David Forde – 7 Had little or nothing to do as the Gibraltans struggled to create chances but remained concentrated for the couple of occasions he was called into action.
David Meyler – 7 With first choice Seamus Coleman missing, the Hull City midfielder is decent back-up option for Tuesday night.
John O’Shea – 7 Considering Gibraltar were utterly toothless in attack, O’Shea enjoyed one of the handier nights of his international career.
Marc Wilson – 7 Like O’Shea, wasn’t troubled by the opposition and you hope that their partnership is growing with every game.
Stephen Ward – 7 As he was put under no pressure, Ward got forward to help McClean as often as possible.
Aiden McGeady – 8 Began promisingly and caused Ireland’s opponents plenty of problems. Had enough chances to score but was thwarted by a fine save.
Jeff Hendrick – 8 Preferred to Stephen Quinn and Glenn Whelan, the Derby County midfielder did his chances of starting against Germany no harm.
Darron Gibson – 7 After a rusty display against Oman last month, Gibson appears to be regaining his sharpness. Hopefully he can stay fit.
James McClean – 8 Two goals for the Wigan winger, who was full of energy on the night.
Wes Hoolahan – 9 Named man-of-the-match, Hoolahan was once again Ireland’s most creative player and chipped in with a goal and a couple of assists.
Robbie Keane – 9 Clinical in front to goal as he bagged his third senior international hat-trick to bring his tally to 65.
SUBS:
Kevin Doyle - 6 Busy upon introduction.
Daryl Murphy - 5 A couple of half chances.
Robbie Brady – 6 Always keen to get on the ball and create openings.
I don’t agree with 7 for O’Shea at all, these lads were woeful and he found himself in trouble a few times, to be fair tho, important grazed header in the second half was good
Thought after the seventh goal we were going on to score a few more, under Trap this match would of finished 2/3 nil to us most
I don’t think you can rate any player against Gibraltar.
If we play 3 at the back against Germany we’ll be murdered!!!
How Stephan Ward gets a 7 is a mystery, even against terrible opposition he continually gave the ball away? Could pick out 5,6,7 times where we could have started a quick attack only for his slow play.
Ah feck ya Poland!!!!
Really begs the question that Off The Ball were talking about, why on earth does Forde get a 7/10 when he let in no goals and made a couple of good stops? How can he be marked down three points? Makes zero sense
I suppose, having been conditioned by games like Championship Manager, you generally see 6 as a default score and anything you do will raise or drop that incrementally. L’equipe in France do excellent player ratings, only give above 5 for genuinely impressive performances and have been known to give players scores of 2 on occasion, whereas in an Irish or British context you would only get that for a really shoddy performance or an early red card (or both)
I know that these scores are subjective but 7 for Ward!?!?! Were you watching a different game? Gibraltar knew he was crap and targeted him. Part-timers, targeted a professional. They played diagonal balls over the top of him every chance they had and always had him on the back foot.
He also still managed to give the ball away several times and offer little or nothing in attack.
For me, considering the opposition, this was his worst game yet. And thats saying something.
I also think you were a bit generous to Hendrick. He didnt impose himself on the opposition at all in the first half and only broke into the box once in the second half. I rate him highly but I thought he just about did enough to say he didnt play badly. But he certainly didnt play well.
There is nothing wrong with knocking Ward, Ger. He is poor. But at least offer an alternative. Otherwise it’s just shooting ducks.
1/ Joey O’Brien.
2/Wilson there with Keogh alongside O’Shea
3/ Brady has played left full for Hull several times and played there many times with United.
4/ Kelly could play there when he is fit.
Ive mentioned those guys as alternatives on here several times as have others. My first choice would be O’Brien. Yes hes a right footed player but so is Ward. O’Shea and Irwin are right footed but both played most of their United careers at left full. Ward cant defend and offers little in attack.
Can’t disagree with anything you’ve put forward there Ger, except Ward is definitely a natural left footer, which makes his obvious unease even against part timers all the more worrying!!
