Subject: Ireland Vs...

Colombian players are a class or two better, the result is a reflection of that. Especially the offensive players.

I didn't think very many of Ireland's shots were really good scoring chances (think Curley only had 1 shot < 15 yards). Final score was inflated, but it seemed to me Colombia was the better side on the day.

Clean through 3rd minute, fouled, resulting free kick gets a good sav from their keeper.

6 minutes, cross, Curley forces a save from point-blank range

11 minutes, another shot from inside the area, defender gets in the way

24 minutes, cross, Curley heads over the bar while no-one was marking him

40 minutes, cross, header well saved by the keeper

HT i make it 5-3 to us on shots from inside the box. We're 2-0 down

51 minutes, cross, header well saved by the keeper

54 minutes, shot from inside the box by Curley, knocked away for a corner

54 minutes, free header from said corner, right at the keeper

I'll stop at that point because Curley went off on 60 and Cully was useless. I make that 7 clear-cut chances from inside the area.

We clearly have a different take. :) Of those 7 chances you listed there are only 2 I would consider decent scoring opportunities (6 & 40). Being free doesn't compensate for being 15-20 yards out and having the defense to shoot through. Those are low % shots, even for guys with significantly more striking then Curley's got. (See Estonia vs. Lithuania in the WC this season). I've found he needs to be closer to goal in the final two rows of the field to be successful.

I do offer my apologies. It's not my intention to aggravate you. I want both Curley and the team to do well. :)

my two cents is that you need 20 chances to score if you have excellent/formidable striking and you need only 10 if you have brilliant/magical striking. same keeper same form.

with low striking skill, you can have 50 chances and still they are no use, because as we all know, a match is won by those who score more goals, not by those who create more chances...my favourite Sparta Prague has been a bad example of this approach this season :(

cryan, the irish keeper got a 94 rating... not bad if i shud say so :)

Due to a limit being put on NT players i've cut our squad down to the required 40. Most of the players axed will return at some point in the future as they're young.

Number of players: 55
Average form: brilliant
Average age: 24.8
Average value: 797 400 €
Total value: 43 857 000 €

Ray Larkin - The most valuable player dropped. I dont trust him, he hasnt the technique to play in the centre or the playmaking to play wide.

Robbie Mannion - A good all-round defender but 22 and could do with another level in a couple of skills. Will return

Clayton Kinsella - Our future star defender, only 20, certain to be called up again soon.

Dave Draper - See Mannion, 23

Jon Moylan - 22, Not ready yet

Graham Treacy - 22, Very nearly survived but has 1 significant weakness. Fairly certain he'll be back

Jeremy Tillbrant - If it wasnt for his pace i'd have definitely kept him, at 25 he's not likely to get back into the midfield

David Falvey - 21, needs a lot of stamina but i like him for the future.

Jonathan Holt - 21, He'll be back soon enough

Jon Davey - 23, might not get back in with the younger mids behind him

Ben Abbott - 22, a specialist kind of player, 50/50 on him returning

Glen Hegarty - 21, another specialist. It'll depend on where his training goes

Aaron Lizrraga - 29, Beating players is no good if you cant then do something with the ball.

Brendan Cully - I've never been a fan. He's never been as good as his skills suggest and has struggled badly this season.

Johnny Keenan - 29. His pace has gone, he cant win the ball or keep it.

Number of players: 40
Average form: brilliant
Average age: 25.3
Average value: 885 694 €
Total value: 35 427 750 €

I'm suprised to see the average value go up.

Hello Cometer ;)

A little history then, Australia being one of my favourite teams to play. Australia lead 4-1 in victories but we've not played them since i beat them in season 8. They've improved a fair bit and this could be a very difficult game.

Season 2 - Week 15 - Australia 3-1 Ireland
Season 4 - Week 09 - Australia 3-1 Ireland
Season 6 - Week 09 - Australia 1-1 Ireland
Season 7 - Week 02 - Ireland 1-3 Australia
Season 7 - Week 14 - Australia 1-0 Ireland
Season 8 - Week 07 - Ireland 1-0 Australia

i'll do some damage to the communications system over here so they wont be able to change tactics :P

i'll do some damage to the communications system over here so they wont be able to change tactics :P

Almost worked :p.

* sits in silence for 5 minutes *

Cant really think of a word to sum that up, bad doesn't quite cut it.
I dont like the feeling that it's impossible to defend against that type of formation without a 5-man defence. It takes the whole fun out of the game if everyone has to use the same tactic.

to be fair ours wasn't a lot different from yours and it is quite beatable with 4 defs if the defs are high enough you just need to shift the outer defender across faster and earlier. I think the lack of a 2nd striker against us was a big no no, then most of your throw in options was well covered so you didn't get much of a chance to attack until Matthews came on and started tackling our defenders. Losing Crossley didn't help either.
(edited)

Yeah, it really was your wide mid that killed us off. Curley seemed to be picking up the ball a bit too deep as well.

That annoyed me because he wasn't supposed to. I deliberatly kept the wings and Coyne up so they wouldnt longball it to Curley

yeah apparently queensland is a mess... 450mm of rain in one day!! ppl waking up in a river in their houses etc... madness!

4-1 :(

sad result :( i see that Curley is the star in Ireland, isn't he? ;p