FAI...New Manager is Heimir Hallgrimsson

[seafoid]

Still hard to escape that we blew a very winnable draw. The Danes had already began to self-destruct in their two final group games and Czechs were already in disarray with players downing tools with dispute with their association, new elderly manager brought in for the playoffs to try and calm things, down 2-0 to us early in the game. The pity is the gap between Hungary game and March, as we did start to look a decent team in those final two group games. But didn't deserve it in the end. Hard to see us ever qualifying again. Too many European countries are just more technically gifted and the once minnows like the Bosnias have passed us out.

International Soccer is uasal agus iseal. Mid ranking teams go in phases. We are in an upward phase. We^ll qualify for the Euros and if we get some new talent and make enough progress we could be contenders for WC qualifying next time around.

Soccer isn't our game, we don't play it with any skill or imagination. None of our players play for any of the top clubs in the country they ply their trade in. As wearos said, even nations as small and smaller than ourselves are technically superior. We lost control in the second half v Czechia because we couldn't string a few passes together and we were dispossessed too easily. Coaching/management isn't the issue  - I doubt Guardiola / Ancelotti / whoever would make any difference to us as we're so limited, not that there's a danger any top coach would touch us with the FAI €40m on the hook.

Looking forward, we should be ok for keepers for the next 10 years or so, assuming Kelleher / Bazuno stay healthy. Ditto forwards, with Ferguson and Parrott. None of O'Shea / O'Brien / Collins would even be regarded as international class defenders and midfield is a waste land. The new players coming in are from championship teams. The outlook is bleak.

It's like club hurling or football i mo thuairim... 2 or 3 good players and then the question is how good your weak players are. 

Players from smaller countries are technically better but they depend on 2 or 3 good players.

Scotland and Switzerland are doing the iterations at a higher level.

[Captain Scarlet]

If Ireland had McGinn and McTominay we'd be a decent outfit.
I'd hope more young lads would go Euro leagues and open up tactically.
Umeh at Benfica for example.

Up front Ferguson is always injured and seems lost.
Parrott will kick on to a higher level.
Melia and Noonan also seem to have high ceilings too. Victor Ozhianvuna going for that money is another one.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Still hard to escape that we blew a very winnable draw. The Danes had already began to self-destruct in their two final group games and Czechs were already in disarray with players downing tools with dispute with their association, new elderly manager brought in for the playoffs to try and calm things, down 2-0 to us early in the game. The pity is the gap between Hungary game and March, as we did start to look a decent team in those final two group games. But didn't deserve it in the end. Hard to see us ever qualifying again. Too many European countries are just more technically gifted and the once minnows like the Bosnias have passed us out.

International Soccer is uasal agus iseal. Mid ranking teams go in phases. We are in an upward phase. We^ll qualify for the Euros and if we get some new talent and make enough progress we could be contenders for WC qualifying next time around.

Soccer isn't our game, we don't play it with any skill or imagination. None of our players play for any of the top clubs in the country they ply their trade in. As wearos said, even nations as small and smaller than ourselves are technically superior. We lost control in the second half v Czechia because we couldn't string a few passes together and we were dispossessed too easily. Coaching/management isn't the issue  - I doubt Guardiola / Ancelotti / whoever would make any difference to us as we're so limited, not that there's a danger any top coach would touch us with the FAI €40m on the hook.

Looking forward, we should be ok for keepers for the next 10 years or so, assuming Kelleher / Bazuno stay healthy. Ditto forwards, with Ferguson and Parrott. None of O'Shea / O'Brien / Collins would even be regarded as international class defenders and midfield is a waste land. The new players coming in are from championship teams. The outlook is bleak.

It's like club hurling or football i mo thuairim... 2 or 3 good players and then the question is how good your weak players are. 

Players from smaller countries are technically better but they depend on 2 or 3 good players.

Scotland and Switzerland are doing the iterations at a higher level.

Scotland and Switzerland have champions league teams playing in front of big crowds. There are no short cuts.

[seafoid]

Still hard to escape that we blew a very winnable draw. The Danes had already began to self-destruct in their two final group games and Czechs were already in disarray with players downing tools with dispute with their association, new elderly manager brought in for the playoffs to try and calm things, down 2-0 to us early in the game. The pity is the gap between Hungary game and March, as we did start to look a decent team in those final two group games. But didn't deserve it in the end. Hard to see us ever qualifying again. Too many European countries are just more technically gifted and the once minnows like the Bosnias have passed us out.

International Soccer is uasal agus iseal. Mid ranking teams go in phases. We are in an upward phase. We^ll qualify for the Euros and if we get some new talent and make enough progress we could be contenders for WC qualifying next time around.

