FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[marty34]

Ireland don't have the players. Ferguson still only 18.  Still a teenager and serious pressure on him to carry this team.

No quality in defence or mid-field.

We were spoilt years ago with all the lads playing in the Premiership.

Yes we all know that, but are we getting the best out if what we've got? I don't see how anyone could seriously think that.

Fair point. But we are where we are. Players aren't up to it.

A few different managers have tried but not much job.

Re: New manager - who would want it in fairness?

[Sportacus]

Kenny will be there until the end of the year. They can't afford to pay him off.
Season tickets gone up by 100e for 2024

If they don't shift him there'll be a hell of a lot of people not renewing their season tickets. 10,000 empty seats last night.

[Armagh18]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

[seafoid]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

International soccer is like club GAA. It is not about superstars. It's how good the weakest players are.
Our weakest players are really poor.

Poyet the Greek manager
"And then there were other games where depending on the result you become the Republic of Ireland, with all due respect. You depend on a corner, you depend on a long ball, you depend on fighting for second and third balls."

Ireland are really bad . Positioning errors , trying to play the ball out from the back, quality of midfield passing, continuously leaking goals from shots from outside the box.

Greece and Scotland are much better in all of these areas. Scotland top their group. Greece beat us home and away.
Ireland are like a bad GAA club team.

[Blowitupref]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

[seafoid]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

[Blowitupref]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

It does, gives a decent idea of the overall quality of the team. How well a team plays together is then down to management and Greece a better coached team and more tactically astute last night.

[Itchy]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

The point I'm sure he was making is that Greece players are pretty much playing at the same level as ours. Then we are both ranked in the early 50s in the world. Then why are Greece beating us with such ease in our own back yard?

[seafoid]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

The point I'm sure he was making is that Greece players are pretty much playing at the same level as ours. Then we are both ranked in the early 50s in the world. Then why are Greece beating us with such ease in our own back yard?

Better class of player, better manager, more confident, better record than 5 wins out of 27
Greece are making progress. We are not

[Armagh18]

To me international tactics should be kept as simple as possible. Manager doesnt get much time to change players and mould them into something they aren't. All about playing to your strengths. 

[AustinPowers]

To me international tactics should be kept as simple as possible. Manager doesnt get much time to change players and mould them into something they aren't. All about playing to your strengths. 

Isn't that basically what big Jack did? Heard him say  something to that  effect in  an interview. Keep  it simple. Don't over complicate  things. And you have to admit , he had  good success  doing exactly that.

[Itchy]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

The point I'm sure he was making is that Greece players are pretty much playing at the same level as ours. Then we are both ranked in the early 50s in the world. Then why are Greece beating us with such ease in our own back yard?

Better class of player, better manager, more confident, better record than 5 wins out of 27
Greece are making progress. We are not

You're not following. Technically better players yes but they obviously have other weaknesses or theyd all be playing at top clubs. As it stands they are all playing at similar levels of clubs. Manager for sure is much better. The record you quote is the outcome of the above. The question is why?

[seafoid]

There is no point in continuing with Kenny. It doesn't work at all

Yep. I've been a big supporter of his and trying to play the right way but it just isn't happening. For years we mightn't have been brilliant but opponents got nothing easy and knew they'd been in a game. As someone said above they barely need to break sweat now, even shite teams like Greece. In Ferguson we have a lad who is gonna be a top top player and probably go for £100m~, we also have 2 very good young goalkeepers. Get someone in who can build a team around Ferguson and play to our strengths.

Greece are not shite. Neither are Scotland. They both have good managers and well drilled players.
We don't even have a decent midfield. We are probably at least 2 years behind Greece.

Hardly world beaters are they? How many players do they have playing at the top level? Genuine question

Starting team last night.

