day to remember.
It doesn’t matter that Bosnia-Herzegovina also have a 37,500-seater stadium that they use in Sarajevo – their fortress is 70 kilometres away from the capital in Zenica.
Bosnia’s first competitive match was against Albania in 1996, and it was 10 years, and 15 matches, before they lost at the Bilino Polje Stadium – a Euro 2008 qualifier against Hungary.
Due to UEFA regulations the capacity for Friday night’s playoff clash with Ireland is just 11,500, 4,000 people less than local club NK Celik are usually permitted.
Irish fans will start their evening in style with a police escort from Sarajevo to the nation’s fourth biggest city. And the night should build from there.
An intense atmosphere is promised in Central Europe. Fans will be right amongst the action as the Bilino Polje is one of few football grounds in the country without an athletics track around the perimeter.
Bosnian fans certainly aren’t shrinking violets and clearly have a sense of humour. Their own Lionel Messi Appreciation Society had no issues letting Cristiano Ronaldo who they deemed to be the best player in the world before their World Cup playoff match against Portugal in 2009.
In more positive news – while a fortress in the past – it has seemed a little bit more penetrable in recent times. Bosnia have won their last three Euro qualifiers in Zenica (2-0 v Wales, 3-0 v Andorra and 3-1 v Israel) but they began their campaign with a 2-1 home loss to Cyrpus before a 1-1 draw with Belgium at the same venue one month later.
I rarely agree with dubs but I agree with him. It’ll make the game too stop start, and kill any momentum. Hopefully teams don’t start hoofing long balls now, and they try and play good football like Dublin/mayo/cork/kerry
@Cortiss: be good to see Cork sticking their chest out again
@Cortiss: Cork?!?!?! Strange one
@Cortiss: sure you love a long ball yourself
@Jamie Bent: they play great attacking football, still nowhere near the top teams but I admire their style. Admittedly I am a cork man
@Cortiss: they put in a great display against Dublin in the super 8’s
@Cortiss: what momentum? Most games are full of lateral and backward handpassing at walking pace with occasional bursts of pace. Football coaches caused this rule change. The biggest problem football faces is football people. You ruined your own game, spend all the time bitching about that but are unwilling to do anything about it. Change the record.
@Cortiss: he’s 100% right .. what will happen it clever teams will play clever little pass, just on the limit of the distance, straight into the chest of an attacker running away from goal! Players like Mannion have the pace to get out a step ahead of their marker, sprint out of from the goal to receive a basic kick pass to the chest… he then ridiculously gets rewarded with a free shot instead of having to deal with the defender who’s now breathing down his neck. Before the new rule he may have been dispossessed by defender or had a shot or pass blocked but now the game will stop. The only way to tweak rule to stop this is to insist the ball is caught above the head
@Cortiss: sorry for your troubles (been from Cork I mean)
Why on earth would the dubs want anything to change? Plus when they did play with the mark last year they were badly exposed by it. And you’ll hit me with the ‘oh but sure they didn’t work on it I training’ but if it’s such a basic skill like mannion said then surely defending it is a basic skill also?
@Mel Roberts: do you honestly think the mark will change the way Mannion or Con play Mel? They field the ball and run at defences with it
@my name: in fairness I think he’s saying they’re team will suffer not that it’ll force mannion to change the way he plays
@my name: I’m not talking about how they will play. I’m talking about how exposed your full back line was when they came up against teams who could use the mark to their advantage. It’s your full back line that would need to change the way they play
@Mel Roberts: something along these lines?
https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/brian-howard-175554
@my name: was that against the mark? Eh no. Does Brian Howard play in the full back line eh no. I’m talking about against the mark last year they looked exposed. Why bring something irrelevant into it?
@Mel Roberts: was Brian Howard playing in the full back line? Was the ball delivered to a target man on the square? See the similarities there? I can’t make it any easier for you buddy. The ball was defended on the full back line
@my name: mate have a read at my initial comment. When Dublin full back line have played against the mark they have been exposed. You be gave one example of a fella who’s not a back making a catch which wasn’t against the mark as it wasn’t in use then
@Mel Roberts: what position was Murchan playing in that game or jack mccaffery in the drawn game? Dublin players don’t play the number on their back is the point I’m making here Mel. Like you said, last season they didn’t train for the mark. They probably won’t have time before the league kicks off this year as they’ve been away. They’ll use the league as training for the championship. You’re a football man, thought you’d see that
Sorry my reference for Murchan was this goal
https://youtu.be/2mheijU7QIM
@my name: But sure if catching a ball is such a basic skill like mannion has said it is why couldn’t Dublin defenders do it against the mark last year?
