Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

This is the mad thing, can't remember the last time we played anyone decent - every game over the past couple of years seems to be against a no-mark yet we still seem to be going backwards.

A big part of it is this I think - I'm generally alright with Kenny, but yesterday was a poor performance with some tactical mistakes and a few lads missing great chances, so I'd have wanted to come in and say some negative things. Except then I read through what's actually written here, and it's all skewed so far into the end of the world that you end up with the urge to try to pull it back towards a bit of common sense.

To read most in here it's like the past 9 months of improved performances never happened, with just one bad result in 35 degree heat.

And then you also have lads feverishly pointing at Norway's 9-0 win over Armenia, declaring that this Armenia team are there to be smashed - completely ignoring that that match was a friendly, that Armenia had a man sent off at 0-0, and also fielded a very different team than played last night.

The whole point of the Nations League is that you're playing against teams in and around your level. There's no such thing as having a San Marino in your group in this format, unless you're the Faroe Islands etc. Armenia are in tier B of the nations league, same as us. We're a better team than them for sure, but they're not hopeless... like, they beat Romania, Iceland, Greece and North Macedonia over the past while, all decent teams.

Last night wasn't good enough, we should've found a way, and taken our chances. I'm disappointed in it after the quite decent run we were on. But let's not lose the heads altogether like...

The question mark in my comment to Rebel ought to have been a bit of a hint that I wasn't aware. Unlike yourself, I wasn't about to go look up the Armenian national team's recent record on Wikipedia in an effort to deflect attention away from a coach's dismal record of 2 competitive wins in 16 attempts. We both know you haven't seen the Armenia team either beyond the game yesterday. Fact remains Mkhitaryan has been their one quality player, carried them for years, and they were able to deservedly beat us without him.

Yeah, will be a very hard one. They're the one team in the group with proper goalscoring quality it looks like (today aside). Yaremchuk and Yarmolenko are dangerous in that regard.

Hard to know how the Ukraine players will react. Will they be drained after the disappointment, or will they embrace having a game to focus on? Definitely would have been better if they had won today. The emotional reaction to that, not to mention the partying afterwards, would have left them ideal opponents.

Aye, right. When you've finished researching Ukraine ahead of Wednesday, have a closer look at the dire state of our own team.

I'm quite secure in my knowledge of football, mate. I certainly had a far better understanding of how this managerial reign was going to pan out than the likes of yourself did. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about that.

The way they are playing based on current and past Kenny teams. He might jammy a 0-0 in the odd game left in the nations league.

Then Kenny will Talk up the possession stats (backwards and sideways stuff). No penetrated dangerous passes that worry the opposing team. Easy to defend against.

While the opposition get all the good chances and Bazunu/Kelleher gets the ‘3 MOTM’. That is Ireland’s current best case scenario. Has happened to much to be coincidence.

Yes this league has Euro playoff places as prizes, but you still have win a semi and final, probably away as well.

Best to use these games to get ready for proper qualifying ?

A positive that Scott Brown knows him and wants to bring him to Fleetwood, but Fleetwood narrowly avoided relegation to League 2 and only stayed up because of goal difference. They'll likely be in a relegation scrap again next season and Brown is inexperienced plus he strikes me as someone who'll be a Neil Lennon 2.0, and that's the Bolton Neil Lennon rather than his first stint as Celtic manager.

Aberdeen interested in Scales which isn't a surprise as Goodwin has always looked towards some Irish players. Would be regular first team football for him and could see Jamie McGrath at Aberdeen too as he'll want first team football to get his place back in the Ireland squad.

They've got interest too in Connor Ronan but supposedly Hearts are likely to beat them to Ronan if he ends back up in Scotland. Hearts are guaranteed European football next season as they'll be in the Europa League playoffs so either way will be in the group stages of Europa or Conference League.

Oh I have - you think attack penetrating - you must be thinking Ogbene runs?

But what I mean is dangerous passes that test the opposition. Still nowhere to be seen despite the manager exoling possession football. It is not proper possession football. Which worries opponents. It is safety first stuff backways and sidewards. Back to the same craic from when Ireland played Finland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Wales etc.

Still had two years remaining on his last contract. Fans are delighted with the news as they rate him highly and are hoping he goes straight into the starting XI when fit again.

Is back running on grass so should be ready to go for pre season, and can hopefully get a good season of playing time behind him and get back into the Ireland team.

Unfortunately Idah doesn't look like being back anytime soon and might miss pre season. Fans still rate him highly and hope Smith looks at partnering Pukki and Idah as they were playing well together before his injury.

Big concern being he's had two knee injuries and missed 48 games in the last two seasons. The one comment from a Norwich fan that sums up Idah's career so far, "I always feel like “this is his breakout season” and then he’s injured".

The reason Croatia, Denmark etc can be successful is because their FAs can generate income to invest.

I've said this loads of times here and elsewhere, the FAI just don't have the revenue streams.

There are lots and lots of soccer fans in this country, but because they spend the vast amount of their money on following foreign teams and leagues they are useless to the FAI.

The GAA can build facilitate because they have local organizations and buy-in, fundraises, sponsors, lotto draws etc etc

The IRFU can build facilitate because private schools do most of the player development, and because it's a sport favoured by the wealth they can have a lot of wealth sponsors and backers.

Like the FAI the above two also get government support.

But the FAI are frigged, because your typical Irish soccer fan is likely to be spending their disposable income on a foreign club team shirt, tickets to their local GAA team games or the local lotto, and drinking down the pub for a six nations game.

Unfortunately the money needed to grow the domestic game would be astronomical. Soccer in this country is treated as a hobby rather than a professional career choice. Barry Maguire when at Limerick did an interview and was amazed that 9/10 year olds trained more than 16/17/18 year olds here. The age where our lads would normally move away to get their first taste of professional training.

It's why you'll see lads choose rugby or gaa at 16 if they're also very good at that sport because domestically they'll gain more financially playing either sport.

Worrying trend of back injuries for Bazunu and omobamidele. Hope it is nothing long term.

Better distribution of the ball and a better shot stopper. And that short stopper comment isn't a dig at Kelleher because of the goal the other day.

Any talk about would he wouldn't he about X keeper saving shots is redundant because the only thing we know for certain is that shot wouldn't have happened if we didn't fail to close the player down. Like we also didn't do in other games we conceded in and were blessed with one of the best saves I've ever seen with Bazunu against Luxembourg away.

Football in Ireland shot itself in the foot in the 1950s:1960s when crowds were big in the domestic game. Gaelic football was struggling in the capital. Rugby was very amateur.

But the difference was those leading GAA and Rugby had business acumen. Planning foresight not short term stuff. Organised. Can’t remember the name of the program.

But it was said in one about the history of FAI/LOI was run at the time by people who were not very bright educated/business wise. And they were unable to capitalise on club footballs popularity at the time. The fella was almost embarrassed admitting it. With nearly a year in his eye, at a chance lost.

I was thinking they could let English teams or others set up academies in Ireland. And the key is give lads a route back to LOI, or football in lower level England or Europe. African countries do it.

Irish soccer shouldn’t be damned to be small time (which is what it is) forever coz it didn’t have bright people over it in the 19 bloody 50s

Kenny let him go effectively, hence shafted.