Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

AlmightyCushion

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sports/news/ferguson-to-lead-the-line-alongside-ogbene-as-irish-team-to-face-france-is-named/ar-AA198jpG

The team for tonight is out.

Ireland (3-5-2): Gavin Bazunu; Nathan Collins, John Egan, Dara O’Shea; Seamus Coleman; Josh Cullen, Jason Knight, Jayson Molumby; Matt Doherty; Evan Ferguson, Chiedozie Ogbene 

tastyt

Really excited about this game

But it’s **** or get off the pot now for Kenny , this is not an underage or developmental gig , results is what matters after 3 years in the job

gormdubhgorm

Jayus with all that pre match hype from RTE. If you didn’t know any better you would think Ireland have a great chance. Almost Aprés Matchesque at times.

The White Feather

Really hoping we can get a draw or win tonight but the head says it could be a beating. Something like 3 or 4 nil. Hoping I am totally wrong but Kenny has not given me anything that would give me confidence.

The only big plus is Ferguson. I think if he gets a chance he will take it

yerwanthere123

Hoping for the best obviously, but have a feeling this won't be pretty for Ireland tonight. Would obviously love to be wrong though!

gormdubhgorm

Probably the best 45 minutes under Kenny, I think.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408272#Comment_120408272

Easily, not close

Pragmatic and competitive

Xander10

Cullen's set pieces have been poor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408333#Comment_120408333

Portugal was good in fairness and scotland but france a much better team than either

LuckyLloyd

Anyone who tells me we can’t compete and shouldn’t expect to compete can get in the sea

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408687#Comment_120408687

This was to avoid a hammering so Ireland upped it. Stopped so much of the pointless tippy tappy stuff. Which is easy to defend against. Got the ball in the mixer.

How will Ireland play against the lesser nation. Will they have the same fire? Best 90 under Kenny though.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408754#Comment_120408754

Well that’s the mission

Need to start getting the results, we are clearly capable of them

What was the free kick the french keeper got at the end for?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408754#Comment_120408754

If we wanna be a good team we need to be able to mix the direct stuff and the tappy stuff at both ends of the pitch.

Still not getting it right all the time and again tonight it was a bad decision followed by an out of the box shot.

The big if now is can we play like this again and 30+ years of following Ireland says no sadly.

noodler

Didn't deserve to lose.

Wish we'd gotten a shot on target before the two late headers but what a kick in the teeth.

Please god they can get the result, well win tbh, in Greece. We now need home and away wins against them and four points from Holland. It's a massive order but months away.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407392#Comment_120407392

Ding ding.

Unfortunate coincidence.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408865#Comment_120408865

When are they not. Not sure ive heard either of them praise Kenny and the team.

Brock Turnpike

**** hell that was absolutely gutting to see that header saved.

Very good performance. Goal was from outside the box but very much different to the previous ones when we were letting lads stroll forward and have a shot.

Cullen seems to be getting the blame for the pass but I don't think Knight covered himself in glory for it either. Regardless, it was one mistake and it was punished which we're aware will happen against opposition like that

Thought the subs actually added something. Idah I wasn't sure on but he held the ball well and brought people into it.

The pressure on that Greece game now...wow

recyclebin

We have to go and beat Greece now. No point putting in an effort like that then come out of Greece with a draw or loss.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409190#Comment_120409190

They need to show the same application as simple as that. If Ireland do that they will beat Greece. If they don't there is something going on between the ears that needs to be sorted.

Plus Kenny got praise tactically on it RTE which was highly unusual. Hopefully team and manager are finally clicking. But we have been here before with a good performance, then a shambolic one.

Brock Turnpike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409202#Comment_120409202

How many times have you watched Greece play in the past few years?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408865#Comment_120408865

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408891#Comment_120408891

I just listened to them there on youtube. To me it sounded like Kerr in particular was more annoyed about Kenny's bluffing or 'spin' as he called it. Letting on that he is the first team to pass the ball, or that it is a project etc. Then Delaney and Kerr both agreed that after all that it was a familiar (what I would call) 'crash bang wallop' type of 'traditional' Irish performance etc.

