Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria - UEFA Nations League - 18/11/20 - 7.45pm Sky

radiata

They're lucky to be in pot 3. Should be in pot 6

riffmongous

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Well. That was grim.

Made worse by the little 5 minute tease at the end of what can start to happen if you have a few half decent attacking players on the field.

Mostly because Bulgaria were trying to open up too though

WE ARE STAYING UP, I SAID WE ARE STAYING UP

showpony1

Stephen probably didn't even know a win got us Pot 2.

Drumpot

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Pot 3 for the WC qualifiers.

Don’t think we would have much chance of qualifying even if we somehow got Pot 1 unless things drastically improve over the next year or 2.

pjohnson

riffmongous wrote: »

Or because he knows a loss is more damaging here than a win is valuable. It's funny seeing all the people here giving out who don't see it themselves.

Some havent fully adapted to the new minnow San Marino-standard of expectation required.

wadacrack

Hendrick was a loss tonight, he's much better than Hourihane tbh

Fromvert

Susan Thoughtless Walkway wrote: »

Did you take in any of the u21 games ?

U21 is a lower level than LOI

DJIMI TRARORE

Given what he had to work with, it was a half decent performance, 3or 4 good chances created, clean sheet and still in G2(FOR NL). The goals will come

~Rebel~

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Said it before.

Hire League of Ireland, get League of Ireland.

He's out of his depth.

I don’t necessarily agree with this - but he is being too stubborn. Reminds me of the likes of Wenger, Rodgers and Sarri, doubling down on their style even when it’s clear it needs tweaks.

riffmongous

Witcher wrote: »

I love the spin

'We wanted a draw'

What a joke:pac:

Didn't want a loss you mean

ha and you go on about spin

Drumpot

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Said it before.

Hire League of Ireland, get League of Ireland.

He's out of his depth.

Why can a team like Iceland, with a nothing manager and much smaller pool of players, do pretty good?

Mr.Nice Guy

Desperate stuff.

Winless in 8 games. 1 goal via a set-piece in 750 minutes of football. More red cards than goals scored. It's depressing.

Far from progressing from the McCarthy reign, instead we've gone backwards. If we can't show something against an ordinary lot like Bulgaria, how are we going to do against the Serbias and Russias of the continent, never mind the top tier sides.

Future looks grim and I don't have any confidence that Kenny, Andrews and Duff are the ones to see us to any kind of tournament. There is no identity to this team and the coaching staff look completely out of their depth. It won't be long before the players lose confidence, if they haven't already. This is the worst Ireland team I've seen.

Witcher

riffmongous wrote: »

Didn't want a loss you mean

ha and you go on about spin

He's no stranger to a loss the clown:pac:

Downlinz

Conceding 4 goals through the campaign is an above average defence for this level so there's that as a positive. The attack has been atrocious but Kenny has invested in the best attacking young players we have, they'll take time to mature and settle at this level but I'm glad we've started that process early.

People won't like to hear it but avoiding relegation in a transitional campaign mired by many sudden withdrawals due to covid and injury is a pretty decent return.

breezy1985

wadacrack wrote: »

Hendrick was a loss tonight, he's much better than Hourihane tbh

That just sums up how bad we are now

Ferris_Bueller

So frustrating. Why play Hourihane and Brady? Why wait for so long until making changes? It was so blatantly obvious that we needed to change something at half time and it felt like 30 mins of the second half wasted.

Hard to take any positives from that entire international window. O'Shea played well enough tonight and Knight did okay in the second half considering it was his first start. Can't even judge the lads that came on late in the game as they had so little time to impact the game.

Manning pretty poor on his debut. Hourihane useless and offers nothing to the team. Brady time and time again fails to live up to the hope he will be the player we hoped he would become. Duffy again looked very uncomfortable playing in that team. Curtis missing a sitter and had a poor impact overall.

7 games, 11 hours, no goals. Missed a golden opportunity to be a second seed. Still don't think we know our strongest XI. Grim stuff and worrying going into the world cup qualifiers.

pjohnson

Drumpot wrote: »

Why can a team like Iceland, with a nothing manager and much smaller pool of players, do pretty good?

Play to their strength?

They actually USE the ball to try to score goals rather than just shíte about aimlessly with it.

LeBash

Drumpot wrote: »

Why can a team like Iceland, with a nothing manager and much smaller pool of players, do pretty good?

Investment at home, investment at home, investment at home and also they have this weird plowing money in at home theory.

MattressRick

He clearly is afraid to play the team he wants, so he's doomed.
Leaves premiership players who are playing gack out on the pitch. Then when the ****s hitting the fan he changed it up. It was too late. You could see at half time it needed a massive reshuffle but he wouldn't have taken Brady off only for the injury.
He might have noble notions but he's got no balls.
I want him to succeed but he's clearly afraid to do what needs to be done. I think he's doomed.

