FAI...New Manager is Heimir Hallgrimsson

[From the Bunker]

Balls.ie Ireland MNT player ratings v England



Caoimhín Kelleher - 6/10
Robbie Brady - 4/10
Dara O'Shea - 5/10
Nathan Collins - 5.5/10
Seamus Coleman - 4.5/10
Matt Doherty - 4/10
Will Smallbone - 5.5/10
Jayson Molumby - 5/10
Sammie Szmodics - 6/10
Chiedozie Ogbene - 6/10
Adam Idah - 4.5/10

Substitutes

Jake O'Brien (for Seamus Coleman, 57') - 4.5/10
Jason Knight (for Matt Doherty, 57') - 5/10
Alan Browne (on for Will Smallbone, 75') - 5/10
Kasey McAteer (on for Adam Idah, 75') - 5/10
Evan Ferguson (on for Robbie Brady, 82') - n/a

Kelleher was a solid 8. Was our best player.

Agreed and Ogbene was at least a 7. There are ratings there that are kind to a fair few players.

[From the Bunker]

Stephen Kenny's debut team v Bulgaria 4 years ago


Randolph (6), Manning (6), Duffy (6), Long (7), O'Shea (7), Hourihane (6), Brady (7), Knight (, Horgan (7), Collins (6), Curtis (6).

Subs used: Cullen (6), Byrne (6), Parrott (n/a), Maguire (n/a), Christie (n/a).

[Pub Bore]

Brutal.  The gap in class was scary.  Eng could have scored a lot more.  Big job ahead for Hallgrimsson to do anything with that squad.  Coleman and Brady finished at that level.  Doherty and Idah complete duffers.  Smallbone and Szmodics...meh.  Kelleher and Ogbene the only ones who can hold their heads up today.

[From the Bunker]

Brutal.  The gap in class was scary.  Eng could have scored a lot more.  Big job ahead for Hallgrimsson to do anything with that squad.  Coleman and Brady finished at that level.  Doherty and Idah complete duffers.  Smallbone and Szmodics...meh.  Kelleher and Ogbene the only ones who can hold their heads up today.

We are a Gaelic Football Country where multiple talented athletes chose GAA at an early age as their primary sport. In the past we depended on pockets of talent being produced in less GAA influenced Cities. Outside of that we depended on the diaspora declaring for us. And getting the Catholics from the North.

I look at clubs in England like Kiddiminister Harriers, Scunthorpe Utd, Oldham Athlethic, Rochdale, York City clubs no longer in the English league and Bigger clubs than all LOI Clubs.

How can you compete against that?

[Sheedy]

Someone upthread said that the team only has one Premier division player. Sammy Sz  plays for Ipswich and Collins plays for Brentford.

BTW I was impressed by the gaffer. He knows what the team needs.

Kellerer- Liverpool
Coleman-everton
Ferguson-Brighton
Matt Doherty- wolves
Dara O'Shea- Ipswich

That being said no stand out prem players since Coleman has declined

Jake O'Brien Everton
Kasey Mcateer Leicester
Will Smallbone Southampton

England were always going to dominate us, they've top class players all over the field, all our players are bottom level premiership players or championship level. The Greece match on Tuesday will be a better indicator of where we're at.

[square_ball]

Getting vibes that this new man is a bit of a spoofer already.

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON HAS suggested he will not make wholesale changes for Tuesday's Nations League game against Greece, as he retains his back-seat role in charge of Ireland.

Hallgrimsson says he is leaning heavily on John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy's input for his opening two games in charge, and has suggested he will do so again for the double-header against Finland and Greece next month.

O'Shea and McCarthy selected the squad for this month's games, and Hallgrimsson stuck with the back five system employed earlier this year by O'Shea, and Stephen Kenny before him.
 
