Qualifying and Roy Keane.

Helv

OK now so heres how the story goes.

EURO2000 CASE STUDY FOR MUPPETS.

Ireland win - If we win against Macadonia we should be guaranteed a place in Euro 2000 as best second place runners up no matter what the result from the Yugoslavia match. Although Croatia could do us a favour by beating Yugoslavia so we could come top of the group.

Ireland draw - We can still qualify with a draw if Yugoslavia and Croatia draw or if Yugoslavia win. We could also still get the best second place with this result.

Ireland lose - All our worst nightmares could come true. Throwing it away again. But if Yugoslavia beat Craotia we can still get through, although it would be most likely be into the play-offs and up against a team like France, Russia or Poland. Ouch.

Now onto Roy Keane. In all the games he hasnt played, we have been, to put it in one simple word, $hite! The Malteese were just wandering through our midfield without any tackles coming in at all. And whose fault is this apart from McCarthys....Lee Carsley. I mean why does McCarthy continue to play him when game after game he has proved everyone right by playing sh!te. And then McCarthy tried to strengthen mid-field by bringing on McLoughlin! For God sake look at what you are doing!!! I really think that Carsley should never be allowed wear an Ireland shirt again! As I've been saying for months, when either Keane or Kinsella, who rightly should be the first choice, are injured, Matt Holland should be playing. He is a much better player than both Carsley and McLoughlin.

Sorry for that, back on to Roy Keane. What kind of team could we call ourselves without Keane (heh that rhymes )? I dread to think what could happen to us if we do qualify for Euro2000 and Keane is injured or something. We'd be totally fu<ked. Teams like Spain would knock 4 or 5 past us. So heres me voting for Keane as probably the greatest midfielder in the world at the moment. If one player can make such a difference to a whole teams performance he has got to be good.

mewso

This is a perfect example of the Keane phenomenon. Ask a man on the street if Roy Keane is a great player and he'll probably say yes. Ask him why and he probably won't be able to tell you. The truth is he's a victim of mass media hype like so many of us.
Roy Keane is very good at what he does. i.e. pass the ball square, pass it simple, don't take any risks, tackle hard, win the ball and give it simple etc., etc.
Now everyone is talking about this man being the greatest midfielder in the world. As a friend said to me the other day this must surely go down in history as one of the very rare times people have raved about a holding midfielder. Didier Deschamps, David Batty, Paul Ince. All good holding midfielders. In fact Deschamps has won everything Roy has won as well as a World Cup medal (not Roys fault I agree - when are we gonna win the WC) and I don't ever remember lunatics raving and calling for him to be World Footballer of the year.
I think Roy Keane is a very good, strong player but he hasn't got the visionary play of a midfielder that I normally associate with World Class. His is a physical game and for that he is to be admired. The zeal with which we Irish grab onto the mantle of "best player in Europe" etc. for Roy is somewhat silly. We might wish we had a world class player in our team but we most certainly do not. And that goes for Scum Utd. too. Paul Ince can bloody pass a ball ffs.

M

Helv

Nahhh, but you are losing my point. Look at how a player like Keane can raise a teams game. I mean if you compare the performance of the Yugoslavia game with the Malta game, there was no presence through the team let alone in midfield. And thats all bollix about playing 3 games in 8 days 'cos they do that in the Priemership. Sometimes it is 4 games in 8 days with European Cup matchs. Sure the players are paid to be fit! But I will admit in his position Roy would be the best player in the world at the moment. He would definatly play in a World XI alongside Veron or possibly Davids, though those *****s at FIFA wouldnt recognise him probably.

Who else could you fit into Keanes place at United, let alone Ireland now?

PS I'm not jumping on the the Roy Keane band-wagon or should it be caravan. I hate United!

[This message has been edited by Helv (edited 09-09-99).]