1. Odysseas Vlachodimos - Notts Forest sub keeper
2. Lazaros Rota - AEK Athens
3. Konstantinos Mavropanos - West Ham sub
4. Panagiotis Retsos -  Olympiacos
5. Konstantinos Tsimikas - Liverpool sub
6. Anastasios Bakasetas - Trabzonspor
7. Dimitrios Kourbelis - Trabzonspor
8. Petros Mantalos -  AEK Athens
9. Giorgos Masouras - Olympiacos
10.Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
11. Dimitrios Pelkas - İstanbul Başakşehir

Subs brought on

Konstantinos Koulierakis -  PAOK
Andreas Bouchalakis - Hertha Berlin
Fotis Ioannidis - Panathinaikos
Anastasios Chatzigiovanis - Ankaragucu
Emmanouil Siopis - Cardiff City

It does not matter who they play for. It is about how well they play together.

The point I'm sure he was making is that Greece players are pretty much playing at the same level as ours. Then we are both ranked in the early 50s in the world. Then why are Greece beating us with such ease in our own back yard?

Better class of player, better manager, more confident, better record than 5 wins out of 27
Greece are making progress. We are not

You're not following. Technically better players yes but they obviously have other weaknesses or theyd all be playing at top clubs. As it stands they are all playing at similar levels of clubs. Manager for sure is much better. The record you quote is the outcome of the above. The question is why?

You do not need superstars to beat Ireland.
It's about doing the simple things well.

Gus Poyet explains

"Poyet said his team expected Adam Idah to partner Evan Ferguson up front at the Opap Arena, suggesting that this played into Greek hands by allowing Liverpool wing back Kostas Tsimikas to expose a disconnect between Matt Doherty and Will Smallbone.
Converted full back Callum O'Dowda was also targeted with the Cardiff City winger at fault for the Greece goals in the 2-1 defeat that heaps pressure on Kenny to remain at the helm for a possible March 2024 playoff to qualify for Germany 2024.
"We prepared under [Ireland operating] their two main systems, 5-4-1 and 5-3-2," said Poyet. "We had the suspicion that it would be two strikers so we put a lot of emphasis on the size and the full backs, how to drag them one way and switch to the other side, to be able to attack.
 
________________________________________
"It sounds very easy but you have to do it in the game. Plenty of times in the first half we had our full backs arriving in areas to put the Republic of Ireland back."
The Uruguayan even foresaw Kenny's formational switch at half-time when Idah was hauled off before O'Dowda and Smallbone also made way on 53 minutes.
Learn more
 
"I am sure the gaffer [Kenny] saw that and tried to change a striker with a midfielder and tried to stop us and we were put under a bit of pressure but then they got weaker in the middle and we pressed through the middle to be able to play wide," Poyet continued.
"This team understands all this quickly and I am happily surprised because in a club training every day that can take you six or seven months, and here we trained four or five days and we are able to have the players to embrace it."
When asked to describe the Irish style of play under Kenny as a 'classic British way' or 'possession-based' or a constant state of flux, the former Chelsea midfielder leaned into option three.
"I understand that situation because when we were analysing the Republic of Ireland we had the impression that you were really playing football with the ball on the floor, playing through the thirds, going wide, putting players in the box and I was happy because of the way that you played.
"And then there were other games where depending on the result you become the Republic of Ireland, with all due respect. You depend on a corner, you depend on a long ball, you depend on fighting for second and third balls.
"But it's tough boys, it's tough. I remember many games with the national team where I was on the pitch thinking 'how are we going to win this?' And I don't know how they feel, but that succession of corners at the beginning of the game – five, six, seven, eight – you are playing away from home and you need to win and the ball is coming, coming, coming and it is corner after corner. How do you get out of that?
"If you have three points, or six points and have that bit more confidence it is a little bit easier. When you must win and there is a little bit of tension because you cannot concede, it is tough.
"You need a group who has been playing I don't know how many years.
"It is difficult, I have been in that situation and it is not for everyone."

[imtommygunn]

Matt Doherty was woeful. I don't think it was a disconnect with him and anyone other than himself. I couldn't believe how bad he was.

[Captain Obvious]

Irish better than Gibraltar anyway.

Netherlands beat Greece 1-0 with added time penalty, they will finished the group in 2nd by beating Ireland next month.