Slovakia vs Ireland, Nations League Playoff - Mod Note in OP

NewMan1982

Match thread for tonight.
What’s your preferred lineup and predictions?

I’m going 2-1 for Ireland.

Back 5 pick themselves.
McCarthy, Hendrick, Hourihane.
Connolly, McGoldrick, Robinson.

I prob would have Arter in instead of Hourihane or Hendrick based on last month.


Mod Note: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=114870269&postcount=888


Mod: annoying result but please keep it civil.

No abuse, no having a go at or ranting against other posters.

- If you can't be civil don't post.
- If you see a post you think is a wind up, please do not engage.
- If you see a post you don't like, but decide to reply, put forward a point that furthers discussion.

LeBash

Hourihane has to play, we'll be so cautious tonight that set pieces will be the way we go forward.

Agent Coulson

Is the game on Irish TV or Sky?

ArmaniJeanss

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Is the game on Irish TV or Sky?

Both. RTE2 and one of the Sky Sports stations, k.o. 7.45

Brock Turnpike

In

AndyBoBandy

I'll watch of course, as I'd always watch the qualifiers, but I'm not at all confident we'll go through..
is it 30 minutes of extra time if the game finishes as a draw? or straight to penalties??

No fans definitely helps us of course....

(It's a pity away goals don't count here seeing as they have the home advantage )

breezy1985

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I'll watch of course, as I'd always watch the qualifiers, but I'm not at all confident we'll go through..
is it 30 minutes of extra time if the game finishes as a draw? or straight to penalties??

No fans definitely helps us of course....

(It's a pity away goals don't count here seeing as they have the home advantage )

I'm finding it hard to justify the fact we are even in the qualifiers. Hopefully with Kenny we can become a good team despite the limitations but on our last few years we have no right to be here

AndyBoBandy

breezy1985 wrote: »

I'm finding it hard to justify the fact we are even in the qualifiers. Hopefully with Kenny we can become a good team despite the limitations but on our last few years we have no right to be here

I'd happily take 3-4 years in the doldrums now if it meant we player better football, and we're actually able to compete with other teams in playing actual football.

I just worry that 3-4 years won't be enough time, but at least Kenny was managed the u21's for a while, so those lads will have already been playing his style of football.

I desperately want him to succeed, and really hope fans give him the time to do so.

and an appearance at a major tournament, would give him and the players a massive amount of experience going forwards...

NewMan1982

sugarman wrote: »

Sky Sports Football.

Should probably stick that in the thread title, it'll be asked more than once.

This starting threads comes with too much responsibility for me

I don’t seem to have the edit option on my phone.

Francie Barrett

Kevin Long and Josh Cullen dropped from the 25 man squad.

On the balance of things, the two squads look very evenly matched you'd have to say. Guessing it'll be a tight cagey affair. I will be hoping for a better performance from our midfield today, will certainly have to improve on the Finland performance.

crossman47

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I desperately want him to succeed, and really hope fans give him the time to do so.

So do I but he won't get that time if he loses. Our press and "fans" are so predictable. Why we should be expected to win tonight is a mystery - away to a team of roughly equal ranking. We have no goal scorer and that will tell.

TheCitizen

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Match thread for tonight.
What’s your preferred lineup and predictions?

I’m going 2-1 for Ireland.

Back 5 pick themselves.
McCarthy, Hendrick, Hourihane.
Connolly, McGoldrick, Robinson.

I prob would have Arter in instead of Hourihane or Hendrick based on last month.

That’s probably the best starting line up available, so hopefully Kenny will go with that. On paper that team should have enough to beat Slovakia. All down to how they perform. Slovakia have their own issues with players unavailable. Hopeful of a win.

Sheridan81

Easy win for the Slovaks. I put some money on them so I'm half-hoping Hamsik and co can pull it off. Shouldn't be too hard for them.

