They'll probably need to go all-out for three points, despite being away.  This might leave them a little exposed on the counter.  

Having used up one get out card last night though, you would think that we would really need to be beating Austria at home in June. Two consecutive draws at home would be a loss of momentum and could even be putting qualification at risk.

That's precisely our problem. We should be a much better team that we are. If we were a school kid the reports would always say 'Good potential, needs to apply himself more' 

Agreed. But last night, we were suffering from our injuries, which nullified our most creative outlets before we even got out of the gate. I think with Brady and Wes available, and Arter able to provide his PL experience, we can rattle Austria here.

Arnautovic and Ilsanker both picking up yellows against Moldova is a blessing. Austria were poor when we played them and now they're missing two key players.

What an opportunity.

I should have clarified, I was talking more about team to include management, less than optimal tactics ect. The lads givee a thousand per cent no issues there.  

'Predeterminated' 

Definitely.

Listened to Newstalk yesterday and they never once mentioned the suspensions to Arnautovic and Ilsanker. Did they mention them today?

Keep it tight? Couldn't agree less. Not a chance. When the dust settles on this game and people realise the permutations, they'll see there is no way we can play for a draw. Need to win, to try win the group. And we'd get ranking points. At least then we might be seeded if we do fail to top the group.

Dont fancy playing Spain in Madrid and thinking how are we going to get a result here, when we couldn't go for it against Austria.

This is the key point: If we can't beat that Austria team in Dublin, we have no business being at a world cup. 

No, they literally just spoke about it for two minutes, but it was very negative.

The idea seems to be ; We are very limited lets try and draw most matches scrape into the play-offs and draw the 2018 equivalent of Estonia.

Lansdowne road isn't exactly the most intimidating venue in the world, let's be honest, especially now we have the Old El Paso boys on song.

Its no Azteca but when the crowd gets going it is pretty intimidating but hopefully that Wales game was a trial for the band and now that they failed it they won't be back in the near future.

I'd be confident of us beating Serbia if we have beaten Austria & Georgia going into the game.

This quote nails it on the head.  Do we want to have to go for the win against Austria in Dublin - or Spain in Madrid, France in Paris etc.?  That is the reality, given as detailed on another thread, we are likely to be unseeded if we come second (although there would be a possibility of a lower seeded team, such as Iceland or Sweden).  

Second, lads seem to already be writing off Austria.  Yes, they weren't fantastic against us.  However, but for a cross-bar and that lad Janko missing two sitters from the six-yard line, it could have been very different.  They have some class players, even without Arnautovic, so whatever happens, it will be tight. 

Hopefully we've a clean slate with injuries and the like. Bring it on

Moving Brady into the centre has only really worked so far against Italy and that was a reaction to how that particular game was developing. A lot of the time he has played more centrally he has struggled to get on the ball and have an influence and you are losing his crossing ability. There is no question that left wing is Brady's best position, unfortunately it is also the position where our form player is most natural. I do think both will be accommodated into the team somehow, hopefully it doesn't impact on the balance of the team.

People worrying far too much about the draw with the top seeds in our group and a nothing friendly we put our third string side in.

Yes, fairly confident they're missing two huge players people seem to keep forgetting Illsanker! 

We'll nick one from a set piece, full strength we're a lot better then what we seen v Wales if Brady had of been delivering some of those balls v Wales I'm fairly confident we'd of defeated them.

Keogh should not start ahead of O'Shea or Clark. Walters is not a winger and I don't know why MON keeps playing him there. Either him or Long upfront with McClean on the wing. I do agree with you that Hendrick deserves to be dropped though. Still living off of the Euros and has done close to zilch since. Mind you, before the Euros he did close to zilch too.

How is Ilsanker a 'huge player'? He has only started one qualifying game, against Moldova, also coming off the bench once. He wasn't even in the squad for the game against us, despite being involved in nearly every league game with his club, 22 starts and 2 substitute appearances from 25.

Edit; he came off the bench twice and wasn't in the squad twice.

He means 'batter' in the Bradser Bradley sense; no shots on target.

 

We need to show more attacking intent against Austria. Would be good to have Brady, Hoolahan, Arter and McCarthy all available for this one. Go at them from the start. I really believe that their heads could drop if we do and am expecting us to want it more at the Aviva in June than them.

 

 

1 shot on target in 2 matches. Puke stuff.

Big time..way too conservative. Need to be less reliant on long balls. Easily capable of beating Austria by keeping the ball on the deck.

Arter won't be available, he is going to Magaluf with the lads.

 

 

Austria haven't been all that impressive since the end of their last campaign in October 2015 and Arnautivic is a big loss for them. I'd worry about Alaba but I think we'll have enough to do them!

The biggest problem is that we seem to have less options after the friendly than before it!

I have made a few alright, there is a special place on gulag 47 for those who can't get the names of players on their team right!

Potential team:

Christie Clark Duffy Ward

McClean McCarthy Arter Brady

Long 

Murphy

If MO'N is going to stick with the long ball tactics I was thinking maybe this team could work. I've gone with both Long and Murphy starting as I think they'd do very well together: rather than Murphy being isolated and having no one to knock the ball down to, if he has Long playing off him, he has an option to either knock the ball down to him or flick it on over the defence for Long to run onto. McGeady could also go in place of McClean, but I think McClean's strength, coupled with McGeady's below par performance last night, makes him the more suitable choice. McCarthy to shield the defence, and Arter (if he's available) to be the ball winning midfielder. Brady is much more useful on the left wing than at full back, and the defence picks itself. If we're in need of a goal, the likes of Hoolahan and Horgan can come off the bench, and if we need to protect a lead, Whelan and maybe O'Kane. Unless he seriously improves over the next few weeks, Hendrick shouldn't be near the starting XI. Obviously, the team will be influenced by form and injuries but it's worth considering. I'm not saying we should go with this team and that this is the way forward, but it's an option. I know the team has its flaws, but it surely can't be much worse than what we saw over the last two matches.

It's a results business though. If we're solid and workmanlike against Austria, have two shots on goal and one goes in and win 1-0, most people would gladly take it (anyone who would criticise us for being on 14 points after six matches would be unrealistic).

 

If that's what AL are charging just over 2 months out from that flight that SL mentioned, I dread to think what the fares are going to be like for those play-offs at just a few weeks' notice. Iirc the flights were at silly prices even before the draw had been made for the Euro 2016 play-offs. 

Are the Austrians scheduled to play any games before they play us - From my basic German and searching I don't find anything.