But after all that the mistake for the goal was caused because of Kenny encouraging players to play in dangerous areas against the press. Kerr sounded really annoyed about how there is a narrative being created around Kenny. That seemed to be the undercurrent of it, IMO. Basically I think Kenny annoys the bejayus out of Kerr with his antics.

rebelomar

I think our struggles to beat teams around our own level and below might continue....that's not something new either. Its been going on years. I'd take a 1-0 win in any game in this group tbh if the performance was at a good level.

The lack of real quality and creativity in the squad is apparent when we are trying to break teams down.

These games against top opposition have proven to be our best performances. I wonder would a similar approach to tonight against Greece away lead to us creating more chances than us trying to make the game as such?

We've played really well against Serbia, Portugal and France where we were happy to pick our moments. Our use of the ball tonight was fantastic. It was really clever and very measured. Even those longer passes into Ogbene when he had Hernandez pinned were light years ahead of the hoofball tactics of previous regimes.

I think when we try to "dominate" the opposition is where we show our limitations or maybe the level our players are at. If you look at the Latvia game our concentration levels were well off at 2-0 up. We switch off at times like in Luxembourg etc when the game is up for grabs...so focused on trying to make the game. Its admirable and enjoyable to watch but maybe it needs to be tweaked to help us win those games.

I admire the way we played tonight and I hope we can play as well this summer. We've some good competition in the squad now and hopefully our players have a strong end to the season at club level and a few of them get promoted or good moves this summer.

I'm behind what Kenny is trying to achieve. It's the right way forward...it just maybe needs to be tweaked here and there.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409227#Comment_120409227

Irrelevant, if a team sets itself up as hard to break down, fights blocks. Runs covers the ground. Stays in a game, frustrate the opponents in the game of soccer any team stands a good chance. Keep it tight and try and nick a goal from a set piece. That was yesterday's tactic v France sensible stuff - a bit of cop on.

chicorytip

Ireland only threatened the French in the last ten minutes when they played route one football. France looked panicked and we had three great opportunities to score. That says a lot and there's a lesson there for Kenny to absorb. We are no good at the tippy-tappy , play out from the back type of stuff. The passing is too slow and not incisive. The mistake from Cullen that led to Pavard's goal was just criminal. He wasn't even looking up.

So. we need to mix it up a lot more. Give Obafemi and Ogbene more long passes to run onto and provide the ammunition for Ferguson who should have played the full ninety tonight. I think a draw would have been a fair result. The Dutch look very ordinary so there's no reason to doubt we can't take six points from them. Tonight's loss was very damaging though.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409255#Comment_120409255

100% spot on sure a blindman could see that. But admitting that on this thread is taken by many as an insult to Kenny and his 'project'. It is madness that Kenny does not play to his own teams strengths. I suppose he was way worse before on the ideological 'project' ending up making Finland and Bulgaria look like world beaters as they watched Ireland pass slowly from side to side. So Kenny has changed a bit.

But I think Kenny should eat humble pie entirely, and stop sh!ting on about how he believes the game should be played and his 'philosophy'. You can only have the luxury of talking like that if a nation has a wide variety of top quality technical players. Midfield in particular.

Ireland's strengths are direct fast football. Getting in the opponents faces. As shown v France. And before someone says 'hoofball' - no I am on about quick direct ball. It is not rocket science.

But the way Kenny talks you would swear he was reinventing the wheel - which is what I can see really annoys Kerr. As the only time Ireland have decent play is when they revert to type, and move away from the 'Kenny's philosophy'.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409255#Comment_120409255

Definitely wouldn't have called our play in the final 15 route one at all to be honest. Route one is booting it out into the air from the back, hoping for a knockdown up top or something. Our passes in those later stage attacks were rarely going high until the last ball into the box or something. We played decent stuff going forward, got the ball into decent positions, and then looked to either work it inside or deliver a cross from there.