Number one first, he who dares wins Rodney, he who dares wins.

breezy1985

crossman47 wrote: »

So do I but he won't get that time if he loses. Our press and "fans" are so predictable. Why we should be expected to win tonight is a mystery - away to a team of roughly equal ranking. We have no goal scorer and that will tell.

A lot of Irish fans give very little respect to the former eastern block teams despite many of them having similar or better playing numbers, infrastructure etc.

If ever there was a night I could do with some wild out of the blue romp from an Irish team this would be it but it's more likely a draw or 1-0 loss coming up

Dillonb3

Their results lately haven't been outstanding and I think their keepers have had a few howlers.
Dont think we can really carve them open and score much from open play so hopefully get a bit of luck from set pieces

NewMan1982

TheCitizen wrote: »

That’s probably the best starting line up available, so hopefully Kenny will go with that. On paper that team should have enough to beat Slovakia. All down to how they perform. Slovakia have their own issues with players unavailable. Hopeful of a win.

It is a decent team actually. All the players (except for Duffy now) are premier league regulars.

With a bit of luck molumby, smallbone and knight make the step up soon. The first two should look for regular first team football ASAP.

The_Kew_Tour

We never make it easy do we. Going be a slog. Hopefully we get through but it's not going be easy

dfx-

NewMan1982 wrote: »

This starting threads comes with too much responsibility for me

I don’t seem to have the edit option on my phone.

thread title edited

Kermit.de.frog

I just can't muster any enthusiasm for this.

I think we'll lose comfortably enough in the end by a goal or two. I don't see us going away from home to any half decent team and winning and Slovakia, despite their absences, are no mugs.

I just don't see it for us tonight. It will be the traditional moral victory story at best.

I also think questions will be raised as to Kenny's suitability at this level should it go the way I suspect.

Don't get me wrong - I want to be proven wrong.

I don't see it happening.

McFly85

1-1, possibly 2-1 to Slovakia. Don’t think we’ve shown enough in the last 2 games to suggest we can really increase the score, and the defence are still learning how to play in a way that doesn’t involve immediately getting rid of it.

All I’m looking for tonight is a good team performance, hopefully with some signs of improvement from last month. Qualification would be an amazing bonus but should we fail to do so it’s not the end of the world.

simongurnick

Sheridan81 wrote: »

Easy win for the Slovaks. I put some money on them so I'm half-hoping Hamsik and co can pull it off. Shouldn't be too hard for them.

Number one first, he who dares wins Rodney, he who dares wins.

Can never understand people betting against their own country. The winnings would be like blood money.

breezy1985

simongurnick wrote: »

Can never understand people betting against their own country. The winnings would be like blood money.

I can't bet either way on the results if my team are playing. The closest I'll allow myself to get is first goalscorer

TheCitizen

simongurnick wrote: »

Can never understand people betting against their own country. The winnings would be like blood money.

I think he’s looking for attention that lad, telling us all that he’s an uber Liverpool fan like anyone cares

~Rebel~

TheCitizen wrote: »

I think he’s looking for attention that lad, telling us all that he’s an uber Liverpool fan like anyone cares

(which i also presume he's not)

KungPao

Easy to be negative, but I’m going to be optimistic...

An energetic Ireland on the front foot, neat triangles, and some impressive gegenpressing from the lads.

Slovakia 0 Republic of Ireland 3

~Rebel~

Since pens were mentioned earlier, I can't get away from the thought that that's what's going to happen.

tastyt

KungPao wrote: »

Easy to be negative, but I’m going to be optimistic...

An energetic Ireland on the front foot, neat triangles, and some impressive gegenpressing from the lads.

Slovakia 0 Republic of Ireland 3

I see you have started the run on the off licences early ☺️

The_Kew_Tour

For once in my 30 years of supporting the Boys in Green it would be nice to just win one game by 3 or 4 nil. Not asking for much.:(

NewMan1982

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

For once in my 30 years of supporting the Boys in Green it would be nice to just win one game by 3 or 4 nil. Not asking for much.:(

Was Estonia the last time we put a few past a team in a game that mattered?

