FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[Itchy]

Will this clown O Neill do the sensible thing and bring on the young Southampton player or will he continue to do the stupid thing.

[From the Bunker]

Positives:


We kept another clean sheet

We did not lose

Our Goalkeeper is solid

We have nabbed O'Bafemi! (notice the ')

Negatives

The night is not long enough

[Boycey]

I read yesterday somewhere that Ireland are practically guaranteed a playoff chance to qualify for the Euros IF they don't qualify out of their group, all this despite getting relegated from their Nations League group 

[yellowcard]

O'Neill is the 4th highest paid manager in international football and Keane as his assistant is the 8th highest. Don't bother watching them anymore it's turgid stuff.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Cheers lads. Hadn't heard of the relegation in it until yesterday.

Are there any negative consequences to this 'relegation', or does it only mean we'll play some competitive matches emm.. glorified friendlies against teams more at our standard?

[Capt Pat]

At least O Neill got Obafemi capped. That should be the standard operating procedure for all dual internationally qualified players in the future.

[lurganblue]

Cheers lads. Hadn't heard of the relegation in it until yesterday.

Are there any negative consequences to this 'relegation', or does it only mean we'll play some competitive matches emm.. glorified friendlies against teams more at our standard?

I thought i heard them say Ireland would now be in pot three for the euro draw.

[Applesisapples]

At least O Neill got Obafemi capped. That should be the standard operating procedure for all dual internationally qualified players in the future.

If I had been Obafemi I'd have pulled a hamstring at half time and flown to Nigeria for talks.

[seafoid]

I think the reluctance of the ifa, unionist leaders etc to do anything inclusive leads to this perception that the north is a bastion of Britishness and unionism. That's ideally what they want. And last nights match to an outsider, would probably draw the same conclusion. North - Protestant/British. South - catholic/Irish. And every northerner hates southerners and vice versa.

Nothing Irish, catholic, cultural etc do they want here. Compromising with ILA, GAA, flags, anthems etc dilutes their version of Norn Iron. In a way, it's perfectly understandable they think that way. I mean, Norn Iron was created as a ring fenced, hotbed of Protestantism/unionism that unionists were given in the 20's and allowed to freely discriminate, trample on and intimidate catholics at will.

It was a Protestant state for a Protestant people, and any compromise with catholics on certain issues would lead to the states foundation collapsing around them.

And that's why its a failed state. almost 50% of its population does not give allegiance to the state in which they live.

Not in unionism's eyes, it's not. It's doing what it said on the tin. And they will do everything they can to keep it that way ie. a Protestant state for a Protestant people, within the uk - as witnessed with the DUP in recent days.

Do you feel you live in a Protestant state for Protestant people?

Well, since this statelet was set up as such, then yes, I do. Until Norn Iron is no more, that will be the case.

It was set up in the 20's you haven't been in it that long in comparison and probably missed most of the bad times, I've never once felt I wasn't Irish living in Ireland. Do Irish people living abroad feel less Irish?

how would you be not Irish anyway ?

[Maroon Manc]

I read yesterday somewhere that Ireland are practically guaranteed a playoff chance to qualify for the Euros IF they don't qualify out of their group, all this despite getting relegated from their Nations League group 

I've lost track of whats going on but seemed to me the lower you go the easier Ireland might find it to qualify for the Euro's when this format was announced

[seafoid]

Getting relegated means they are outside the top 24

[Boycey]

I read yesterday somewhere that Ireland are practically guaranteed a playoff chance to qualify for the Euros IF they don't qualify out of their group, all this despite getting relegated from their Nations League group 

I've lost track of whats going on but seemed to me the lower you go the easier Ireland might find it to qualify for the Euro's when this format was announced

I can't find article but the gist of it was that when qualifying starts there are 10 groups with 2 to qualify from each making up 20 of the 24 teams for the finals. The remaining 4 places are decided by playoffs, nominally one team from each section of the Nations League, A, B, C and D but most teams from sections A and B will qualify automatically so the play-off places are handed down to the next ranked teams... or something like that 

[Itchy]

The damage is so bad that I would say Ireland have no hoep of qualifying for anything. They need to get rid of the current manager, get someone who can get the players enjoying playing again, use the Euro qualifiers to work on a way of play and then focus on the following world cup. Delaney made a huge balls up giving O Neill a new contract.

[BennyCake]

Ireland have the poorest selection of forwards I've ever known. Other than Shane Long, who else is there? I can't even name one.

While that's not the only problem, it's still a big one.

[bogball88]

Only way Ireland wont make the play offs is if a significant number of the first and second seeds do not qualify directly through the group stages which start in March. Almost guaranteed to make the play offs, which consists of two 1 legged ties. Still wouldn't fancy them to make it through that.

FAI got the Danish stewards to confiscate flags and banners calling for O'Neill to get the boot and also for John Delaney to go