US3

Sad to see much of the country celebrate a loss at home regardless of who the oppositon was.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409352#Comment_120409352

No one is 'celebrating' a home loss. People can just recognise and comment upon a decent performance when they see it.

population

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409352#Comment_120409352

Any footage of the celebrations?

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409352#Comment_120409352

There is a difference between celebrating and outlining the positives-of which there are many.

But you already know that.

elefant

I didn't think our passing game was wildly different yesterday to what we've seen up to now, France are just very strong in the middle and you could see we were struggling a bit to find space to play through the midfield so it ended up being a little bit slow at times. Having a centre-half with the confidence and ability to carry the ball forward would be huge for us in freeing up some space, and maybe Collins can develop to be that player (he did it nicely on one occasion last night).

I think suggesting that we changed our style back to something very different last night, and that it was somehow a vindication of those suggesting we need to be more conservative in our approach, is well off the mark.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409497#Comment_120409497

We mixed it up last night for me.

There was no route one from the CBs but we didn't play needless passes (the obvious one aside) in our own third/half for the sake of it and when a fullback was under pressure they didn't mind knocking it forward.

Brock Turnpike

There's just no pleasing some people.

Mushy

The performance one could have hoped for,and delivered it so well. It's going to be annoying that the goal was a rocket from our mistake. Reaction of the French at the end said it all, surrounding Maignan.

Big thing now will be doing it again. And not against France next time, but against the lower seeds.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409255#Comment_120409255

you must have been watching a different game to me.

I thought We dominated and pinned France in for the last 5/10 mins of the first half. We kept the ball and kept possession to get a breather through out the game. Exact same as the Portugal games so this is nothing new. Ferguson was knackered on 60 mins and was rightly replaced. What you have stated there is a direct contradiction, long passes to players to run onto to provide ammunition for Ferguson? Ferguson likes the ball played to his feet and drops in deep in build up play, like he did in the Latvia game, those are his strengths. I dont know what games you have been watching him in.

How was a loss that most people expected very damaging? In what way is losing to the 2nd best team in the world and the best team in the group damaging?

Anything4883

What is Brian Kerrs beef with Stephen Kenny does anyone know? Its def personal.

In perspective to Quality of players on the pitch between the two sides, if you cant see that as a decent performance from Ireland then you need to hand back your analyst badge Brian.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409285#Comment_120409285

Kenny is playing to his teams strengths so I find that a strange comment. I fully disagree with chicorytip and it seems i was watching a different game. Your going back and bringing up his first couple of games where as you said "a blindman" can see the style of the team now has changed from his first nations league campaign. If you refuse to acknowledge that your business.

I dont get your last 2 paragraphs. Last night was a counter attacking game plan against the 2nd best team in the world, of course Ireland are not going to dominate the ball. Do you expect Ireland to let Gibraltar dominate the ball and play hit them on the counter attack? Your obsessed with Kenny's philosophy and cant see that his philosophy as you say it has changed and he has changed his principles.

So should Kenny have said to the media/fans/players last night that we are just trying to keep the score down, looking to not get hammered and sure we are bet before we go out? Like many previous managers did? I for one am glad to hear an Irish manager say we are going out to try and beat one of the best teams in the world. That might be delusion but i like the confidence.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409635#Comment_120409635

I always think Kerr is being protective of his own time with Ireland.

He was manager during a time where we had a much stronger team in terms of premier league regulars, and he was very much judged by his results.

He comes across as annoyed that Kenny gets praise for performances, or at the very least, work he does outside of results.

Ultimately Kenny will need to produce results to stay on, but I think most fans are happy to back him for now because they recognise the amount of work he’s put in to refreshing the squad and trying to get them to be more productive on the ball. We can see where we are at the end of the campaign.

Kerr I think wants to disregard it because it wasn’t afforded to him, and as such comes across as incredibly bitter.

Pawwed Rig

Despite all the social media warriors it looks to me like the supporters that goto the matches still have Stephen Kenny's back.

