Zlatko Dalic got away with one here. With both Argentina and Iceland looming, the Croatian coach went all out to secure a priceless win. But, if anything, his 4-2-4 made achieving that goal more difficult than it needed to be. Continue reading
With dreams of Benidorm dancing in players’ heads, this was the ultimate pre-holiday snoozefest. A somnolent Shamrock Rovers looked every inch the side that exacted only one win on the road this year. But, ultimately, Limerick were sleepier, and the Hoops had the quality to take advantage. Continue reading
Egypt, Africa’s perennial underachievers, must keep waiting for that elusive first World Cup win. Manager Hector Cuper, renowned for his defensive outlook, devised an almost foolproof plan to keep Uruguay out here. But a toothless attack, and a longstanding vulnerability to crosses, ultimately proved the Pharaohs’ undoing. Continue reading
“I like to press high up the pitch, and put the opponents under pressure,” said Juan Antonio Pizzi, espousing his footballing philosophy in a recent chinwag with Arab News. Yet, in an ironic twist, the Argentinian was beaten at his own game here, by a rampant host nation determined to defy all expectations. Continue reading
For Derry City, grabbing three points from Bohemians is almost customary at this stage. With ten defeats out of ten since Kenny Shiels assumed the Brandywell helm, the Gypsies are the Generals to Derry’s Globetrotters. One could be forgiven, then, for seeing the Candystripes’ victory at Dalymount Park, last Friday evening, as somewhat routine. Continue reading
Truthiness: Merriam-Webster’s 2006 Word of the Year. Coined by American late night host Stephen Colbert, to mock the many baseless decisions of George W. Bush, it describes a gut-feeling of truth; even when no such truth exists. Continue reading
The phrase ‘relegation six-pointer’ calls to mind adjectives like ‘tight’, ‘attritional’, ‘scrappy’ and ‘dull’. This was none of those things. Continue reading
It’s a little over a month now since I sat in Limerick’s Strand Hotel scribbling notes on Cork City’s televised Dalymount Park triumph. I should have been in Tallaght that night, commentating on a creditable Limerick FC draw. Instead, I was making the best of a bad situation, after running afoul of Shamrock Rovers director Mark Lynch. Continue reading
Gegenpressing is the best playmaker there is, according to Jurgen Klopp; heavy metal football, as it were. But what happens if your gegenpressers blow their amps after 25 minutes? In Kiev, on Saturday evening, the one-note German found out. Continue reading
Both Sligo Rovers and Limerick FC are scoring at a rate of less than one goal per game. Neither side can count on a natural goalscorer. This relegation six-pointer, therefore, had scoreless draw written all over it. And, in that regard at least, it did not disappoint. Continue reading
Tactics Truck v2.0 