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Phil Babb
Phil Babb


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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Time To Go, Gaffer?
    Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 5:46am
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/features/irelandsanmarino_leahy.html
 
Decent enough article on the match last night from the RTE.ie -
 
I knew it was going to be a strange day when I found myself agreeing with Ray Houghton over breakfast. His newspaper article was a welcome distraction to the bowl of porridge that I was force-feeding myself in the RTÉ canteen.

The angry wee Scotsman was busy giving out - nothing new there - about San Marino and saying that they shouldn't be allowed into this stage of the qualifying process.

Now, I'm all for the underdog and letting them enjoy their 15 minutes of fame, but these boys are useless. Germany knocked 13 past them for fun, and the only competitive game they have ever won was against Liechtenstein.

There are plenty of whipping boys in Europe but San Marino are the whipping boys of whipping boys. When other lower-ranked teams lose a goal early on, they normally come flying back in attack only to lose another six or seven as they try to get a moment's glory and something for the scrapbook.

San Marino, on the other hand, lose a goal and then try to defend that until another goes in and so on and so forth. Ten men across the edge of the penalty area does not constitute a football match. Perhaps it could be played behind closed doors and treated as a morale-boosting exercise for the opposition. But asking the public to pay in to watch such a spectacle is just wrong, plain and simple.

I hadn't bothered reading much about the game - our esteemed Stuttgart hero aside - as I didn't think I needed to know anything more about a team that were thumped 13-0 by Germany and were lucky to come away from Lansdowne Road with a 5-0 defeat. Houghton also said he spotted them in the Duty Free on the way home from their Dublin 'success' looking like they'd just won the World Cup.

I was happy enough with Steve Staunton's team selection - you could've picked the Shelbourne starting eleven and you would've been confident. Eh, well, maybe not the current Shelbourne eleven, if there is one, but you get my drift.

In fact, envy was probably one of my foremost emotions thinking of the debutant Shane Long, who must've been asking Stephen Hunt for a few goal celebration ideas for his maiden hat-trick that would have been played out in the bedroom mirrors of fancy Rimini hotels over the last 48 hours.

My plan for the night was a simple one: watch the first 20 minutes of the game or until it was 3-0 to the boys in green (whichever came first), and then sit back and enjoy watching the Spanish teach the English, and Steve McClaren in particular, a lesson on how to play the beautiful game.

20 mins: 0-0. I'm watching in disbelief that, not only was the game still scoreless, but there was a line of five Irish players plus a goalkeeper (more on that argument later) who had yet to break sweat. Team selection now, for the first time this week, had become an unwelcome thought in my consciousness. I should be at Old Trafford by now - I didn't know at this stage that Ian Wright was waiting for me at the Theatre of Dreams.

The fact that we had four defenders and a holding midfielder on the pitch hoofing long balls into a congested penalty box while no one from the Nation of Serenity was even threatening to cross the half-way line, beggared belief. In fact, John O'Shea, in his recently acquired Edwin van der Sar replica shirt, would have been ample cover against the meanest strike-force in Europe.

If the Gaffer was happy with his team selection, why was he pacing the technical area looking for water bottles to kick? He should have been sitting back in the comfort of the dug out showing the lads that he believed in them. Dunphy must've been sharpening his pencil at the sight of him.

Maybe the Gaffer had a caught a bit of Keano's interview on Sky Sports earlier in the day when he said, 'people say there is no easy game in international football; well, there is: San Marino are useless'. No pressure then Stan!

45 mins: 0-0. The thoughts of 15 minutes of analysis after what I'd just encountered was too much for one man to take. So off to watch the end of the first half in Manchester. Even Ian Wright was a welcome distraction from the Santry Stadium tribute act that I'd been force-fed for the previous 45.

Back to San Marino. Paul McShane had appeared for the second half, on for the injured John O'Shea. At last, a bit of glamour!

49 mins: 0-1. GOAAAL! Whatever the Gaffer said, or didn't say, at half-time worked a treat as Kevin Kilbane rose highest to crack a header past the not-so-busy San Marino keeper.

Ahem, what's all this celebration lark, lads? Head down, jog back and plan number two and we may forgive that god-awful first 45 minutes you made us endure. All that was missing was the bow and arrow routine from Robbie.

