Yeah the players just aren't there, but Ireland used to be somewhat competitive against bigger teams even in friendlies. You always felt it was difficult but there was a chance you could sneak a result, now there doesn't seem to be any hope of it.
.
The New Official Republic of Ireland Football Thread
- Thread starter moses
- Start date
Yeah the players just aren't there, but Ireland used to be somewhat competitive against bigger teams even in friendlies. You always felt it was difficult but there was a chance you could sneak a result, now there doesn't seem to be any hope of it.
.
Watched it in the pub. Me and 3 others quietly watching how poor we are. No real chat apart from all agreeing Ronaldo was a prick and that referee decision after looking at VAR was good.
A family of yanks came in and were really fecking annoying. They reacted as if Ireland were prime Brazil getting beaten by Gibraltar. "Omg what is Ireland doing tonight?!???!" Feeling the need to all look at us in open mouthed shock every time Portugal had a shot.
A family of yanks came in and were really fecking annoying. They reacted as if Ireland were prime Brazil getting beaten by Gibraltar. "Omg what is Ireland doing tonight?!???!" Feeling the need to all look at us in open mouthed shock every time Portugal had a shot.
Sort of agree with this, albeit I think he’s ignoring one other element: the fact that supporters want to like and feel a connection with the manager and that’s there with O’Shea.
As for the rest of the attributes needed, it’s much too soon for him. I appreciate that some supporters - plenty of them in this thread - think we’re shite and just shouldn’t expect any better. That’s bollocks. You fix or improve the things you can instead of saying “Sure feck it, let Josh have a cut off it, what’s the worst that can happen?” There are countless managers out there who can do a better job than him. Hire one of them and start becoming a serious, aspirational football team again.
But JOS is really lovely.
Seriously I don't think any manager will make us serious or aspirational. Football needs to sort itself out and regain the ground it has lost to bogball and eggball.
I disagree. All of that stuff is largely irrelevant to how the team and the organisation views itself and the approach it takes. Those are fundamental structural and societal changes.
This would be bringing in a manager with the expectation of performance and making the team more than the sum of its parts. That may not even mean qualification at the moment. But sleepwalking into an inexperienced coach managing the national team, simply because he ticks the two less important of the three amiability/availability/ability boxes would be beyond reckless.
Oh there are definitely better managers out there. I'm not sure we are that far below our ceiling though.
I couldn’t disagree more. We are a very flawed and limited team in many ways, but the last two managers haven’t been able to get any sort of tune out of the players. Even a degree of coherence and structure would raise the water level a fair bit.
Maybe. I just don't see any of the players showing a drop in performance at international level. The ability to kick a ball and run has to be matched by an ability to be coached and follow instructions and not all players have that.
Kenny's hallmark up his appointment was structure and coherence in terms of playing style. So maybe at this level the players can't apply anything complicated. They are arguably a championship side playing international football?
Maybe. But I think we can argue the toss about what “a fair bit” means. I can’t get past how few top flight English players we have available for selection. We must be the first team in history to consistently play a three man central defence because we just don’t have enough good players in midfield and attack. It’s very hard for me to picture any manager getting much more out of the absolute shower of shite we have available for selection. Just look at how good Coleman looks compared to all our other players in the last two matches. He’s an average to good PL player who is completely over the hill, yet looks in a different league to almost all of his team mates (Kelleher probably the one and only exception). The last time Ireland was half decent someone like Coleman would be one of our lesser lights, even in his prime.
Although, admittedly, none of the above is a sales pitch for O’Shea as manager…
Last edited:
I wouldn't read a huge amount into a player endorsing their ex-teammate, who is the current manager, in a press conference with said manager sat right next to them.
The squad is very lopsided. But he had a back 5 or 6 of mainly PL starters. Ferguson being in the doldrums didn’t help and the midfield is very weak but it doesn’t include Cullen, who’s a perfectly serviceable PL midfielder and Smallbone, who’s on his way there with Southampton. The idea that this is as good as they can do…not for me, Geoff. International football is whole levels below PL or CL. Most teams we come up against are made up of assorted odds and ends knocking around Europe’s second and third tier leagues.
I don’t disagree but we have more PL (or PL level) players than most of the teams who’ve been beating us the last few years. But that comparison is wildly out of date. Very few of the Irish or UK teams will have as many players at PL level as in previous generations. But I’m not talking about us beating teams like Italy and England and getting to WC quarter finals. Purely being competitive against teams with squads who have even fewer players than we do at the top level would be a start.
Last edited:
I really like Cullen but he's not really PL standard. I was hoping he'd be better to be honest. He was superb the season they got promoted. I think Smallbone too will struggle to make an impact on the PL after a really good season in the championship. And they're two of our better players.
Sorry, I just think we're really bad at the moment.
I agree.
The majority of international teams around our level have a sprinkling of talent but would have a few weak players also.
I think a decent manager should get a tune out of our players. Exploit the weaknesses of other teams i.e. their full back lacks pace, put Ogbene on him etc..
It'll never happen but I think David Moyes would be perfect for us. If we could pay his salary, I'd go all out for him. He'll be in high demand though so I don't think we can compete with other clubs for him.
Who do you regard as the teams around our level?
According to FIFA it's Iraq, South Africa, Finland, and Burkina Faso.
So beating Hungary ticks that box
Seriously, though, it was interesting watching them the other day. Their squad really isn't all that special but having a legitimate top tier talent like Slobozolosozzai in an influential position makes such a massive difference*. And I reckon that most teams in the FIFA rankings we aspire to get to would have similar game changers. We won't go up a level so long as the only remotely exceptional players are central defenders or goalkeepers. Ferguson might be that difference maker one day. Possibly Smallbone too. But so long as our only potential top tier talents are yong and lernin I don't see us looking more of a force under any manager. Which is why I don't mind O'Shea as an interim vibes guy.
