SO, IT COMES down to Tuesday.
Ireland came away from Copenhagen with a scoreless draw — or a point, as George Hamilton put it — as the Danes were left frustrated on their own patch.
It’s another clean sheet for Martin O’Neill of course but will that failure to clinch a crucial away goal prove costly this week in Dublin?
“The players put a big effort into the game. It would have been great if we could have scored a goal, but I think the game is evenly poised for the second leg,” the Ireland boss said afterwards.
So at 0-0, how do you see the tie going now?
Poll Results:
Ireland to go through (8800)
Denmark to go through (6860)
Neither team deserves to be in a World Cup, quality of football was atrocious.. A 0-0 probably suits the Danes better because if they get one goal I can’t see us getting two.. Expect another 120 mins of the same tripe come Tuesday night..
@David Garland: Agree it was awful especially from Ireland, all they did was kick the ball away, embarrasing to watch. Houlahan massive loss last night as is Maguire, the only Irish player capable of scoring.At least the Danes passed it around a bit, why can’t Irish players pass the ball to each other? They must be either told not to or are incapable of doing it. Should they really be at a world cup?
@David Garland: do you really think the first leg of a World Cup qualifier was going to be a goal fest? Come on now
@running man: MON tactics, I noticed he gets very defensive in interviews too. Speaks volumes.
@Jordo: Even one decent shot on target would’ve been nice
@running man: 15 players starting has yellow cards and not one booked. Ireland has to stand off and try and get a lucky goal. They had 3 great chances to be fair and could have been out of sight. Needs to get the back down and play and that means Wes. Meyler back will be huge. Wes won’t play the 90 I expect so depending on the score – route 1 can be used. Denmark play British style of football – bread and butter to our lads. Conceding is the big risk of course so patience is vital but we need more high tempo and getting on the ball for periods of play
@Bairéid Rísteard: Christie had a shot on target pal so did Duffy
@David Garland: international football is rubbish at the best of times. The way the match played out was as good as we could expect considering most of our players play at lower levels. A bit of cop on about our expectations is needed considering the knee jerk reactions by a lot to the performance.
@Dick Durkin: no need to play the second leg, both teams are useless and don’t deserve to go to a world cup. Spare us the embarrassment
@running man: I think we will see a different Irish performance on Tuesday. I’m hoping so, anyway
@David Garland: Half the teams at the World Cup will not deserve to be there by that reckoning, Honduras etc.Just let the elite teams play it out? The MON team just doesn’t have the skill level to keep the ball for long periods. O Neill often gets the best out of teams and is doing so again. With the players that we have to be playing in a playoff is punching above our weight for sure.
@David Garland: couldn’t agree more. Playing soccer defensively is like a boxer running around the ring all night. It sends the message that he doesn’t think he’s good enough.
They need to attack to go through
In what way do you suggest Dave?
@Nigel o’Neill: Long ball into the box
@O’David Dave: exactly, Eriksen will be pivotal when they’re looking for the away goal he’s not going be invisible for both legs, we won’t hold them out for 120 minutes we can only ride our luck so much
@O’David Dave: we neef yo score a goal and not concede to go through….and we dont score many goals…
We do have every chance and i would rather see us qualify for Russia than not…even if we win ugly, its still a win…meaning we qualify for the World Cup Finals…now thats got a nice ring to it…
The football we play is hideous. It’s almost unwatchable. The players must all be waking up this morning with sore necks from looking up into the sky at the ball. Hoofball at its worst.
To think some fans were on here the other night laughing at Northern Ireland for playing long ball stuff!
Even in traps time we played some bit of ball an odd time.
@Pepper Brooks: If you want to be entertained you must go to the opera!
@Feargal Ó Cuinneagáin: I love watching our soccer team. But it’s very hard to get an attachment to this type of grim dour stuff. Mick McCarthy had plenty of average players in his squad too, but we played some top class football all the same in big World Cup games against the likes of Portugal, Germany, Spain, Holland. O’Neill and Keane are anti-football. If Ireland was a club team and they served up that kind of shite every week, no one would even bother watching them after a few weeks and that’s the truth.
@Pepper Brooks: Mick McCarthy had the likes of Richard Dunne, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Roy Keane, Shay Givens et al, hardly mugs, this is currently the weakest squad in my lifetime
@Noel Ryan: with the exception of Roy Keane-Mick Mccarthy blooded all those players in the Irish senior team when they were only playing reserve team football at best. He took a chance on youth before they even made it at their clubs. He still got them playing football.
@Noel Ryan: Keane wasn’t even playing at the 2002 wc when we dominated possession & chances v Germany and Spain amongst others. Plenty of journeymen in that side that looked like world beaters under mick. Inter Milan looked at signing Gary breen after that tournament for gods sake! Surely you agree we could at least try play a bit of football and get on the front foot?