I will bow to your greater knowledge Cormac but are you sure? He seems to always cut back in on his right rather than cross with his left and when he plays the ball long out of defense he almost always uses his right. Either way he cant cross a road :)
Joey O Brien and Richard Keogh are both injured u clown.
Stephen Kelly is injured too by the way, plus he’s awful.
Where did I say that they should have played against Gibraltar or Germany? I was asked to offer alternatives in that position, I did. And Kelly is a much better player than Ward. Thanks for the clown comment, I always fancied working in a circus.
Stephan Ward has to be up there as one of the worst players ever to wear the green jersey.His worst game by far was away to Russia 0-0 a few years back..How he earns a living playing soccer is one of the great mysteries.It just shows that mediocrity also exits within coaching set ups.
Wolves wouldn’t play him even though he was contracted.Instead they lent him out to Brighton FOC who then sacked their manager at seasons end.He is now with Burnley who will be relegated.What does this say about O’Neill/Keane that they continue to play him??I don’t accept the “we have nobody else ” argument as practically any “left full” in the “League of Ireland”would be a better prospect..
If you think I am being harsh watch what happens on Tuesday.The Germans will have him highlighted for special treatment..
O’Brien is certainly an option but he seems injury prone and several times he’s been included had to withdraw. Wilson is maybe only a marginally better option than Ward at left back. I’d fancy Brady more in a left wing back role than an out and out left back. At his age, I’d prefer he was included as an attacking option in midfield. It’s unfortunate, Ger. There was a time we had a wealth of solid options to fit in at left back – Erwin (who could play either roles), Staunton, Harte and Phelan.
I wish Clarke was getting more game time at Villa. His career seems to have stalled at bit, but he certainly has the skills to play left full for us and although his best position is centre back he has played many times at left full for villa.
We’re focked now!!
Poland has won with Germany. It may be an interesting group after all.
Don’t know if that result in Poland is a good thing or a bad thing. Opinions?
Makes things more interesting but bad from an Irish perspective surely.
Yeah, the Germans are angry now & we’re next!
Roy Keane is still angry too and their next.
It shows the Germans are beatable maybe due to a World Cup hangover
If we take 3 points off them this is going to be a great campaign.
Ireland can play any formation they like against Germany. We’ll get hammered. O’Shea and Wilson are dreadful centre backs. Most of the team are Championship players or not playing first team in the Premiership. Gibraltar were all over us in the last 20 minutes. This is a really poor Ireland team
Could Ireland go 3-5-2 for Germany game? Means Keane, Hoolohan and Long could be incorporated. Just wonder who would play with O’Shea and Wilson.
Are you actually for real?
I’m just spit-balling. No bad ideas in brainstorming, or so I thought
There is when your “spit balling” and “brainstorming” about the World Champions who have been apart of major championship finals in last 3 major international comps and have hammered the bejaysus out of us the last two times we played them.
4-5-1 and hope to nick a goal.
I hear you. It’s they’re not playing great, aren’t the best defensively, and I’m a dreamer.
Not as crazy as it sounds. 4-5-1 means hanging on for dear life. However, we’re weak in defence so that would be playing to our weaknesses instead of our strengths. 3-5-2 means we end up picking better players and keeping more possession. Risky, I know, but so is defending for most of the game. I think we’ve a better chance of 2-2 than 0-0.
Keeping possession? I counted 7 times today when there was 6 Ireland players in their own half with 1 Gibraltar player… So when we played the ball into the flanks we were allowing ourselves to get outnumbered… If we do this against Germany we’re focked.