*Let's take a moment to wonder (yet again!) what this team would look like with Rice and Grealish in the mix...
In theory we should be at a similar level to 2nd tier European countries like the Scandinavians, Scotland, Wales, the smaller Eastern European countries like Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary etc..
But obviously we've fallen behind all of them. But that's the level we should be aiming for.
I think the opening paragraph sums up where we are.
"A night to forget for the team perhaps, but a memorable occasion on the western coast of Portugal for Tom Cannon who nearly claimed a goal on his international debut."
How did you do son?
I nearly scored a goal Ma!
Good lad.
Why are all of our left backs actually wingers who aren't good enough to be wingers?
Dunno but we've only had one proper winger in 30 years? McGeady is a distant second, and he was too weedy to be a full back.
Strongest potential XIs anyone?
Bazunu
Ogbene
O'Shea
Collins
O'Brien
Manning (I guess)
Cullen
Smallbone
Szmodics
Ferguson
Cannon
or
Kelleher
Omobamidele
Collins
O'Brien
Manning (I guess)
Cullen
Hodge
Ogbene
Szmodics
Johnston
Ferguson
Bazunu
Ogbene
O'Shea
Collins
O'Brien
Manning (I guess)
Cullen
Smallbone
Szmodics
Ferguson
Cannon
or
Kelleher
Omobamidele
Collins
O'Brien
Manning (I guess)
Cullen
Hodge
Ogbene
Szmodics
Johnston
Ferguson
Last edited:
At right back over the next couple of years you'd expect Festy Ebosele and Sam Curtis to be getting a run if they develop as expected. Doherty and Coleman are pretty much finished.
Don't see many left back options other than Manning out there.
I had Curtis in the 4-2-3-1 but swapped him out for Omobamidele for now as he's still fairly unproven. Forgot about Festy!
Yeah, he's playing regularly and doing alright in Italy.
I was talking to Sam Curtis father a while back, randomly bumped into him at a football pitch, (didn't have a clue who he was until I got talking to him) his other son was training with an FAI development squad, he said his goal is to be in the Ireland squad within a couple of years, only 2 aging players ahead of them. He reckoned if everything went well with his move, him and Festy could be the 2 best options there for the next 10 years or so.
It's hard to rate him until we see him start playing. Lots of LOI players don't make it over there.
I remember Liverpool signed some left back and he was supposed to be the next Gareth Bale and I never heard from him again. They had a CB who never made it either.
Sheffield United getting relegated might be a blessing in disguise. He'll get some opportunities next season definitely.
Maybe a loan to L1 club like Wrexham could be good.
Had anyone here seen him play regularly?
How do you rate him?
What are his main attributes?
I don't watch much LOI but evey time I saw him play he impressed, quick, decent on the ball and good work rate. He was very good in the cup final last season. I would say quite a similar style to Coleman, nothing fancy but gets on with the job, like a solid full back should. Hard to fully assess how good he can become really.
He also has 2 full seasons of LOI football at 18, so maybe the step up to the Championship won't that big of a jump for him. He apparently had offers outside of England, he's still only 18, next season you'd like to think he'll get some game time in the championship to see how he does.
I didn't realise he's 6'1 and can play centre back also. Seems shorter for some reason.
Probably a year of proper training and a few appearances is the best thing for him right now.
Then next season can look at going on loan.
He did very well to create the chance though. He'll be kicking himself he let it get away from himself slightly, so that he wasn't able to get a proper strike on it. I thought he did quite well in his cameo.
RTE's line up for the Euros is horrendous
McClean and Kelly ffs. And then you have the likes of Sadlier
BBC and ITV it is then
McClean and Kelly ffs. And then you have the likes of Sadlier
BBC and ITV it is then
For me ,about 20 years ago, I could only watch the Irish one with Giles, Brady and Dunphy. I couldn't watch the English ones. For me it's flipped, that lineup for RTE is awful, I feel ITV and BBC is a lot better now.
There's not even any a new "outsider". Didi is the only one and he's been a part of it a long time. Thought they might have gone for a Scottish perspective someone like Lambert/Fletcher etc....
Scotland are my dark horse for the tournament
Kelly's an absolute gent. He played in a 5 a side with my son's team (long story) and was unbelievably laid back and friendly towards everyone involved. Won't hear a bad word about him.
Random thought but was listening to a podcast about Scotland' chances in the Euros. They've usually been a team with comparable squad strength to ours. They mentioned a lad called Lewis Ferguson, who is Bologna's captain (in CL qualifying campaign) and was voted Serie A midfielder of the year. And he's someone you'd barely hear about, with all the chat about the likes of McGinn, Gilmour and McTominay etc. He's the sort of calibre of player we can only dream of right now and he's almost an afterthought in Scotland's team. No wonder we're so vastly inferior to them (and all other similar sized countries) right now.
Dreadful line up. RTE just don't care anymore, license fee should be scrapped.
Speaks to your point as well about a team doing alright if they can bring through players in influential positions at the right time. Scotland's strikers aren't much better than ours but they've got a midfield competitive enough to bring them up to that 'we can beat anybody on our day' level which we haven't seen in a long time now.
We'll actually have a bigger population than them in a few years for the first time since the 19th century, but yes they're miles ahead of us now.
It's not a fair comparison though cos they have proper football industry and it's their no 1 sport.
There's also some statistic that they've the highest attendance at games per capita in Europe or the world even maybe.
They've an excellent manager also alongside 6 or 7 quality players.