Dr. Bre

Bosnia must be favs from the 4 teams. Mon Ireland !

Richard Hillman

I just hope to god that he doesn't persist with the type of football played in the last 2 games. Full backs out on the touchline and passing it sideways around the back. It's outdated, it doesn't work anymore, it's easy to to play against and all it takes is a ball winner and a through ball to quickish striker against expose centre backs.

I want IrelandBall, Not Roberto Martinez's Everton.

The_Kew_Tour

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Was Estonia the last time we put a few past a team in a game that mattered?

Yep and before that the last game where we won by more than a goal against any half decent opposition was against Croatia in 1998 2-0

Or famous wins usually are 1-0.
Very rare

NewMan1982

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Yep and before that the last game where we won by more than a goal against any half decent opposition was against Croatia in 1998 2-0

Or famous wins usually are 1-0.
Very rare

I was at the Croatia game. Unexpected result. They’d just done very well in the World Cup if I remember rightly.

Back then going to home games were exciting.

eire4

KungPao wrote: »

Easy to be negative, but I’m going to be optimistic...

An energetic Ireland on the front foot, neat triangles, and some impressive gegenpressing from the lads.

Slovakia 0 Republic of Ireland 3

That is beyond optimistic this Ireland team not just winning not just on the road but scoring 3 times as well. Wow. That would be unreal. Hope your right but sadly doubt it. I can see us winning tonight but they are favourites albeit tight ones tonight. Maybe 60-40 odds in their favour.

The_Kew_Tour

sugarman wrote: »

Bosnia Playoff 2-0 at Home.

Jesus how could I forget that obvious one. One of the most complete performances we have had.

PTH2009

So 2 irish players have covid ?

NewMan1982

PTH2009 wrote: »

So 2 irish players have covid ?

Any links to that news?

PTH2009

Someone posted it on Ybig and said it was from an FAI source??

Anyway team selection should be soon ?

TheCitizen

Randolph
Doherty Duffy Egan Stevens
Hendrick McCarthy Hourihane
Robinson McGoldrick McClean

MurDawg

TheCitizen wrote: »

Randolph
Doherty Duffy Egan Stevens
Hendrick McCarthy Hourihane
Robinson McGoldrick McClean

Not a bad squad minus McClean tbf

Injury related?

martingriff

what channel is the game on

NewMan1982

MurDawg wrote: »

Not a bad squad minus McClean tbf

Injury related?

I’m assuming Connolly has covid

PTH2009

sugarman wrote: »

Thats a very conservative / Mick McCarthy esque lineup

https://twitter.com/nathanmurf/status/1314255630736257024

Worrying lineup

Connolly and Byrne from the bench

TheCitizen

MurDawg wrote: »

Not a bad squad minus McClean tbf

Injury related?

Don’t know. I thought Connolly would start but if it’s McClean then fair enough. I was expecting him to play some part of the game.

Brock Turnpike and a few others on here won’t be happy. LOL.

eire4

Surprised McClean in ahead of Connolly. But otherwise that is about what I expected.

NewMan1982

sugarman wrote: »

Hes on the bench. Nobody has Covid!

Maybe Kenny does picking McLean. **** me. I thought we’d seen the last of that headless chicken.

Father Hernandez

McClean over Connolly is absolutely baffling.

TheCitizen

Good team. I think we’ll win

Fromvert

Father Hernandez wrote: »

McClean over Connolly is absolutely baffling.

I'd agree it is but he's being pragmatic/cautious because McClean offers more defensively.

There where a lot of lads on here thinking Kenny getting the gig would be the end of McClean, not so as he still can offer something.

TheCitizen

Fromvert wrote: »

I'd agree it is but there where a lot of lads on here thinking Kenny getting the gig would be the end of McClean. He's being pragmatic/cautious because McClean offers more defensively.

Yep. They were wrong and not for the first time.

Mantis Toboggan

Great to see McClean back in the team, work rate and honesty of effort will be huge tonight, Connolly a decent option off the bench. 5 subs allowed tonight we need to use them.