Qatar v Republic of Ireland - Match Thread 30/3/21 K.O 7.45PM - RTE

Francie Barrett

https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/1376947831836184582

Saw there was no thread.

Beechwoodspark

Hoping we can get that first win under Stephen and then take things from there.

Francie Barrett

Coventry not even in the squad, Conor McGregor will not be happy!

https://twitter.com/IrishPropaganda/status/1376846544566124544

simongurnick

UFC 270 McGregor vs Kenny

Agent Coulson

Is this game tonight?

Francie Barrett

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Is this game tonight?

Yes!

breezy1985

Ide rather lose with kids than see Christie and Hendrick tonight

Ferris_Bueller

Not surprised we've made a good few changes but can't help but feel we are not going to learn much tonight. Hopefully we can just get a win and maybe some players will impress for a starting role.

Francie Barrett

I don't know how we're going to line up, kind of looks like it might be 3-4-3.

---

Coleman - Duffy - O'Shea
Christie - Molumby - Hendrick - Brady

---

Horgan - Long - McClean

I don't like some of the selections.

I think Lenihan has deserved a run out, captain at Blackburn, in great form and putting MOTM performances in. Curtis is another I am warming to, watched his last game when he scored and got an assist. He's league 1, but he's young, he's in form, surely a better option and Horgan who isn't having a good season at the bottom of the Championship. Kenny mustn't really fancy Manning too much, you'd think he'd start given he's a natural left back in the Championship.

I hope we can get the win regardless, in dire need of a boost.

elefant

Hendrick, Brady, Long, Horgan, McClean as the attacking five. This is the pits.

TheCitizen

sugarman wrote: »

Probably 4-3-3 with Christie at LB.

I hope it’s a 4-3-3. Back 3 doesn’t suit Duffy at all and he should only go 3 at the back if he has wing backs like Stevens and Doherty available.

We’ll see but it’s strange that during the Nations League he didn’t try 3 at the back when people were asking for it but has now switched to 3 at the back for the last two crucial Qualifiers. If he’s chopping and changing in response to what pundits or punters are asking for then he’s in trouble.

_Kaiser_

Kenny really is awful in interviews. Completely uninspiring and the lack of confidence radiates from him

Guffy

Who's the woman on the RTE panel? missed her name, but talking a lot of sense.

McFly85

I'd prefer if we didn't bother playing. But seeing as we are, I'd like to see any sort of win for Kenny to break his duck. Looking at the XI it's not going to be a game we'll learn much from.

~Rebel~

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Kenny really is awful in interviews. Completely uninspiring and the lack of confidence radiates from him

He's a weird one alright... he comes across awfully from a media standpoint, but I actually generally really like listening to him speak. He seems incredibly genuine and thoughtful. I get the feeling he bloody hates those quick snapshot interviews, and wants to have a proper discussion. You see in longer form interviews that he really likes to take his time and think properly about giving the question an actual deserved answer that reflects what he really thinks. He's just not at all built for these empty soundbyte 2 minute on-camera bits.

He's one of the most insightful Irish voices I've heard on football for a while... was absolutely brilliant with the Second Captains live event a bit over a year ago. A proper long form deep dive into football.

kksaints

Guffy wrote: »

Who's the woman on the RTE panel? missed her name, but talking a lot of sense.

Karen Duggan. Former Irish international and current WNL player with Peamount United.

Brock Turnpike

Not liking the lineup at all, but maybe this is Kenny's attempt at a "go out and prove to me you still have something to offer" approach for the senior members of the squad.

I wasn't confident of a win before the lineup was announced and I'm even less so now. However I really do hope I'm wrong as I would love to see Kenny get a win.

Father Hernandez

I desperately want to see Ireland get a win tonight.

Mantis Toboggan

Kenny going for experience, probably better than watching the young lads running around like headless chickens.

Harry Palmr

This or Covid briefing....:eek:

~Rebel~

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Not liking the lineup at all, but maybe this is Kenny's attempt at a "go out and prove to me you still have something to offer" approach for the senior members of the squad.

I wasn't confident of a win before the lineup was announced and I'm even less so now. However I really do hope I'm wrong as I would love to see Kenny get a win.

Kinda think the same - a bit of a statement to a few lads like Hendrick and Brady that from tomorrow he's gonna be thinking of the next games, and right now they're not really in consideration unless they do something tonight.

As with pretty much any team you name though, it's hard enough to see where the goals come from.

ratracer

I Can’t even pretend to be interested in this fixture! Still though, I hope Kenny managed to get that elusive first win under his belt, just to build some kind of dressing room confidence.

Agent Coulson

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Kenny really is awful in interviews. Completely uninspiring and the lack of confidence radiates from him

He should spend the summer getting media training if he is to stay in the job.