@Pepper Brooks: I’ve been thinking about the style of football we played under Mick. Some great passing football merged with fighting spirit. We played better football than Spain in 02 and were unlucky to go out. Maybe the players aren’t as good but surely we can try to play a bit more passing football and maintain our passion and dogged defending
I think that Denmark will score at the Aviva and that will be the end of it. There’s more space there compared to the pitch in Copenhagen which will suit them. Ireland could play their frustration tactics game away but it’s a different game now at home.
@Minom Pnom: Yeah, I agree with this.
I feel our best chance was to steal an away goal as our home form is terrible.
Having said that, another 0-0 is not beyond the beyonds.
The March was poor last night. But with the crowd behind us at home and different attitude and line up ie. Wes, . Shane, and John Meyler with the supporters up for it, It can he won,. Have to say Randolph was truly brilliant last night. COME ON IRELAND
@Kevin Gallagher: David’s dad? ;)
@Kevin Gallagher: except pushing that shit back out to Sisto and got lucky.
His double save was excellent and held into the ball aa well. Playing week in week out serving him well.
Everyone here needs to catch themselves on. This is a Championship standard squad of players at best, and MON has them on the verge of qualifying for back to back tournaments. We wouldn’t be at this stage if we’d tried to play more attractive football in the group. There’s no pleasing some people!
Penalties …
Martin oneill will be mainly using the 2 johnnies for the match tactics – drive it, drive it, drive it.. Or shake em up.. Not a bad way to earn a serious wage!
Plenty of experts on here. Good to see the future of international football analysis is safe
@Keith: you think what these commenters are doing us any different from the likes of what Dunphy and co are spouting apart from getting paid for it.
Roy Keane is staying remarkably quiet about the performance last night. Overseeing this type of sh*te won’t look well on his CV for any club vacancy.
All the way to the worldcup just to park the bus. Embarrassing football .
Well capable of scoring goals provided the players shackles are taken off let the play the way the know on the deck. These players were spotted by scouts for their clubs playing football not this crap they seem to be told to play for Ireland. Rather be knocked out trying to play ball instead of knocked out playing kick it anywhere sh ite
Both teams are awful – my fear is can we no change our mindset and go even slightly offensive
Or will we go out saying ahh we will maybe nick one off a corner or free kick and start defensive again
I don’t think Denmark will miss to many more chances
-
Poor game last night but we still have a chance to get to Russia. Different tactics needed with at least 3 changes needed
Team for Tuesday
____Randy
Cy__Duffy__Clarke_Ward
____Arter__Meyler
Brady___Wes____Mcclean
________Long
Leaving Hendrick out seems harsh but we need ball players. Meyler and arter are also a must as arter played well yesterday and meyler will be vital. Wes is a must for creativity and him, long and meyler will be a fresh boost with a tired Murphy, Hendrick and o dowda taking to the bench
@Kieran Glennon: Leaving Hendrick out is not harsh, barely new he was even on the pitch; contributed nothing.Meyler needs to get back in along with Houlahan, keep Arter,maybe give Brady a rest as well.
@running man: That is the first and best move I have heard leave Brady on the bench with Hendrick .A pair of spoofers .
You can’t judge last night until after the second leg. It was never going to pretty. Champions league managers sacrifice attack for defence in away legs all the time. We’re doing it with less quality. We’re good enough to keep another clean sheet. Coybig!
We really needed the away goal. Tough tough fixture now.
I’m concerned as we play better away from home, and we were terrible in Denmark. Can we really shut Denmark out for 120 minutes, or score 2 goals? We shall see but I’m not hopeful.
I would just like us to have a go. If we are good enough fair enough, if beaten well that’s fair enough to. Personally I don’t think Denmark are anything special and if O,Neil just takes off the schakles I think we can win
Yes if they get in early and get their tickets, like everybody else in the stands…..
Away goals count in extra time. They’ll have advantage if we go to E.T. We definitely don’t want E.T
If they attack and play the way there capable off we will beat them last night we were very poor
If the game finishes 0 all after 90 minutes and then 1 -1 after extra time. Does it go to penalties or does the away goal count still
@Michael Hanrahan: away goal
@lavbeer:Thanks
at least the North wont be making it tonight.
It was almost a mourinho masterclass by O’Neill!
Sure a 1-0 in 90 would do it
@JoMags: 1990?
@Eoin Fitzpatrick: sure a 1-0 in 90 would do it
@JoMags: But if we remain true to type, if or when we score, we will sit back until Denmark score. So we really need to score twice in my opinion, or hold on until penalties at 0-0. I hope I’m wrong and we just flatten them.
The completely disagree with the sentiment on here. We got a draw away in the first leg of a playoff. Now, because of our “dour” football we have to win one game to make it to our first world cup in 16 years.
No goals no wages!
0–0 after extra time……. Ireland 9—– 8 on penalties
We are sick of criticism about our performance and they forget that even bad football can help to stop the apposition to win….we’ll be declared to go to Russia next year…..