Drumpot

pjohnson wrote: »

Play to their strength?

Actually USE the ball to try to score goals rather than just shíte about with it.

This is why I don’t believe Ireland need a world class coach and should be doing better with the players we have. Would be happy with Chris Hughton or another solid championship manager at Ireland.

kona

As has been mentioned, what a load of ****e.

No obvious patterns, style or anything. 750 hrs later still look like a motley crew 5 a side. No commitment, no intensity. More reds than goals.

But the irish pep.

CantGetNoSleep

Drumpot wrote: »

This is why I don’t believe Ireland need a world class coach and should be doing better with the players we have. Would be happy with Chris Hughton or another solid championship manager at Ireland.

Yeah like Mick McCarthy. Poor man got shafted for this

Soups123

Downlinz wrote: »

Conceding 4 goals through the campaign is an above average defence for this level so there's that as a positive. The attack has been atrocious but Kenny has invested in the best attacking young players we have, they'll take time to mature and settle at this level but I'm glad we've started that process early.

People won't like to hear it but avoiding relegation in a transitional campaign mired by many sudden withdrawals due to covid and injury is a pretty decent return.

He’s not really invested in it much at all. He had a great chance tonight to try Byrne, Knight Cullen in midfield, maybe even Parrott and Maguire up top.

Take a chance on something new, we’d all forgive him the result if they were not ready, instead he starts Hourihan.....

He needs to stick or twist either back what he wants and bleed youth or take the easy route and go with the expected call ups.

breezy1985

LeBash wrote: »

Investment at home, investment at home, investment at home and also they have this weird plowing money in at home theory.

Yep no sitting around hoping some other country will produce some granny rulers for them. You get out what you put in and the FAI have put in FA.


Kenny or Klopp it wouldnt matter we have no top players really except the ever injured Coleman

pjohnson

Drumpot wrote: »

This is why I don’t believe Ireland need a world class coach and should be doing better with the players we have. Would be happy with Chris Hughton or another solid championship manager at Ireland.

Any manager that wants to score goals to actually win would suffice.

kksaints

Second half was better but I'd agree with people that the subs were made too late. Parrott, Maguire and Byrne should all have been brought on at the 70 minute mark. We needed the fresh legs and energy then. You could see the improvement once Byrne came on that we had a someone in midfield demanding the ball and making the correct passes and movement to create space. Also Hourihane was a lucky man to stay on the full 90 minutes. Knight improved considerably and his run to set up Curtis' chances deserved a better finish. O'Shea looks very useful, can play anywhere across the back four and was solid tonight but defensively and in some of the crosses he put in.

Downlinz

Soups123 wrote: »

He’s not really invested in it much at all. He had a great chance tonight to try Byrne, Knight Cullen in midfield, maybe even Parrott and Maguire up top.

Take a chance on something new, we’d all forgive him the result if they were not ready, instead he starts Hourihan.....

He needs to stick or twist either back what he wants and bleed youth or take the easy route and go with the expected call ups.

Parrott isn't fully fit having just returned from injury and Knight was only just called into the squad at short notice. I wouldn't be surprised if the other 3 were just seen as stopgap players rather than future stars, they were never part of his under-21 side and he may not have much time for them.

Bob the Seducer

For me, the worst decision of the whole Kenny reign so far was turfing Robbie Keane out. We have a set of forwards who can't buy a goal, 3 or 4 young lads trying to adjust to senior international football and our record international goal scorer still on the FAI payroll.

I don't know how good a coach Robbie is, but surely he could teach them something. Instead we have a situation where he's on gardening leave primarily because the previous FAI regime had designs on installing him as Kenny's successor.

Soups123

Susan Thoughtless Walkway wrote: »

Tend to agree. I really expected something more from the lineup tonight. Hourihane and Brady are done but it seems to me like Kenny wants to make them something they aren't.

I don’t think he’s is trying to make them into something I think he hasn’t the balls so is accommodating them.

He’s thinking like club football and losing the dressing room. Trying to keep the premier league players who have been regular onside. He kind of made an example of Obefemi but that was an easy target.

He’s picking players on reputation and not performance, he was meant to be the new dawn, bring an air of freshness, try something new and all’s he has done is picked the same players and implemented a simple, very simple style of possession football that really has no layers or penetration

MrMusician18

kona wrote: »

As has been mentioned, what a load of ****e.

No obvious patterns, style or anything. 750 hrs later still look like a motley crew 5 a side. No commitment, no intensity. More reds than goals.

But the irish pep.

750 mins, but it's felt like 750hrs. Pretty inept, anemic against a poor Bulgarian side that Ireland should be putting two/three past every night of the week.

