Ireland v France Euro Qualifiers 27/03/23 Ko 19.45

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https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409086#Comment_120409086

Enlighten us so

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409086#Comment_120409086

Seems very odd to purely look at the way we played tonight against arguably the best team in the world as being in any way indicative of how a player's whole career will be under a manager... like, you need only look back 4 days to see a game where he was used in a way that entirely suited his attributes - which also happens to be how we play most of the time under Kenny. (and to back that up, on Friday night Ferguson himself literally said that his role in that game was the same for us as it is for Brighton, so it was an easy transition for him).

Tonight is obviously an outlier, for obvious reasons that really shouldn't need to be explained... How Kenny has set us up for the vast majority of the time over the past 18 months is a great fit for Ferguson. Very excited to see him keep doing his thing in a setup that's been crying out for a player exactly like him to put away the chances we've been making.

NIMAN

Must say I was delighted to have been proved wrong tonight. We played really well and gave France a game.

I had said it could be out of sight by halftime. Glad I was wrong.

If we could continue to play with that intensity in the rest of the group, you just never know what we might do.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409007#Comment_120409007

Some of the worst Ireland games I attended were under Kerr's management. He seems to get a free pass for it

ConcertKing

I was right behind the goal for Collins header and I still can't believe Maignan saved it!!

Truth be told I am still absolutely gutted.So close to taking a point against the best team in the world in my eyes.

Idah and McClean were both excellent when they came on.

If only that header went in,the roof would of came off the stadium!!!

The Guru 123

Brilliant performance, so proud of them and that’s exactly what I want to see from the team.

They gave it absolutely everything all night. Defended solidly and bravely, passed the ball with purpose when we had the chance and then in true Irish style threw the kitchen sink at them for the last 15 minutes just unfortunately the goal didn’t come, thanks mainly to one of the best saves you’ll ever see.

Very clever from Kenny tactically too to try isolate Ogbene against their left back as much as possible, turned him inside out.

Greece will be a very different challenge but the team should take confidence from this and hopefully look to succeed where we’ve traditionally struggled, beating teams at a similiar ranking to ourselves. Having to play in Athens in June is unfortunate but thems the breaks and this team is more than good enough to still go there and win.

6 points in June and we can dare to dream I think.

I’ve always been very pro Kenny and this performance only further entrenches that position.

Mayve could have brought on Smallbone would be my only minor quibble with his selection. Also I think having Shane Duffy on the bench to bring on with 5 minutes to go mighn’t have been the worst idea but the danger with that is what are you saying to Obafemi if you bring on a centre half to play up front before him?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409295#Comment_120409295

Sadly not surprised at all. He is an incredible keeper.

artanevilla

Really good performance, unfortunately nothing to show for it. There are a few things you ask for from a team who are underdogs and Ireland ticked all the boxes.

They were organized, everyone knew their roles, who to pick up, who to target, what balls to play to play and when and even on set pieces they knew what areas to target. The management team did their homework for this one obviously and made the players believe that they could go out and do something.

Truly professional performance and no one looked out of their depth even though at times you could just see with touches etc. that the French players are a class above football wise.

The players look really motivated also and seem to buy into what is happening.

One negative downside and this applies to the Latvia game as well. Get rid of the person singing Amhran na Bhfiann, so slow, it was like a rugby match or funeral. Thankfully the crowd drowned her out and even overtook her as she was singing it like a dirge.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409723#Comment_120409723

The crowd were well up for it and them singing is way more powerful than a piped in singer.

It's always pop singers completely wrong for the song on top of everything else.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409086#Comment_120409086

So almost the exact same as last night then? He drops in to come short for Brighton, gets involved in the play. Those are his strengths. Brighton just happen to have better wide players who get up and support him. Talking nonsense

sekond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409723#Comment_120409723

There was an audible groan in my part of the stadium when they announced she would sing it. No disrespect to her, she's a lovely singer, but it's not like we have a problem getting a good sound out of the anthem without a singer.

TheRiverman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120409885#Comment_120409885

Kenny selecting him, then substituting him without addressing the wide players issue means that, as I have already posted, a bleak future for Evan Ferguson in an Irish jersey. Our established wide players are atrocious at crossing balls and taking corners and free kicks.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411467#Comment_120411467

Sorry, now but this is your third attempt at slagging off the team.

Did you actually watch the game? Ferguson was on fumes at 60 minutes - if you don't believe re-watch the game, or rather watch it the first time if you haven't already. Perhaps Kenny told him he would get 60 minutes and to bust a lung for the duration. He got just over 70 minutes on Wednesday and 65 last night, and is only 18. Let's not wear him out already. Stephen Kenny did not build a team around him, because instead he built a team, to go out and do a collective job. The Dutch were 3-0 down after less than half the first half in their game, so Kenny decided that wouldn't happen here, and Mbappe never got a shot on target in the entire game. Ferguson does not live off crosses. Have you seen his goals for Brighton?

