Or threadban please, mods. Let him set up his own thread.
Republic Of Ireland Football Thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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It's happening in April- you heard it here first!
Ireland will score a goal, we'll all get vaccinated and head to the pub
Haha, was joking obviously. Sure there's not one bad person in the country, we're all great craic.
To misquote one of our most famous clergymen. "The Irish, a great bunch of lads."
I figured you were messing. Hence I went for emoji, rather than biting the head off you like I did to poor @Ramshock
You lot think Kenny will get much more time?I figured you were messing. Hence I went for emoji, rather than biting the head off you like I did to poor @Ramshock
His job doesn't appear to be in danger.
He seems safe enough for the moment and I think he'll be given the qualification campaign at least but I don't think we've anything to lose by giving him time, if you look at what we've achieved over the past 10 -15 years.
I hope so. I like him. It’s good to try something different and he’s had shitty luck so far with all the covid stuff. No harm seeing how he does with a more settled team.
After years of "pragmatic" football that left us wondering what the result would be if we tried to be more constructive, I hope we stick with Kenny until we've absolutely crashed and burned. At least then we'll have seen that approach play out at least once.
Agreed, not scoring any goals though there is no excuse for that.
Ah there are plenty of excuses if you want them with the weirdness of Covid, injuries to key players, young and inexperienced strikers, international friendlies no longer exist so it's straight into competitive games for a new manager attempted to implement a new style of play, etc...
I don't expect the goal drought to continue in the spring.
I'd agree there actually are. The team had huge difficulty even before Kenny and were steadily declining to the current situation.
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It's not like Ireland have ever been a free scoring side anyway, been lacking a real threat up top since Keane and Duff retired. I know people used to like picking holes in Robbie's goal scoring record, that he scored most of them against the likes of Georgia, Armenia etc. This current crop of players can barely even do that, which shows how hard it is to find a reliable goal scorer at international level.
People wanted a change from the hoofball and are still having a moan about the style of play because there's been no goals. He's been handicapped on the attacking front with the few decent forwards he has available being missing. Stick with it and the players will gets used to how he wants to play. Once he gets a more settled front line I think we'll start seeing some goals.
Sigh ok...I just want one fecking goal 
Did anyone watch the Liverpool game?
From the highlights, Kelleher played very well against Ajax. He made some great saves. They were waxing lyrical about his performance on TV3 and were saying he looked confident and assured throughout, great to see.
From the highlights, Kelleher played very well against Ajax. He made some great saves. They were waxing lyrical about his performance on TV3 and were saying he looked confident and assured throughout, great to see.
For my sins I did, as it was on RTE. Thought it was a poor game.
Kelleher had a good game, made a few good saves, he was comfortable receiving the ball back and his control and distribution were good, he did kick a few long ones out of play. But Ajax pressed well and forced a few to go out long, so he had no option but to go long. Overall a solid game from him.
He looks like an a confident and assured presence back there, it's hard to want to him to get played over Adrian, considering how awful he's been lately for them. But from an Irish point of view, hopefully gets a few more games under his belt with Allison out, so we can see what he's really capable off at the top level.
Yeah if he can make that second spot his own it will be good for his development, although he'll need a loan as he won't displace Allison.
Can't say I'm too fond of Klopp's nickname for him though
Has anyone made plans yet on what they will do to celebrate when Ireland actually scores a goal again?
I wonder who it be ? Adam Idah or maybe his son?
I wonder who it be ? Adam Idah or maybe his son?
We will have achieved herd immunity from Covid before we score again.
Thoroughly depressing from and Ireland point of view,
I didnt miss a match at Landsdowne from 1993 to about 2007, the atmosphere used to be great even for friendlies. Soulless empty vessel now that stadium and no chance of it being lit up on the pitch.
I wouldnt pay to watch this crop of players, in fact i'd struggle to motivate myself to get to the stadium to watch them. At least at home I can turn it off.
GROUP A
1. Portugal
2. Serbia
3. Ireland
4. Luxembourg
5. Azerbaijan
Certainly not a bad draw, play off is achievable if we learn how to score goals.
Can see this playing out as us and Serbia for second. Anyone think otherwise?
1. Portugal
2. Serbia
3. Ireland
4. Luxembourg
5. Azerbaijan
Certainly not a bad draw, play off is achievable if we learn how to score goals.
Can see this playing out as us and Serbia for second. Anyone think otherwise?
Serbia could be beatable hopefully we will have scored a few by then. I do think we are going the right way in terms of style of play. We just need to start putting the ball in the net
Shane Duffys form is a huge worry. People saying scoring goals is our problem but we're conceding soft goals for fun too. Nathan Collins seems to be doing well at Stoke lately.
Robbie Brady finding form again is a plus.
The likes of Hourihane, Hendrick and James McCarthy rarely put in a shift for Ireland. Josh Cullen and Jason Knight should be seeing more game time. Molumby not getting too many minutes at Brighton so far.
Robbie Brady finding form again is a plus.
The likes of Hourihane, Hendrick and James McCarthy rarely put in a shift for Ireland. Josh Cullen and Jason Knight should be seeing more game time. Molumby not getting too many minutes at Brighton so far.
Is Kelleher in contention to make the step up? What’s the GK situation
I’ve been very impressed by what I’ve seen of him in his last couple of games for Liverpool. Seems to have everything you would look for in a modern keeper. Not sure he’ll get picked if he gets stuck back on the bench again. Which is a pity.