Yet we have people here defending this tripe. Building they say. Well 7 games in you should be seeing the bones of the formula, tweaking as he's gone along. But it's the same plan today as it was on the first day, and it didn't work then and it's certainly not working now.

If things don't change it won't be covid that's will keep us from championships.

Soups123

Downlinz wrote: »

Parrott isn't fully fit having just returned from injury and Knight was only just called into the squad at short notice. I wouldn't be surprised if the other 3 were just seen as stopgap players rather than future stars, they were never part of his under-21 side and he may not have much time for them.

Then that’s a worry right because Knight was better than Hourihan and Brady on the night for me.

Parrot wasn’t match fit maybe but he’d easily have 30 minutes in him, he got 7

Pauliedragon

At least we don't have to play Wales in the next NL

RonanG86

MattressRick wrote: »

He clearly is afraid to play the team he wants, so he's doomed.
Leaves premiership players who are playing gack out on the pitch. Then when the ****s hitting the fan he changed it up. It was too late. You could see at half time it needed a massive reshuffle but he wouldn't have taken Brady off only for the injury.
He might have noble notions but he's got no balls.
I want him to succeed but he's clearly afraid to do what needs to be done. I think he's doomed.

Brady wasn't bad, imo. Faded out of the game in spells, but he actually tried unlike the other Premier League player in midfield today, who I never want to see play for Ireland again, regardless of who the manager is. He makes Glen Whelan look like Ronnie Whelan.

That being said Cullen when he came on was a lot better than Brady and so was Knight. Those two plus Molumby might actually constitute a midfield. Hendrick might do better with young, energetic and interested players around him too, but I still have my doubts about him.

Don't really know what to do with the front 3 at this point because we've had so much disruption to our forward players due to injuries and COVID. Robinson and Connolly, on paper the two best wide forwards we have, have barely been able to play for us. O'Dowda's very good at not being dispossessed, but I'm not sure he knows how to cross or shoot.

I don't think Collins is anywhere near good enough and Idah isn't ready for senior international football yet. Parrott's movement looked a cut above either Idah or Collins, but he's a kid. It'd be hard to rely on him. Curtis looked good but disappeared after that miss. Horgan also faded in the second half. Maguire looked decent off the bench, but any time he's started games he's been "meh". The Messiah Obafemi is currently not getting a look in at Southampton (I'm sure that's somehow Stephen Kenny's fault), and the less about Long the better.

CantGetNoSleep

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

For me, the worst decision of the whole Kenny reign so far was turfing Robbie Keane out. We have a set of forwards who can't buy a goal, 3 or 4 young lads trying to adjust to senior international football and our record international goal scorer still on the FAI payroll.

I don't know how good a coach Robbie is, but surely he could teach them something. Instead we have a situation where he's on gardening leave primarily because the previous FAI regime had designs on installing him as Kenny's successor.

If they are so broke and still paying him they could put Kenny on gardening leave and make Robbie manager

applehunter

We are looking much better in the highlights on Tv3.

fatbhoy

The only good thing about the last few games is the emergence of Dara O'Shea.

Drumpot

Downlinz wrote: »

Conceding 4 goals through the campaign is an above average defence for this level so there's that as a positive. The attack has been atrocious but Kenny has invested in the best attacking young players we have, they'll take time to mature and settle at this level but I'm glad we've started that process early.

People won't like to hear it but avoiding relegation in a transitional campaign mired by many sudden withdrawals due to covid and injury is a pretty decent return.

That’s being very generous about goals conceded. This group has been very short on goals, 17 scored in 10 games and 4 of them were in the Wales game tonight we’re Finland were down to 10 men from the 12th minute. Only 3 of the 10
Games had more then one goal.

I actually don’t mind giving managers time to see if they can make things work. But Kenny may struggle to keep senior players happy if this doesn't change quickly. His CV means he will have to work harder to convince more experienced players. Ask David Moyes what sort of respect over a decade of being an EPL manager counted when he took over a league winning Man United team who thought he was a joke.

Kenny has no managerial pedigree to fall back on so will be given less benefit of the doubt. He will prob needs to just go all in with youngsters if senior players do not respond to his methods. I haven’t seen much to be optimistic about to be honest, hopefully things change and either he proves me wrong or he’s moved on.

el Fenomeno

Is it wrong to look at the likes of Northern Ireland who - man for man - aren't a whole lot better than us on paper yet can manage to score some goals?

athlone99

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

For me, the worst decision of the whole Kenny reign so far was turfing Robbie Keane out. We have a set of forwards who can't buy a goal, 3 or 4 young lads trying to adjust to senior international football and our record international goal scorer still on the FAI payroll.

I don't know how good a coach Robbie is, but surely he could teach them something. Instead we have a situation where he's on gardening leave primarily because the previous FAI regime had designs on installing him as Kenny's successor.