@my name: why are you throwing up games where there’s no mark? Read what I have said, against the mark they were exposed which they were. You’ve gave 2 examples where there’s no mark?
@Mel Roberts: I’ve made it as simple as I can for you pal but no you just want to sling mud. You’re the very man who posts on here constantly saying everyone’s against you and Tyrone. Yet every chance you get you’re at Dublin no matter the subject, you actually compared yourself to James McClean the other day too. I give up, you bring it on yourself and then have a wee cry about it
@my name: I mean why are you posting from games where there is no mark to make a point that Dublin can defend the mark? That’s all I’ve asked? I’ve no slung any mud
@my name: btw I never compared myself to James mcclean. I said that you are all happy to jump on the bandwagon when he’s getting abuse but at the same time agree with someone labelling all northerners as brits
@Mel Roberts: badly exposed by the mark last year? When the facts are that Dublin had the best points difference (+23) in the league last year
@my name: Teams that utilised the mark exposed them, Tyrone tore them apart as did monaghan and showed that they were vulnerable against it
@Mel Roberts: Tyrone tore into Paddy Andrews and left marks alright. Come the business end of the season Mel, you know full well Dublin aren’t getting torn apart by Tyrone
@my name: I never said they were? If there’s a way to get at Dublin that’s it though. As for paddy Andrews an accidental collision? Really still going on about that
@Mel Roberts: the Dubs were exposed by the mark the last time because they knew it wasn’t being used in the championship and so they rightly completely ignored it in training… planning instead for the C’ship without it!! Be under no illusion Dubs will exploit this as well as everyone and better than most now that it’s in. It’s a terrible rule that will lead to attackers running away from goal to receive easy passes to the check and be rewarded with a free shot
@my name: he won’t have to run at defences… all he’ll have to do is run out from goal 1 step ahead of his marker and receive a basic pass into the check. He’ll then have 15secs for easy free. What people need to ask themselves is “what’s the worst way this new mark could be exploited?” “What way can it be exploited that goes against the spirit of what it is intended for” – And that’s exactly how it will be used!!
@Meatloaf: i disagree – I think he’s looking forward to kicking easy frees for fun without having to beat his marker other than getting 1 step ahead of him as he runs away from goal to receive a basic pass into the chest… of this is what happens it will be awful
Most full back lines look vulnerable under a high ball. In my view it will make the game more defensive
@John O Reilly: everyone is assuming it will be exploited via a ‘high ball’… when in my view 90% of the scores will come from attackers sprinting away from goal to receive an easy kick pass into their chest
15 seconds for a forward to play the ball once a mark is called. Totally unrealistic in terms of what the y get normally. Every attack should end in a score. Expect more fouling up the field and more packed defenses
@JPM: Thats a very intelligent comment, I agree completely with the point you make about realistic game play. Hurling has become so much more popular at least in terms of watching the sport as its continously about attack and flow of the game. I suppose if I was to make a point about the mark, even though its available to an attacking team, it doesnt necessarily mean they will use it. A more important issue might be that this rule will add further pressure onto referees.
Why are we forever tinkering with the rules of our game? We have the greatest sport in the world, just leave it be. I don’t see fifa introducing 4 or 5 new rule changes every year
@The Analyst: no, just one massive one…. VAR!
I’m sure we will see Tyrone kicking penetrating long passes as they surge forward
@John O Reilly: you mean just like they did all last year? Have you actually ever watched Tyrone play or does your hatred just stem from all things north of the border?
@Mel Roberts: how do you feel about Mickey Harte
@Mel Roberts: I just dislike sledging. I think it’s disgusting
@John O Reilly: is this an article about Mickey harte? Why not answer my question instead of throwing up that nonsense
@Mel Roberts: I did
@John O Reilly: give me an example of Mickey harte sledging? Are Tyrone the only team that does it? Ever played against Tyrone to know?
@Mel Roberts: I never said Mickey Harte sledged anyone. but tyrone players did. I asked your view about Mickey Harte as a manager
@John O Reilly: He’s one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen in my opinion and the opinion of many
@Mel Roberts: should he stay on
@John O Reilly: This year yes
@Mel Roberts: after this… if they don’t win recall ireland
@John O Reilly: No and I think he will go himself and it’s well known who his replacement will be
@Mel Roberts: who?
@John O Reilly: Mel Roberts!
@John O Reilly: Malachy o Rourke according to people in the know
@Joe Kennedy:
@Joe Kennedy: taking the minors this year joe
@Mel Roberts: haha….Fair play.
Just as the tied against packed defences had turned congress steps up and potentially shoves us straight down that road all over again. Jesus wept
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