FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[sid waddell]

Richard Dunne gave a very good analysis of the situation here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKWnr5n9u10

He feels that Ireland's passing is mostly pointless, not incisive at all and very easy for defences to deal with, the team is too nice

Also says that Kenny comes across as not confident

This is something I have always felt myself, personality wise I don't think Kenny has it, he seems a decent fella but I think you need to be a bit of a bollix when necessary with professional footballers

I think Kenny's lack of a playing background and him only being successful in the League of Ireland works badly against him, he has everything to prove and unless you get off to a good start, you're toast

I think this was a problem for Brian Kerr too

Trapattoni, O'Neill and McCarthy commanded respect by virtue of who they were - that doesn't ensure success but it gives you a much better chance, their credibility in the game was undoubted which means they got a longer grace period

Personally I can't understand the clamour to get rid of certain senior players, Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick are only 29, they could easily go on until at least 2024 and maybe even longer, Wes Hooahan was one of out best at Euro 2016 at 34 years of age, Glenn Whelan was our best player against Switzerland at 35

[Baile Brigín 2]

Genuine question, could the Dubs have got a result against Luxembourg?

Be serious.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ireland-go-into-qatar-friendly-with-urgent-need-to-find-their-mojo-1.4523373

Kenny also, however, restated his determination to get through the current difficulties and deliver a side capable of exciting and inspiring the Irish people. It was clearly heartfelt stuff from a man who must be under a fair bit of pressure at the moment, and he showed clear signs of emotion at one point as he spoke.
The only fear is that what he has in mind is a team that plays the way it did against Slovakia and Serbia because, good as those displays were at times, Kenny gives every impression of viewing them in an excessively positive light – more excessive, it seems, every time they are mentioned.

"I want to build a team that really exhilarates Irish football people," he said at the team's Hungarian base. "That's it, nothing more than that. We want to be much better. We've a huge amount of talent coming through and we've a lot of very good professionals, experienced professionals. We will integrate the two and make ourselves better.
"We hit a low the other day getting beaten by Luxembourg. We've got to take that on the chin. Some of our play has been nothing short of brilliant, against Slovakia and Serbia, and we'll continue to build on that and get better again. And that's the way I feel it now."
He described the Serbia game "as one of the best displays by an Irish team away from home in recent years", an observation that would provide the basis for an interesting round table with a couple of his fairly recent predecessors if any enterprising production company out there wants to get on the case.

[Itchy]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ireland-go-into-qatar-friendly-with-urgent-need-to-find-their-mojo-1.4523373

Kenny also, however, restated his determination to get through the current difficulties and deliver a side capable of exciting and inspiring the Irish people. It was clearly heartfelt stuff from a man who must be under a fair bit of pressure at the moment, and he showed clear signs of emotion at one point as he spoke.
The only fear is that what he has in mind is a team that plays the way it did against Slovakia and Serbia because, good as those displays were at times, Kenny gives every impression of viewing them in an excessively positive light – more excessive, it seems, every time they are mentioned.

"I want to build a team that really exhilarates Irish football people," he said at the team's Hungarian base. "That's it, nothing more than that. We want to be much better. We've a huge amount of talent coming through and we've a lot of very good professionals, experienced professionals. We will integrate the two and make ourselves better.
"We hit a low the other day getting beaten by Luxembourg. We've got to take that on the chin. Some of our play has been nothing short of brilliant, against Slovakia and Serbia, and we'll continue to build on that and get better again. And that's the way I feel it now."
He described the Serbia game "as one of the best displays by an Irish team away from home in recent years", an observation that would provide the basis for an interesting round table with a couple of his fairly recent predecessors if any enterprising production company out there wants to get on the case.

You do realise that most times a manager makes comments like this in the media is he is directing them at his players. His job since Saturday was to try and pick up his players and I think looking back to the good against Serbia is better than allowing focus to stay on the disaster against Luxumeborg.

[mouview]

I'd rather us try to play a bit of football for a change than the hoofball we've been playing for large spells of the past 30 years now; it's not as if we were winning World Cups prior to the Kenny era. Would / did MON or Big Mick get any more out of these players in their later years in charge?

That bit of football has produced three goals in ten games and last Saturday one of the worse ever results in Dublin. If this run continues even Stephen Kenny will finally realise why Mick McCarthy and Martin O'Neill chose to play the way they did with this team.

It wasn't even the worst football this team has produced. Look at some of the away displays post-2016 against the likes of Georgia and Gib. when they were dosed to get a result. The performances were beyond dire.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

I get the point some of the football has been dung over the years but at the end of the day it's the results that matter. In all the finals. We probably only actually played well against ussr 88 and Italy 94 in 2016 we had a good half against Sweden and played well against the Italian B team and that's been about it but nobody cares. It's the results that are remembered. I personally couldn't give a stuff if we play more possession football and increase our pass percentages if it isn't converted into anything. From what I have seen so far none of it is at the business end. We are not creating loads of chances.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro14/ken-early-theatrical-displays-of-outrage-to-luxembourg-defeat-will-get-us-nowhere-1.4522478

"We still have not accepted that there is a price to pay for the chronic mismanagement of the Irish game over the last 20 years"

[Estimator]

Going back to the messages regarding the amount of Irish players in the top flight in England, there is an excellent article on BBC Sport now looking at the path to the PL. It mentions the stat that only 180 of the 1.5m playing organised youth football in England will ever play a single minute in the PL. Proves how difficult it is for any young lad to make it across the water.

[tiempo]

Genuine question, could the Dubs have got a result against Luxembourg?

Be serious.

I am being serious. The Dubs transcend Gaelic games. I think Brian Howard shits on the Luxembourgers. Think of it as 11 Kevin Morans running wild around a field. Not saying they'd beat any of the top ranked teams but they'd easily hold their own against a pub league side such as Luxembourg.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Genuine question, could the Dubs have got a result against Luxembourg?

Be serious.

I am being serious. The Dubs transcend Gaelic games. I think Brian Howard shits on the Luxembourgers. Think of it as 11 Kevin Morans running wild around a field. Not saying they'd beat any of the top ranked teams but they'd easily hold their own against a pub league side such as Luxembourg.

He repeats. Be serious.

[Itchy]

Well worked goal.

[From the Bunker]

Luxemburg 1 up v Portugal 

[general_lee]

Luxembourg 1-0 up v Portugal?!

[sid waddell]

Ken Early may have had a point about the Luxembourgeoisie

They may actually be a half decent side

Twice the population of Iceland, who beat England at Euro 2016 and drew with Argentina at World Cup 2018

They drew 0-0 with France in Paris not too long ago

A Dynamo Kiev striker scored the winner past a Rochdale goalkeeper the other night

[Itchy]

I think its been poor enough by us, unable to beat their press at the back. A lot of sloppy play too. At least we are in front I suppose.