You do realise he was Micks assistent when we still couldnt score and he has been sacked an an assistent. Clearly has no track record at the moment. I think he will prob manage the ssnior team at some stage but not now. Its going to take 3/4 years to build a new team. Anyone wanting to sack SK needs a reality check. FAI is broke and no manager has any interest in managing Ireland.

Jimbob1977

I would have stuck with Mick McCarthy.

Many might disagree.

Robbie Keane has left a 60 goal void that we can't fill.

RonanG86

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

I don't know how good a coach Robbie is, but surely he could teach them something

Even if he is a good coach, he's not going to have enough time to improve their movement and finishing in any remotely meaningful manner.

Club level? Yeah maybe he could do something. But at international level where you have them for a week and a half at a time and have to squeeze 3 competitive games into that window? Just won't have the time, imo.

athlone99

Drumpot wrote: »

That’s being very generous about goals conceded. This group has been very short on goals, 17 scored in 10 games and 4 of them were in the Wales game tonight we’re Finland were down to 10 men from the 12th minute. Only 3 of the 10
Games had more then one goal.

I actually don’t mind giving managers time to see if they can make things work. But Kenny may struggle to keep senior players happy if this doesn't change quickly. His CV means he will have to work harder to convince more experienced players. Ask David Moyes what sort of respect over a decade of being an EPL manager counted when he took over a league winning Man United team who thought he was a joke.

Kenny has no managerial pedigree to fall back on so will be given less benefit of the doubt. He will prob needs to just go all in with youngsters if senior players do not respond to his methods. I haven’t seen much to be optimistic about to be honest, hopefully things change and either he proves me wrong or he’s moved on.

Ffs hes managed in the group stages of the Europa League and won titles. Most of our players havent even played in Europe

Drumpot

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I would have stuck with Mick McCarthy.

Many might disagree.

Robbie Keane has left a 60 goal void that we can't fill.

We really relied on Keane and Duff a lot. Easy to forget that Niall Quinn on 21 goals is our second highest goal scorer of all time. Doesnt bode well to be honest. Hopefully some of these younger lads will start chipping in soon.

Richard Hillman

Pot 2 or 3 is the least of our worries. Under no circumstances are we qualifying for WC2022. There is absolutely no chance we are qualifying.

We need to look at Euro2024. And relegation to Group C would have helped us massively.

Tonight couldn't have went any worse. It was the one game you don't draw. Nothing good was coming from a draw.

kksaints

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Is it wrong to look at the likes of Northern Ireland who - man for man - aren't a whole lot better than us on paper yet can manage to score some goals?

Managed by ex LOI manager Ian Baraclough whose record in the League was probably worse than Stephen Kenny's.

breezy1985

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

For me, the worst decision of the whole Kenny reign so far was turfing Robbie Keane out. We have a set of forwards who can't buy a goal, 3 or 4 young lads trying to adjust to senior international football and our record international goal scorer still on the FAI payroll.

I don't know how good a coach Robbie is, but surely he could teach them something. Instead we have a situation where he's on gardening leave primarily because the previous FAI regime had designs on installing him as Kenny's successor.

I hear a lot of rumours that he was quickly found out to be a spoofer as a coach and they just cant get rid of him

Drumpot

athlone99 wrote: »

Ffs hes managed in the group stages of the Europa League and won titles. Most of our players havent even played in Europe

Ah stop, not one player playing in the EPL or championship will give a crap about managing a league of Ireland team in Europe. I’m not saying they shouldn’t respect him, but that will mean nothing to these players. He needs to start showing them his methods will work. If you can’t win games, how can you expect your players to believe in you?

RonanG86

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I would have stuck with Mick McCarthy.

The whole idea of hiring Mick for 2 years with SK pre-appointed to succeed him regardless of results was ludicrous and vintage FAI. Even if there had been no COVID and Mick had managed us for the Slovakia game, it still would've been stupid.

They should've just gone with one or the other. I know what the idea was - use tried and trusted (McCarthy) to attempt to qualify for a Euros competition that'd have matches in Ireland and then turn it over to SK to develop the next generation of players. But effectively the development of the team was put on hold for 2 years, since it was well known that the two had contrasting styles and would want different players with different strengths.

Insult to both men imo. Telling Mick that he's a stop gap and telling Kenny that they didn't really trust him.

kona

MrMusician18 wrote: »

750 mins, but it's felt like 750hrs. Pretty inept, anemic against a poor Bulgarian side that Ireland should be putting two/three past every night of the week.

Yet we have people here defending this tripe. Building they say. Well 7 games in you should be seeing the bones of the formula, tweaking as he's gone along. But it's the same plan today as it was on the first day, and it didn't work then and it's certainly not working now.

If things don't change it won't be covid that's will keep us from championships.

Thats it, the main point is its 750hrs against either ****e or the english b team.