4-5-1 , Long up front on his own and Keane to come on if we are sniffing a result. Midfield of Gibson, Hendrick, Holohan, McGeady and McClean. The defence just scares the shite out of me
I think going forward it’s a good idea. We’ll get the best out of Coleman and Robbie Brady has played as a wingback for Hull. Would probably let mcgeady have free role like robben for Holland with Keane in behind and leave long up front. Mccarthy and another as the two centre mids. Then o’shea, Wilson and Duffy as our 3 defenders
Would you stop!!! “McGeady like Robben for Holland”
We don’t play natural possession football, and O’Shea and Wilson A&E average centre backs at their best. You need a holding midfielder sitting in front of our back FOUR at all times.
Get off Fifa, Sky Sports News and come out and actually watch a few games of Ireland before commenting.
Crazy stuff going on here tonight!!!
The Germans have looked anything but convincing so far and still appear to be on a World Cup hangover. They were lacklustre against a determined Scotland last month, who actually were ahead at one stage, and Germany were soundly beaten tonight by Poland, who are hardly world beaters themselves. Ireland did tonight – against a very poor side – what any half-decent side should do against a weak side: bury them in goals. You can only play the side that lines out in front of you. What Ireland need to do on Tuesday is forget this David and Goliath mentality. Germany are not the side who appeared in the World Cup, and both the teams we are aligned to in this group (Poland and Scotland) have comprehensively proven that.
There’s no actual reason to include Long, his scoring rate is dreadful and he bottles it in front of goal time and time again. If we want a physical frontman to jostle around all night and not score goals I’d take Walters ahead of him for that job. If we want goals Keane and Hoolahan is the obvious choice.
Great performance from us tonight. Especially from hoolahan played a stormer, brilliant. Looking forward to tuesday now
Robbie Keane’s record speaks for itself and he had been a selfless servant to Ireland. John O’ Shea on the other hand is a mediocre limited player and was not great in any shape or form against probably the worst team in Europe.Ireland’s defence in general is shaky and does not inspire confidence.
Time to both defend and concentrate on the strengths if the pact attack. In other words a team performance, backing each other up. Doom and gloom talk sounds like the three points shouldn’t be played for, come on, onwards and upwards!
John O Shea…. don’t know how he has got as far as he did. ..pure useless…will cost us games…like Paul Mc Shane.
Diarmuid ” The Rock” O Sullivan should be full back.
Wilson can be so wasteful in possession of the ball, trying to pick out McGeads with 70 yard passes when there were simple passes on. He really has a mistake in him and I’d much rather see him out left side for the Germany match. Unfortunately that leaves a gap at centre back, and our best option there imo, Keogh, is injured…could Pearce or Clark come in at centre back?
Qlso thought Gibson was wasteful at times…realistically this was an audition to fill McCarthy’s shoes for the Germany game and Hendrick was the better centre mid. If he goes with the 4-3-2-1 v Germany they will line up Forde-Meyler, Johno, Wilson, Ward-Whelan, Quinn-McClean, Hendrick, McGeady-Long. If he incorporates Wes into the team he’ll start Robbie and possibly Walters instead of Hendrick, McClean, and Long.
i hadnt finished thanks, whelan shouldnt even be on the plane to germany he is pure muck.
If ford did nothing wrong, kept his concentration and a clean sheet why only a 7/10? What does he have to do to get a 10/10? Score a goal?
What’s the story with Keith Fahey? I’m out of the loop with recent events.
He’s back with Pats so therefore will not be picked. I think Richie Towell and Christy Fagan should be in the squad personally.
Thought Keane’s general play around the box was very strong as well aside from his finishing for his goals, he’s such a handful for opposition when we can actually feed him in the box to feet regularly.
Doyle and Murphy were really poor when they came on.
Wes won’t start against Germany.
Team to play Germany will be :
Forde, meyler, Wilson, o shea, ward, mcgeady, whelan, quinn, Gibson, mcclean, long
I miss Richard Dunne and Paul McGrath solid two players at the back where can we get players like them
Whelan should be s
I thought we gave the ball away with depressing regularity. An old failing which will cost us dear against Germany. We have a good manager but he just doesn’t have the quality available to him.