Such is O'Shea's influence, he will conduct Monday's pre-match press conference rather than Hallgrimsson. This will flout Uefa's competition rules, which mandate that the head coach attends the press conference held the day before the match

[lurganblue]

Yeah I'd agree that Coleman and Brady are done. Doherty hasn't tried a tap for Ireland in years and I cant remember Idah ever putting in a decent international performance.  I was amazed at the price Celtic paid for him, even knowing that he did score some vital goals last season.

Problem is, nobody is beating the door down to come and take these places. 

[imtommygunn]

There was a big difference when Doherty and Coleman went off. Gordon was cleaning Coleman for pace but if he'd have had better cover from Doherty it wouldn't have been as big an issue. Idah got cleaned out. I don't think I've ever seen a defender clear as many balls or win as many headers as Guehi on Saturday. Idah looked completely out of his depth.

[Itchy]

There was a big difference when Doherty and Coleman went off. Gordon was cleaning Coleman for pace but if he'd have had better cover from Doherty it wouldn't have been as big an issue. Idah got cleaned out. I don't think I've ever seen a defender clear as many balls or win as many headers as Guehi on Saturday. Idah looked completely out of his depth.

Idah was certainly out of his depth but he was on his own too and the balls into him weren't great. But if we are looking for direct balls up the field I would say we are very limited. At the end of the day it was 4th in the world versus 58, its like Liverpool vrs Wycome Wanderers. 2 nil was actually a respectful enough outcome.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah agreed. If no midfielder ever shows for a ball then your only option becomes long ball to centre forward. The lack of options was a big problem leading to more hopeful balls than a striker probably wants.

As a lot of people say the game tomorrow is far more important and should be a lot more reflective.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Getting vibes that this new man is a bit of a spoofer already.

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON HAS suggested he will not make wholesale changes for Tuesday's Nations League game against Greece, as he retains his back-seat role in charge of Ireland.

Hallgrimsson says he is leaning heavily on John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy's input for his opening two games in charge, and has suggested he will do so again for the double-header against Finland and Greece next month.

O'Shea and McCarthy selected the squad for this month's games, and Hallgrimsson stuck with the back five system employed earlier this year by O'Shea, and Stephen Kenny before him.
 
Such is O'Shea's influence, he will conduct Monday's pre-match press conference rather than Hallgrimsson. This will flout Uefa's competition rules, which mandate that the head coach attends the press conference held the day before the match

This really is quite bizarre. So basically JOS is still the manager. WTF has HH been doing for 2 months. Fair enough if he was appointed last Thursday for Saturdays match but surely he must have some clue as to what players we have by now, he is certainly being paid enough.

[mouview]

Getting vibes that this new man is a bit of a spoofer already.

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON HAS suggested he will not make wholesale changes for Tuesday's Nations League game against Greece, as he retains his back-seat role in charge of Ireland.

Hallgrimsson says he is leaning heavily on John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy's input for his opening two games in charge, and has suggested he will do so again for the double-header against Finland and Greece next month.

O'Shea and McCarthy selected the squad for this month's games, and Hallgrimsson stuck with the back five system employed earlier this year by O'Shea, and Stephen Kenny before him.
 
Such is O'Shea's influence, he will conduct Monday's pre-match press conference rather than Hallgrimsson. This will flout Uefa's competition rules, which mandate that the head coach attends the press conference held the day before the match

This really is quite bizarre. So basically JOS is still the manager. WTF has HH been doing for 2 months. Fair enough if he was appointed last Thursday for Saturdays match but surely he must have some clue as to what players we have by now, he is certainly being paid enough.

Maybe it's only dawning on him now how utterly crap and bereft of ability we actually are. He's not going to stick around to renew his contract, if he even sees it out.

[weareros]

Good goal by Greece but poor defending by Ireland to give him that space to pick his spot.

[Pub Bore]

Brown joins the ranks of the useless. Ferguson looks like a one season wonder.

[From the Bunker]

Brown joins the ranks of the useless. Ferguson looks like a one season wonder.

Ferguson is coming back from injury. And he's barely 20.