Are you available on June 16th to give the Greeks a pep-talk before the game? You'll have talked Ireland down so much we'll have the element of surprise.

DJIMI TRARORE

Anybody get a gif of Collins and keeper after the game, pretty sure Collins asked how the fcuk did you save that

Father Hernandez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411847#Comment_120411847

Poor aul Collins was devastated at the end. Down on his hands and knees, head into the ground, not sure if they showed that on TV. Wouldn't be surprised if he asked the keeper that Q, many of us had the same thoughts.

Father Hernandez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410407#Comment_120410407

I think I'm in the minority judging by the comments but I thought it was a good rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann. No music, her voice was good and a full Lansdowne singing it. Gave me goosebumps to be honest.

Thought Lansdowne was rocking at times and a little quiet during other times. I was closer to the French so maybe I could hear them a little clearer.

adaminho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411865#Comment_120411865

https://twitter.com/reptracker/status/1640728275109523456?t=RqeVVYxr0WsxxMTwDfinQA&s=19

Ferguson enjoyed it anyway!

eigrod

In a way it hurts more to be beaten like that than if we had got a spanking. So close and all that. Stephen Kenny seems to be lumbered with one of the worst traits a manager can have - rank bad luck. Hopefully something will happen soon to change that for him. 12 points v Greece and Gibraltar is possible, and badly needed.

Am I right in interpreting that we have a good chance of qualifying from 3rd place should it come to that?

Father Hernandez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120412182#Comment_120412182

Unfortunately not.

It's qualifying in 1st, 2nd or bust.

We didn't do well enough in the Nations League to qualify that route (1 spot will go to Scotland, Israel, Bosnia or Serbia from League B if they don't qualify automatically from the Qualifiers.)

Ashbourne hoop

Best performance of Kenny's reign imo. Organised when we didn't have the ball, which was as expected, for long periods of the game. When we had it we were brave and looked to use it and keep it. The plan was obviously to keep it tight and throw the kitchen sink at it for the last 10-15 mins. Ref was poor imo and the short amount of added time was very strange.

How the keeper saved that Collins header I don't know. Everybody around me thought it was in. Unbelievable save. As some have already said, Kenny doesn't seem to get any luck at all.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120412245#Comment_120412245

Well that’s not true either. The first thing to note is that finishing third has zero affect on whether you get to a playoff. We could finish third and not get one and finish with zero points and get one. France could literally down tools and put out a group of one legged monkeys for the rest of their group games and still be 100% assured of a playoff.

all the matters if you don’t finish first or second is how many countries above us in the nations league rankings finish outside the first two places in their own groups. So there are certain countries we hope qualify automatically and some we don’t. the ones above us in the rankings are the ones we want to qualify automatically. So seeing upsets in other groups is bad news for us.

then if we get a playoff it will be a semi and a final probably both away for Ireland which makes it difficult. It will not be a two legged match bs one opponent

at the moment we are projected to get a playoff but it’s very early days

https://twitter.com/we_global/status/1640868902614736899?s=46&t=M-EGdU8vr-bNuKyNUg6tmQ

the last thing to tell you is anyone telling you the nations league doesn’t matter, and that person is Irish, hasn’t a clue

johnnyryan89

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2024_qualifying_play-offs

This updates after every game and while there's a lot of football left to play as things stand at the end of the first round of games we'd miss out on a play off spot as Greece are currently second in our group.

League A play off spots would be Holland, Iceland, Norway, Estonia.

League B play off spots would be Israel, Bosnia, Finland, Ukraine.

Father Hernandez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120415110#Comment_120415110

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that at all. A tougher route but at least it's potentially an option.

dr.kenneth noisewater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120415233#Comment_120415233

Nothing to do with Greece being 2nd in our group, they would qualify through their ranking in League C of the Nations league

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120415782#Comment_120415782

If Greece finish second then that means they qualify automatically and Holland take one of the spots in Play off A which is the path we're most likely to feature in. We need to either finish second or hope Holland do. Can't have more than two teams ranked below us qualify automatically.

If Holland were currently second in the table rather than Greece we'd be in the play off spots rather than them.

eigrod

Thanks for the updates lads. UCD would need to be adding “UEFA Nations League and EURO Qualifiers” to its curriculum. As Harry Hill used to say “if it’s too hard, I can’t understand it.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120416504#Comment_120416504

All people really need to know moving forward is that Nations League games matter, a lot. Results need to improve there, and we’ll always be against teams at our level so that excuse is out of bounds.