He must be close. He should be our number one for years with any luck
I don't see why not.
Randolph isn't getting his game for West Ham. It seems he's their cup keeper. He's got twice as many appearances for Ireland than he has for them this season.
I wanted Obafemi to kick on for Southampton this year but injuries seemed to have stopped any progress for him.
Spare a thought for young Jack Byrne, who up and moved his arse to Cyprus to play under well known Irish coach Mick McCarty on Monday, only for Mick to be sacked on Wednesday!
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/s...h-mick-mccarthy-after-two-months-1060162.html
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/s...h-mick-mccarthy-after-two-months-1060162.html
No sympathy for anyone who wants to play McCarthy's style of football
You don't think the increase in wages and standard of football had anything to do with it?
I was surprised he took the job over there, his style is ok for him in the league he knows, wasn't sure how he would adapt to another league. Under Mick they won 2 from 8. They've only won 4 games in the league all season. I don't think it's all his fault. I assume Byrne went for the sun and the money, probably because he had no better offers closer to home, a 3 and a half year deal, we might not see him again for a while.
I took a quick look at their squad, only other name after Jack Byrne that popped out was Ben Sahar, still only 31 according to Wikipedia.
I think the bolded part is close to the mark. The fact he pitched up in a third rate league far from home in the middle of a pandemic, playing for a manager who didn’t exactly seem blown away by him during his time with Ireland, probably speaks volumes.
Jack Byrne is a good player - I’m not sure I’m really convinced he’s necessarily anything other than a lower league squad player at international level, but that’s by the by - but given how glowingly he’s spoken about life in Dublin and how it got him back on track, I don’t think he was moving for a relatively similar wage in the English lower leagues and I suspect there isn’t a huge market for him at the sort of level he thinks he can play at (Championship and above, I’d guess). It doesn’t look a particularly great move with regard to international football, either. Out of sight out of mind. But he has to earn. The Man City money won’t last forever. It’s hard to begrudge him that.
Players like the long forgotten Richie Towell are the cautionary tales for guys like Jack Byrne. One bad move and suddenly you’re trickling down the leagues on short contracts at clubs that don’t have the first idea what to do with you.
Strange news today. Duffer's quit the Ireland set-up.
No reason given as of yet.
https://www.the42.ie/damien-duff-4-5320546-Jan2021/
No reason given as of yet.
https://www.the42.ie/damien-duff-4-5320546-Jan2021/
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Thanks, seems like there was no love lost between Duff and the FAI anyway.
Someone pointed out his quotes when he took the job which I'd missed at the time.
I never had an urge to go and work with the FAI, not even one per cent of me. That’s because of things gone on in the past that everyone knows about. It’s all down to Stephen Kenny.
Anyone that’s met him knows that he is a trustworthy guy, you can get that straight away. There’s not many trustworthy football people in Ireland, if I’m brutally honest.
There's definitely more to this story. Quitting over a video controversy that blew over very quickly seems fishy.
I think 1 goal in first 8 games and zero wins in first 8 games probably made Duff realize that Stephen Kenny is not up to it and he bailed a sinking ship. But he's obviously not gonna say a bad word about Kenny after quitting.
I realize he doesn't like the FAI but Barret and Owens and the new CEO have nothing to do with the old toxic FAI and deserve time to show that they've moved on from the old FAI.
I think 1 goal in first 8 games and zero wins in first 8 games probably made Duff realize that Stephen Kenny is not up to it and he bailed a sinking ship. But he's obviously not gonna say a bad word about Kenny after quitting.
I realize he doesn't like the FAI but Barret and Owens and the new CEO have nothing to do with the old toxic FAI and deserve time to show that they've moved on from the old FAI.
Duff really doesn't seem like the type to bail on a commitment to his country this early over the results. Especially when you consider how covid affected the teams they were able to put out and the fact that he has a high opinion of Kenny by all accounts.
From those quotes I posted earlier his opinion of the FAI going into the job couldn't have been worse.
I think he's looking at the current squad.
No recognized striker good enough to do a job since McGoldrick bailed.
Not a single Irish player getting game time in the top 14 clubs in the Premier league apart from the odd appearance from Coleman and Doherty.
Could be 2 or 3 more years before the likes of Connolly, Idah, Parrot and Molumby are good enough to impact at this level.
No recognized DM who is good enough for this level.
Shane Duffy all but finished at the top.
I think based on what Duff has seen in the past 8 games without a win or a goal against average international sides, he's probably predicting we will take a few serious spankings in the next campaign against Serbia and Portugal and probably feels there's very little he can offer by way of trying to polish a turd, and probably feels he doesn't need the upcoming stress and hate that will come his way.
The next campaign is already a write-off to be honest, but I'd still be happy to see Kenny given time to develop the young players so that they'll be ready for the campaign after this upcoming one.
Seems like a whole load of conjecture to be honest.
Perhaps so, but to ditch a dream job over a harmless tabloid story blown out of proportion seems a bit bizarre.
The story is that he wasn't happy with how the FAI, who he has little time for, handled the whole thing.
Whatever went on appears to have re-affirmed the negative opinion he had of them and he's decided he can't work with them as per his earlier quote that he never had the urge to work with the FAI, not even 1%.
It could still be a face-saving exercise of course but does it make sense to throw the FAI under the bus rather than Kenny?
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