FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[Applesisapples]

Brexit might be a small factor, but with the common travel area I doubt it. The demise of players from this Island and to some degree Scotland and Wales is directly linked to the influx of quality foreign players to the Premier League. It means that with limited development spaces in panels English clubs are always going to favour an English player where you have two players of similar ability one being English and one being Irish/Scots/Welsh. That's why most players from these nations end up in the lower divisions. you need to be  a good player or have shown your worth in the championship to get a sniff in the premier league. Even then you are always likely to be the first out the door.

[seafoid]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

You can't beat the World Cup finalists with a championship XI. It's worse than expecting Monaghan to beat Dublin.
The thing is turning effort into results against teams on our level like Greece. And the number of goals scored from outside the penalty area is atrocious.
If we could beat Greece at home and get a few goals in Fergie time from Fergie 2 it wouldn't look so bad. Apart from France the Group is still quite open.

[imtommygunn]

Getting beat by France isn't the end of the world - it's the games against the greeces and the like are the problem

[seafoid]

the kitchen sink with 20 minutes to go is not enough. The players had enough time to gel but they are missing someone to lead and take the game by the scruff of the neck and control the dynamic. Someone like either McManus (Monaghan) or McManus (Antrim) or Donnellan (Galway).   There are loads of GAA examples. Also,  we have no midfielder who can operate on the half turn. We do actually , but she is a woman. And the midfield is the big weakness.

[statto]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

+1.  Ireland weren't even qualifying for every tournament during the golden era's of the 80s and 90s e.g. euro 92, euro 96 missed the boat and at that stage had players playing at high end premiership teams. 

[seafoid]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

+1.  Ireland weren't even qualifying for every tournament during the golden era's of the 80s and 90s e.g. euro 92, euro 96 missed the boat and at that stage had players playing at high end premiership teams.

The rankings were higher then, however. We are ranked  53rd by FIFA, in the company of Mali, Greece and Paraguay. That's the driver of pot rankings for Group construction. It's a weighted average of current and past results and the longer it goes on with players repeating mistakes the sooner we'll become a fourth seed, with Greece replacing us.

[weareros]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

+1.  Ireland weren't even qualifying for every tournament during the golden era's of the 80s and 90s e.g. euro 92, euro 96 missed the boat and at that stage had players playing at high end premiership teams.

There were less spots then. In 1988, only 8 teams qualified so you had to win a difficult group, as Ireland did. It was still 8 in 1992 and Ireland were very unfortunate not to qualify. 24 teams will participate in Euro 24 and it looks like we'll be nowhere near being one of those teams. That's how far we have fallen. Granted with break up of Soviet, there's more teams too and technically the Eastern Europeans were always superior to Ireland. No shame in losing 2-0 to probably best team in world. But Kenny looks very lost and in his own world. A change should be made soon. Also if Ireland/Uk win Euro 28 bid, we should think about having a unified Irish team have automatic qualification. Will never happen of course.

[shark]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

+1.  Ireland weren't even qualifying for every tournament during the golden era's of the 80s and 90s e.g. euro 92, euro 96 missed the boat and at that stage had players playing at high end premiership teams.

There were less spots then. In 1988, only 8 teams qualified so you had to win a difficult group, as Ireland did. It was still 8 in 1992 and Ireland were very unfortunate not to qualify. 24 teams will participate in Euro 24 and it looks like we'll be nowhere near being one of those teams. That's how far we have fallen. Granted with break up of Soviet, there's more teams too and technically the Eastern Europeans were always superior to Ireland. No shame in losing 2-0 to probably best team in world. But Kenny looks very lost and in his own world. A change should be made soon. Also if Ireland/Uk win Euro 28 bid, we should think about having a unified Irish team have automatic qualification. Will never happen of course.

Unfortunate that our goalkeeper threw 2 in to his own goal against Poland.

[statto]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

+1.  Ireland weren't even qualifying for every tournament during the golden era's of the 80s and 90s e.g. euro 92, euro 96 missed the boat and at that stage had players playing at high end premiership teams.