It would seem to me that we need to be beating Greece to show some results from his tenure in charge and putting it up to the bigger teams. Last night we put it up to France big time but we have seen this before where we have a good game against quality opposition and then play poorly against lesser teams.

It is time for him to show the fruits of the faith put in him and deliver. The minimum return from this group (imo) should be 12 points. We should also be nicking a point(s) off Netherlands at home

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409720#Comment_120409720

I guess you have arseholes like Jason McAteer going on about Kerr saying "what have you done" and that players were never behind him. He forgets that some of the lads in the squad would've known Kerr for years and been behind him. Likes of him like to point the finger at everyone else and never take personal responsibility.

Kerr was relatively harshly done by .We dropped points to Israel, and people had a serious issue with it, but so did every other team in that group. France drew with them twice, so did Switzerland. People annoyed wee didn't stuff FAroe Islands and Cyprus, Faroes lost one game 6-0 and the rest were far closer, and Cyprus one 4-0 and the rest closer.

He deserved another qualifying, and it would've spared us the disaster of "the gaffer"

roverjoyce

Great atmosphere at the Aviva - first time there for a proper Lansdowne night

When Coleman goes, Collins has to be made long term captain he is the driving force of the team

For Kenny, his job hangs on the 2 Greece & Holland games,

I was behind the dug out, Andrews thinks he is Pep but players were very dismissive of him, it was O'Shea they were respecting/listening to

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409768#Comment_120409768

Fully agree. Kenny has shown he can put a game plan together to compete with the better teams. Now we need to show we can be better against teams of our own level, i.e. Greece. I think we need to take 4 points from them. I would take a draw over there in June in the heat but we then need to beat them at home. It would be nice to see a few goals in both Gibraltar game. I think we can put it up to the Dutch, might still fall short but if we are competitive like last night thats the main thing for me.

Brock Turnpike

Not only did we get arguably the toughest qualification group, the fixtures we ended up with have been awful too. We play in Greece in June (in scorching heat). We play France again in Sept (when you would prefer them towards the end of the group when they might have already qualified) and we finish up away to Netherlands (which may end up being the decider for 2nd spot if we can perform throughout the group).

Weepsie

I'd just like us to show up for every game. Last night was a blue print. It was a lot better than the portugal game for me too where we nearly got something. It had a mixture of the patient passing game, but it was a lot more purposeful. There was very little of the passing for the sake of passing. There was players looking to move it quickly when it needed to be, and players looking to slow it down to give them a break.

If that was the level of performance we can get for the next 2 years then I'd be very happy. That and we have a small number of potentially very good players to be able to influence a game as it goes on.

Also, probably been said hundreds of times, Evan Ferguson is genuinely brilliant. I hope his ceiling is high, because his movement, his touch, his confidence is levels above anyone we've had since Keane.

noodler

It's been a long time since any big team battered us.

Probably Belgium in euro 2016 or Germany a few years before that.

We generally keep it tight.

It was a measured performance. Very measured. Wish Greece was next week.

PokeHerKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409894#Comment_120409894

Yeah we definitely got double dicked when it came to the draw.

I still think performance first and result second in Greece but my expectation has certainly risen after last nights game.

I was going to be happy with a draw but now I think I'd be dissapointed with less than a win. But if we drew and were unlucky not to win I'd still see it as a positive.

A poor performance with a draw or worse and I think SKs road will be running out and rightly so.

Even though you could point and say end of season, extreme heat etc etc.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409635#Comment_120409635

I generally like Kerr, but his bitterness comes out because he sees Kenny as a LOI manager that is being given more time than him.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410102#Comment_120410102

My lasting memory of Kerr's time in charge was him being unable to change formation late in a game. He was the only manager I ever saw that wouldn't make substitutions.

Other than that I would agree he was badly treated.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410156#Comment_120410156

I don't actually think he was badly treated, I remember being at a few of his games in charge and was bored to tears watching us play.