The fans didn't seem too excited. The fact that any fans bothered to shell out upwards of €500 to travel to this Leinster Junior League Div 2A clash just added to the madness of the emotional rollercoaster that I was on. These are the same 'best fans in the world' who won't spend €15 to watch a quality game of football between Derry and Cork or Rovers and Bohemians.

I'll give the gaffer his dues: he did make one decent decision. Stephen Hunt's introduction, albeit 60 minutes too late, was a breath of fresh air. Now we had two attacking players on each flank - Duff and Finnan were starting to get going as well. It was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened; or so I thought.

Brian Kerr once again found himself in that tricky position of playing co-commentator to Ireland's potentially worst performance ever. He must have thought it couldn't get worse than Cyprus, but he wasn't to know what lay ahead in the 86th minute.

86 mins: 1-1. Goal. Wayne Henderson comes flying out of his penalty area. Marino's Marani tries his best to miss but McShane takes the nutmeg on the chin and decides not to chase back to stop the ball crossing the line.

I tried to laugh but I couldn't. One lapse of concentration is all it would take. I'd been saying this throughout the second half, and my sister is my witness. And here it was. Suddenly that mental night in Cyprus seemed a whole lot more palatable.

The goal seemed to inspire the wrong team as San Marino started to push a few players out of their penalty box into the midfield and beyond.

Kerr, to his credit, could have started laughing and shouting stuff like, John Delaney, Milo Corcoran, (insert FAI blazer here), your guys took one hell of a beating.

But he kept calm and you could tell he was hurting as much as the rest of us.

94 mins: 1-2. I've been standing since the equaliser. The game should be over. The injury time has elapsed. We're into the injury time's injury time. Long throw.goal! Stephen Ireland taps home and the game is over.

Three points, so what's all the fuss about? The Gaffer came out talking as if it was part of the game plan. Fighting spirit, blah blah blah, a win is a win.

Sorry Gaffer. Not good enough. This was probably the worst performance ever by an Irish side and the only person in the Republic of San Marino and beyond not to recognise this was your good self.

In my humble opinion, the only honourable thing that the Gaffer can do now is to fall on his sword. Pull a Quinny and admit that you're not ready (or maybe cut out) to be a gaffer and head back down to Walsall and start to learn the trade from scratch.

The last-minute goal was probably just enough to save Delaney but only if he has the gumption to come out and set the Gaffer free. He has a month now to get a proper manager into the hot-seat to welcome in the Croke Park era of Irish football.

Otherwise, we're all off to merge with the IFA and jump on the Norn Iron bandwagon!

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The Count View Drop Down
Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 6:04am
that really hits the nail on the head, great comment from Keane!
The amount of pundits callin for San Marino to be removed from the qualifiers in the days running up to this game was unbelievable.
Maybes thats what rialled the san marino lads up?
 
Eh no actually its just that Ireland are absolute sh*te!
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Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 6:27am
I'm starting a campaign to keep Steve 'Downs Syndrome' on as boss. It wont be long before you dirty Southies are a dot in the vision of world rankings to the proper Irish team from the North.
 
So say it loud and say it proud 'He's got maltesers, in his mouth, hes got maltesters, in his mouthClap
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The Count View Drop Down
Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 7:21am

This is what The Fai (Delaney) and Stan (as manager) have done for the Irish Team!  We Are now the laughing stock and are getting sl*gged from Norn Iron fans...what the hell has gone wrong! 

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PompeyBill View Drop Down
Phil Babb
Phil Babb


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 7:31am
Originally posted by The Count The Count wrote:

This is what The Fai (Delaney) and Stan (as manager) have done for the Irish Team!  We Are now the laughing stock and are getting sl*gged from Norn Iron fans...what the hell has gone wrong! 

 
Well the IFA decided, in an unconventional move, to appoint a manager who had actually managed a team before, unlike the FAI. Those crazy nordy bastards!!
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500 Club la la la
500 Club la la la


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2007 at 3:49pm

I've been ringing the FAI all day and will do so all week asking for them to sack Staunton. And while your at it Delaney you can pack your bags.

Staunton: "San Marino will cause trouble for the other teams in this group"  what absolute wank is Stan talking? The man is actually retarded if he believes that.
 
Delaney: "We will go out and get a world class manager" Oh really Delaney, if you had said you were going out and getting a top class car, you would have come back with an '85 Hi ace-van, driven by a talidamite with turrets
 
 
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Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2007 at 2:56pm
INterview with Stan before game.
Shows a bit more personality than a garden stone here
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