NIMAN

Agent Coulson wrote: »

He should spend the summer getting media training if he is to stay in the job.

Yeah cos Trap and O'Neill were great at it.

One pretended he didn't know a word of English, and the other spent years attacking a single reporter who had the cheek to ask him the odd difficult question.

Harry Palmr

When did Ireland last have a front line worth a damn? Might it be all the way back to Keane/Connelly?

The White Feather

This feels like a cup final to me. A draw or a loss here and that has to be it for Kenny. Maybe a draw where we did everything but score might save him.

Just give us a win with a few goals and things will feel a bit better at least

Coillte_Bhoy

Ridiculous team to pick, why not give the young lads more game time ffs

Beechwoodspark

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah cos Trap and O'Neill were great at it.

One pretended he didn't know a word of English, and the other spent years attacking a single reporter who had the cheek to ask him the odd difficult question.

Very well summed up

Interviewing Aul trap was like an unfunny comedy sketch

And as for MON it was like an anger management test every time he saw Tony OD

Mantis Toboggan

Think we'll get a bit of fight from this team tonight at least which we haven't seen recently.

Agent Coulson

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah cos Trap and O'Neill were great at it.

One pretended he didn't know a word of English, and the other spent years attacking a single reporter who had the cheek to ask him the odd difficult question.

Both of them were world weary men who held themselves up and deflected, Kenny looks broken when asked the most simple question and his players see that on TV even if they don't see it in the dressing room.

glenjamin

If the likes of Hendrick, McClean, and Brady don't perform tonight I hope their chances going forward are limited. They've all been equally disappointing over the last couple of campaigns, and I'd much rather we gave more opportunities to the younger lads to gain experience.

TheRiverman

Nice stadium.

Mantis Toboggan

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Very well summed up

Interviewing Aul trap was like an unfunny comedy sketch

And as for MON it was like an anger management test every time he saw Tony OD

Tony tried to antagonise him any chance he got though.

KungPao

Same poor guy again getting stuck commentating on the Ireland match on Sky.

Oh Allah, I hope we get a win.

TheRiverman

K. Cunningham means sound turned down time.

Beechwoodspark

No knee from Qatar

Controversial Jeff

NIMAN

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Ridiculous team to pick, why not give the young lads more game time ffs

I think he is caught between a rock and a hard place.

If he experiments and losses, his job could go. Media will have a field day if they lose to Luxembourg then Qatar.

So I think he is simply trying to win the game, to get the monkey off his back.

The White Feather

KungPao wrote: »

Same poor guy again getting stuck commentating on the Ireland match on Sky.

Oh Allah, I hope we get a win.

Do we watch it on Sky or RTE? Cunningham is on RTE though....:p

glenjamin

Kenny Cunningham is like ya man from Father Ted with the dreary, monotonous voice stuck in the women's underpants department.

tayto lover

elefant wrote: »

Hendrick, Brady, Long, Horgan, McClean as the attacking five. This is the pits.

I’d say this selection is forced on Kenny.
Would rather see newcomers tbh.

NIMAN

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Tony tried to antagonise him any chance he got though.

No he didn't, he simply asked the questions we all wanted asked.

That was his job.

Too many football reporters want to be mates with managers and players, TOD did his job.

Faugheen

Hendrick looks up for this.

About time.

Say Your Number

Richie Sadlier coaching this crowd?

johnnyryan89

Father Hernandez wrote: »

I desperately want to see Ireland get a win tonight.

I'd say you'll be waiting. As Kevin Doyle said these Qatar lads are building for the WC and have been for a few years. All the players play in Qatar so their national team can basically train together all year round at the Aspire Academy. This is going to be a well drilled team and I'd stick with my earlier prediction of 1-1.

fyfe79

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

No knee from Qatar

Controversial Jeff

Them boys love the aul' racism!

Devils advocate... they didn't know the Irish team were going to do it?

Quantum Erasure

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

No knee from Qatar

Controversial Jeff

With the week that's in it and all...

Deise Vu

The White Feather wrote: »

This feels like a cup final to me. A draw or a loss here and that has to be it for Kenny. Maybe a draw where we did everything but score might save him.

Just give us a win with a few goals and things will feel a bit better at least

Qatar are reigning Asia Cup champions beating Japan in the 2019 final. They are ranked about 40 places ahead of mighty Luxembourg who they beat last week. They have a team of naturalized (ie biught in) foreigners with the aim of making a splash at the World Cup. I would Mags them favorites for this match given our run of “form”.

~Rebel~

Lovely little move there!

Faugheen

What a start.

Where was this on Saturday? Great stuff.

~Rebel~

Wahey!! A goal!!

Excellent start, high intencity, and driving through.

Mantis Toboggan

Boom, get in McLean