I occasionally get annoyed when I hear people going on about the "Luck of the Irish"! Its got to be one of the biggest lying cliches of the English language! Last nights's match proves my point. Lets examine the Croatian goals. FIRST GOAL: Incredible fluke! Keepers like Given are NOT beaten by slow loopy headers from near the edge of the box, delivered by players almost on their knees! Shay seemed to see the ball very late. He was obviously cruelly unsighted by one or more players. SECOND GOAL: Another fluke! It was obviously either blatantly offside or a "Ping Pong"(lucky deflection of an Irish player, playing the Croat player on side and presenting him with an open goal). Havent had a chance to see the video enough to decide which. Some of the body language suggests a Ping Pong. THIRD GOAL: Great header! Well taken in the best Willie Irvine style(fast & low to the base of the post),but at the end of the day it looked to me as if it hit the post, rolled back along the line and bounced off the back of the prone Given's shoulder into the net. More bad luck for Shay!
Now Im not suggesting we all cry about this. Im not a gurner! I'll freely admit that Croatia were the better team and deserved to win. However, the fact is the Irish suffered from their traditional bad luck at crucial points in the game. Go on, tell me it wasnt so! And please do NOT go on anymore about the Luck of the Irish!
The DIS-luck of the Irish!
posted on 11/6/12
IMBACK:
"since we are happy to sit back" >>>>>>>>>> To be fair and to give credit were its due, I dont think the ROI sat back. I think it was more a case of being pushed back, at least where Duff and McGeady were concerned.
posted on 11/6/12
Yes but thats my point Croatia pushed us back and put us under pressure as result they got a lucky goal or two but that was down to them taking the game to us
posted on 11/6/12
IMBACK:
Maybe. It was a weird kind of game. They seemed to boss midfield. ROI improved later on when Walters came on and Duff started to remind us than even though he has lost some pace with age, he can still take the ball round people.
I feel against teams like Croatia the ROI have got to get men like McGeady, Duff and McClean running strong and wide and crossing/ cutting the ball back to Keane, Walters, Doyle, Long. Youve got to play to your strengths and the ROI are never going to play Spanish style basketball footy.
posted on 11/6/12
Will Lady Luck continue to frown on the ROI? You bet ye. Shes a whxre who has never been known to give an Irishman(North or South) an even break! Better to ignore the bxtch and make your own luck!
posted on 11/6/12
I 100% agree Reiver. I don't know how people see us as lucky. Anyone read our history? Potato famine killing a million, lucky.
Terry Henry hand ball, pure luck right there.
We are sooo lucky.
Agree though, Croatia were the better team, fair play to them, but all three goals were a wee bit unfortunate for us. The first goal was a whole host of bad luck, deflected cross wrong footed the whole defence then they block Shay's view.
I think it is more like seeing someone that is really big and calling him Tiny.
We just have to roll with him, they say it balances out, so maybe we will get a rub o the green against Spain.
posted on 11/6/12
MOGIEBHOY
"It balances out" >>>>>>>>>> Does it fxck!
"maybe we'll get a rub of the green against the Spanish" >>>>>>>>>> Hope not, thats the last thing we want! Give the Spanish the rub of the green and the Irish the rub of the saffron and red and maybe the Irish will get a few breaks for a change and WIN! We softened them up a bit for you back in 82 and 2005, so maybe you can finish the job! Good ...(you know what)
posted on 11/6/12
Ha, I suppose you are right, anything but a rub of green for us.
It is kind of a liberating position to be in now. No one expects anything from us now. Just go for it, even if we get hammered.
Didn't get the route one stlye of footy we played yesterday when everyone of the Croats were bigger than us. Silly footy. If we sit back and let Spain have posession it could be a cricket score. Still, stranger things have happened.
posted on 12/6/12
Reiver, i thank you sir, it is only football, and i certainly haven't given up the ship in our group, but, when you said it like it is about that mischievous dice tossing harlot's treatment of us north n south, i was laughing out loud , and have just stopped, it's funny because you're dead right. I suspect , like myself you've had your fill of lazy sports journalists alluding to it to fill column inches.Anyhoo, thanks again, you've put a spring back in the steps of the good folk of The Road
posted on 12/6/12
MILLTOWN:
Eeel sorry for Shay Given, though he would be the first to have a go at me if he heard me say that! Probably the nicest guy in the ROI team.
I
posted on 12/6/12
Probably the nicest guy in the ROI team.
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He was up in Belfast last year doing his coaching badges through the IFA - few of my mates met him in Cutters, said he was a good guy!