There were less spots then. In 1988, only 8 teams qualified so you had to win a difficult group, as Ireland did. It was still 8 in 1992 and Ireland were very unfortunate not to qualify. 24 teams will participate in Euro 24 and it looks like we'll be nowhere near being one of those teams. That's how far we have fallen. Granted with break up of Soviet, there's more teams too and technically the Eastern Europeans were always superior to Ireland. No shame in losing 2-0 to probably best team in world. But Kenny looks very lost and in his own world. A change should be made soon. Also if Ireland/Uk win Euro 28 bid, we should think about having a unified Irish team have automatic qualification. Will never happen of course.

Fair point in relation to how difficult it was to qualify.  Ireland have certainly been dealt a short straw in relation to the group with France and Dutch who are probably in a bracket of 6/7 teams that could genuinely win the thing. 

[Captain Obvious]

A problem is expectations... Trappatoni and O'Neill got to tournaments with mediocre enough teams so this has now become the expectation when really it shouldn't be. It also highlights another thing - Kenny sets the team up to play football and those managers set us up to be hard to break down and to grind out games. The players aren't really there to make that gameplan happen against the better teams so I wouldn't suggest Kenny is a failure but if you want results rather than trying to build a footballing culture he maybe isn't the man for the job.

Don't think the expectations can be much lower than they currently are and losing only 2-0 last night was probably seen as achievement in itself.

Kenny's team set up to play football is a little over played at this stage and any manager of a club  or country team should first be building their team from defence first.

[An Watcher]

I don't think the defence is bad.  Our problems are at midfield and the forwards.  Hopefully ferguson can sort the striking problems but we're crying out for a creative midfielder

[Captain Scarlet]

Stephen Kenny: I am trying to play constructive football. Out from the back and pressing more up front.
Stephen Kenny supporters after we lose: We don't have the players. He is doing his best...

In other words wanting to do something and actually being able to, and having the personnel to do it are worlds apart in the real world. International football is cagey in general so let's lock it down a bit.

We all want to play nicer stuff, but you can write off games like France, etc. But, we are losing to teams around us while playing poorly.

Also, this idea of the youth isn't ringing through when Duffy starts ahead of O'Shea when who is playing top flight and is younger. McClean and Stevens are still knocking about too.
If I hear people giving him credit for 'bringing through' Evan Ferguson I give up too.

Also, if you don't want Kenny it doesn't mean it's hoof ball but at least have a pragmatist in charge who works to the strengths of the lads he has.

[bennydorano]

Class

https://twitter.com/OnsOranje/status/1700929351225655661?t=85d9jg3sptV_Wh8dpk_aZg&s=19

My 2nd thought was how did they all get hotels tbh

[AustinPowers]

Stephen Kenny: I am trying to play constructive football. Out from the back and pressing more up front.
Stephen Kenny supporters after we lose: We don't have the players. He is doing his best...

In other words wanting to do something and actually being able to, and having the personnel to do it are worlds apart in the real world. International football is cagey in general so let's lock it down a bit.

We all want to play nicer stuff, but you can write off games like France, etc. But, we are losing to teams around us while playing poorly.

Also, this idea of the youth isn't ringing through when Duffy starts ahead of O'Shea when who is playing top flight and is younger. McClean and Stevens are still knocking about too.
If I hear people giving him credit for 'bringing through' Evan Ferguson I give up too.

Also, if you don't want Kenny it doesn't mean it's hoof ball but at least have a pragmatist in charge who works to the strengths of the lads he has.

Throw s big man like  Duffy up  front and hoof it up to him. .  Ireland don't  have the players to  play a silky  passing game.  Luxembourg won in Dublin ffs, and  Ireland will always struggle to score with the players and  system they play.   These moral  performances and narrow loses are  useless.

Ireland aren't going to  qualify and It's only a matter of time before Kenny goes anyway. He might as well  try something different

[weareros]

Some start. Could have 2 after 3 mins. We'll take 1.