Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

We are crying out for a number 8 and maybe even a more physical number 6.

Certainly countries can have good birth years or golden generations but the idea that luck is what differentiates whether a country has good players or not is simply not true. Ireland has had for a while now the worst and least talented squad since the early 1970's. That is a direct result of the FAI for decades abdicating its responsibility to put in place the proper pathways and structures to develop our best young players and just simply assuming that would get done when they shipped off at 16 to some English club. Once the big money there stemmed that flow we got exposed and our talent pool quickly began to shrink. The fact that we have some promising players coming through now is a direct result of us finally putting in place some of the proper pathways and structures with the beginnings of an academy system at LOI level and the national under age leagues. We still have a long ways to go but having good quality coaching and the proper pathways for players is what will on a consistent basis produce talent. Sure there will still be particularly gifted years and golden generations but it does not change the facts you must have the proper pathways, structures and coaching for your top young players.

Agreed in the sense more positives then negatives for me. Smallbone was very good I thought and Ferguson had a good full debut and the goal will have done his confidence levels no harm. Johnston when he came on was very good. As I have said before with him his issue is not talent it is staying fit. If he can stay fit we have a very good player there who gives us creativity and innovation in attack that we have very little of otherwise in the squad.

Well, how are people feeling?

All the years of rancour and debate, all comes down to this.

Hoping for a massive performance and a result. Don’t get beat.

Netherlands without a few key starters too.

Is there any "ideal" result for Ireland tonight? I mean, do we accept that France are a step above the rest and hope they dent the Dutch, or do we have the two teams on a par and hope for a draw? Both sides lost to the World Champions on penalties only.

Just looked at current FIFA rankings, 3rd and 6th! We are 48th to Greece's 51st!

These are fixtures for this round

25th March 2023 Gibraltar vs Greece France vs Netherlands

28th March 2023 Netherlands vs Gibraltar Ireland vs France

Shades of 2002. That McAteer goal. What we'd do for something like that. 😄

If Mbappe decides to put on a performance we are utterly fùcked regardless of any selection/tactics.

Mbappe can bury any team when hes on form, same as Haaland.

We need a sub par performance from France and our best performance to date under SK to get any sort of result imo.

The gulf between the two teams is enormous. I'll be happy if we can keep it respectable.

Oh Mbappe is a serious threat, and said myself France could put 11 men behind the ball and the pace of Mbappe on the counter alone could see them win. Give Griezmann the space in midfield we've given some teams though and they'll eat us alive.

Probably why I'd look to start Smallbone, along with the midfield trio of Cullen, Molumby, and Knight. Might look pragmatic but in certain games it needs to happen.

Something like:

....................................Bazunu

........................Collins - Egan - O'Shea

Coleman - Molumby - Cullen - Knight - O'Dowda

.....................................Smallbone

.....................................Ferguson

That type of negativity achieves nothing imo. If that’s where we are after 3 years of SK then there’s probably no point hoping for another 3 years.

This is a tough tie for France. An Irish side with increasing confidence at home in front of a packed evening crowd. We need to nick a result. That’s the mission.

Nobody should be beaten before kickoff.

Am I in the twilight zone?

For my entire life watching Ireland we’ve had hope in these sorts of games. Is that no longer the case?

And what better test for Kenny’s regime and progress than a competitive match at home against quality opposition?

Getting hammered should not be an expectation, nor should it be remotely acceptable.

This team has it in them to cause an upset. We should believe in that!

Agree. If we can get a result against portugal(should have got two results) we are capable of a result against france as we are further into our transition. Its a game of football at home, we should think we are capable of a result against anyone esp at home otherwise whats the point in playing.

Correct, we are further in linear time into our transition.

But they have not got any better.

That's all I'll say about this qualifying campaign.

We are a bad team, with a manager out of his depth, and a terrible draw.

We are finishing 4th in the group at the very best.

France 2-0 up already inside 10 mins. We're probably hoping for them to just run away with the group and take max points off the Dutch anyway, right?

The Dutch needed "less negativity" the power of positivity is what'll scupper Mbappe and France.

What they need is a pep talk from the Hulkster to boost their power of positivety.

21 mins and now it's 3-0 😂

Pity we are not playing the Dutch on Monday.

Unfortunately Greece 2-0 up against Gibraltar too... as expected, but it would've been lovely for Gibraltar to cause a bit of an upset and steal a point or something there.

I saw the latest score in the France/Holland game and thought I'd come in here with a typical "uh-oh for Monday" comment, but from observing France for the last while it seems they do enjoy beating a "rival" (in this case Holland) while then phoning it in and potentially being caught out against "minnows" such as ourselves afterwards.

They'll still win in Dublin almost certainly, but I think it'll be closer than 3-0.