Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

Squad Values Transfermarkt

Armenia 19m

Scotland 231m

Ireland 73m (soon to be a 12 pack of Tayto / given rate of decline at International level)

Scotland must have some fantastic first string team if a team consisting of Gordon,Robertson, McGinn, McGregor, Christie, Armstrong, and Adams is classed as their second string team. The only changes they made were the three CBs and Ralston.

Apologies, seems Christie only came on at half time when they whipped Dykes offer changing up from their usual formation and going two up top didn't work for them. And Armstrong usually doesn't start anymore but was starting for them 12 months ago in the euros and started this season injured losing his place to Gilmour.

You mean a bag of Aldi's version of Tayto.

As expected really IMO. Because he cannot backtrack completely without looking silly.

Because he has been a Kenny cheerleader day 1. ‘Courageous’ playing football ‘the right way’ etc. Because that is Dunphy’s dreamland.

He cannnot admit ‘the right way’ does not suit Ireland. Loves going on about Eglinton, Giles, Brady. ‘The real Irish football’ etc says he.

He is a dreamer still after all these years. Dunphy had a failed Shamrock Rovers dream years ago. It fell flat quick.

From the above article-

‘Eamon Dunphy leaves Reading in 1977 to return home to be part of John Giles's grand dream of bringing European football to Dublin.

A noble ambition, the lads quickly realise the extent of their task. The ploughed fields that functioned as playing surfaces in those days apparently didn't suit Rovers' needs. They were also too quick to promote young lads and the home support got on their backs.’

—

But IMO the reality has finally hit Dunphy, and is now looking for a slow run of excuses for himself and Kenny.

So Duffy is going to go up front from the start?

I sort of understand what Kenny meant by us going direct too much. In the first half we hit a lot of passes straight up towards Ogbene and Robinson from the centre backs and Kelleher. Looked like an attempt to get the forwards pace in behind the Ukrainian centre backs and keep them turned. It didn't work especially well plus it just gave the ball back Ukraine who were able to work the ball out of the backline.

Funny when people just trot out "we should be beating Ukraine 2nd string" based on what ? Ukraine probably have another 11 or so players that are a higher standard of player than we currently have. And we've key guys nearing retirement , it will get worse before it gets better.

With the way football had been run over the previous 30 years and virtually bankrupted by JD we have no right to be beating anyone. I saw a report the other day where the English FA were being called out for not being up to the standards of some European FA'S when it comes to developing underage players, and we are so far off the FA let alone European ones.

This short term shyte we have been festering with has us where we are now, bottom rung.

We have no right to be beating anyone? Come on now, don't be silly. If you want to defend Kenny that's fine, but live in the real world.

For those who want Kenny to stay

• what is success for this team?
• what is a pass to allow him to continue?
• and what is a failure where we need to move on?

Because reading some, it seems never winning a game again would be seen as a pass.

I love the confidence and the willingness to stick his neck on the line by stating that, as he's sticking to what he said when he first got the job of not running down the players but it now seems his supporters are running down the players to let him off. And going as far as having no right to beat anyone, there are plenty of team we should be expecting to beat and beating. I just can't have that attitude because if you do have it, what's the point in going/watching as a fan if you're ok with not winning again.

But his sticking to playing the same way regardless of opposition is infuriating. Tactics are a part of the game for a reason, when you're not the best team you come up with tactics to close the gap between you and the opposition. Playing with wing backs is fine when Doherty is fit as he's likely our best player and RWB is his best position so you want to play to your best player's strengths but when he's out we need to change it. Have a plan B and C but plan B and C seem to be launch it at Duffy.

If he's playing the older players, there has to be a reason for it. They must be outperforming their competition on the training pitch because if a manager has a better player, they'll likely play them and if they don't play the better players, they're not fit for the job.

Yeah Tuesday game now is basically winner takes top spot and we're guaranteed a playoff. We've looked poor twice under Crawford against Italy but the lads are in good form. Will hopefully be a good game.

• Qualification
• Close to qualification(playoff loss or into the final game or thereabouts)
• Being out of contention with a few games to spare.

All there is to it, really. He certainly has a job on his hands and he will need to change it up if things are to improve. But he was given his contract for the Euro campaign so instead of binning it with a couple of bad results let him get on with his job.

I don’t consider myself an apologist and I think there’s question marks about his tactical rigidity, but I think the work in reforming the squad with youth while being expected to get results is under appreciated, and I think the idea of getting rid of him for “someone else” because obviously anyone else would do a better job is laughable. We are in too much debt to chuck a couple of million at another manager because we didn’t like a couple of results - and these results haven’t even decided our fate.

Will the match even be on RTE or will we have to stream it from Italian TV. Pretty sure last time we played away to Italy it wasn't on RTE but weren't away games to Bosnia and Montenegro on RTE.

Hi Stephen

A good day for Irish Football with the Under 21s at worst qualifying for the Euro qualification playoffs . Free shot at Italy next week to get there automatically

Can't talk about the seniors atm

I think it unfair to call the Kenny cheerleaders LOI fanboys. As if LOI is somehow a dirty word very unfair.

To be honest statically given most Irish soccer supporters have never being to a LOI game in their lives - and support British clubs.

I would say most of those who were/are fervent Kenny supporters were just desperate for the Irish media fed dream to succeed. Mostly young lads I would guess -who never saw a successful Irish team. And brought into the dream out ‘playing football the right way’ etc.

Lets keep our powder dry on the 21s until they qualify.

Names of teams in the playoffs may be weak in terms of reputation but hard to judge in this age grade

I'm guessing we're hoping for the 2nd leg at home against whoever we get ?

We also played Denmark last summer and lost 1-0 only. Not sure how serious Denmark were taking the game but was our third game in a week while it was their first game so much fresher. We had that hard fought win against Australia's U23s three days before it.