Soccer isn't our game, we don't play it with any skill or imagination. None of our players play for any of the top clubs in the country they ply their trade in. As wearos said, even nations as small and smaller than ourselves are technically superior. We lost control in the second half v Czechia because we couldn't string a few passes together and we were dispossessed too easily. Coaching/management isn't the issue  - I doubt Guardiola / Ancelotti / whoever would make any difference to us as we're so limited, not that there's a danger any top coach would touch us with the FAI €40m on the hook.

Looking forward, we should be ok for keepers for the next 10 years or so, assuming Kelleher / Bazuno stay healthy. Ditto forwards, with Ferguson and Parrott. None of O'Shea / O'Brien / Collins would even be regarded as international class defenders and midfield is a waste land. The new players coming in are from championship teams. The outlook is bleak.

It's like club hurling or football i mo thuairim... 2 or 3 good players and then the question is how good your weak players are. 

Players from smaller countries are technically better but they depend on 2 or 3 good players.

Scotland and Switzerland are doing the iterations at a higher level.

Scotland and Switzerland have champions league teams playing in front of big crowds. There are no short cuts.

Scotland were shite for 3 decades.

[gallsman]

I see the lads warmed up for their clash of the titans fixture with Grenada by putting Real Murcia's B team to the sword.

Top stuff.

[Baile Brigín 2]

I see the lads warmed up for their clash of the titans fixture with Grenada by putting Real Murcia's B team to the sword.

Top stuff.

It's a B squad camp in all but name. There are 4 broadly first team squad players coming back from injury and then kids and lads worth having a look at now the English lower leagues are over. He got criticism for not calling up LoI players who would be ahead of most of these players in the pecking order. 7 debuts?

It is what it is and suits a purpose

[Baile Brigín 2]

Reasonably solid win against a WC bound side.

Moylan was playing well until the referee, from Portadown..., sent him off for what would have been a harsh yellow.

Debuts for an impressive Umeh, Ndaba and Melia.

Scales motm.

Worth noting that every one of the 15 players who got a run out were Irish born.

[Milltown Row2]

Reasonably solid win against a WC bound side.

Moylan was playing well until the referee, from Portadown..., sent him off for what would have been a harsh yellow.

Debuts for an impressive Umeh, Ndaba and Melia.

Scales motm.

Worth noting that every one of the 15 players who got a run out were Irish born.

Even the ref was Irish born

[Baile Brigín 2]

From the Irish Times

This Ireland squad was largely homegrown with 14 of the 21 playing League of Ireland before moving to clubs in England, Scotland or Italy. It appears to be the highest contingent from the league since the group that travelled to the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

[Harold Disgracey]

Reasonably solid win against a WC bound side.

Moylan was playing well until the referee, from Portadown..., sent him off for what would have been a harsh yellow.

Debuts for an impressive Umeh, Ndaba and Melia.

Scales motm.

Worth noting that every one of the 15 players who got a run out were Irish born.

Even the ref was Irish born

I'm from  Portadown, what has that to do with the decision to send Moylan off? Ridiculous as it was btw. Michael O'Neill was in my class at school. I like most everyone else I know would support RoI.

[Main Street]

Could it have been worse had the ref  been from Lurgan? Likely that's the last we'll see of that ref, infamous on a world scale from giving two ridiculous red cards in about the only 2 mild incidents of note in a friendly international.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/06/04/heimir-hallgrimsson-not-expecting-evan-ferguson-to-be-fit-for-start-of-irelands-nations-league-campaign/

Heimir Hallgrímsson not expecting Evan Ferguson to be fit for start of Ireland's Nations League campaign
Ireland manager says striker's recent ankle operation revealed more damage than the doctor thought in the beginning


Ireland's Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and Evan Ferguson
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group F, Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal 11/10/2025 Portugal vs Republic of Ireland Ireland's Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and Evan Ferguson Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Joe Callaghan in Montreal
Thu Jun 04 2026 - 18:25
•
3 MIN READ

Evan Ferguson's injury nightmare will not be solved by the end of the summer after Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson revealed that the striker is now likely to be sidelined until October potentially.

The Brighton frontman suffered an injury after an awkward fall while playing on loan for Roma in late January. Having dealt with myriad ankle issues in recent years, Ferguson returned to his Premier League parent club in February for further analysis and then opted to undergo surgery in early March.

During the procedure, specialists discovered the issue was more complicated than first feared and now Ferguson's status for Ireland's autumn schedule in the Nations League is up in the air.

Ahead of the team's friendly clash with World Cup co-hosts Canada in Montreal on Friday night, Hallgrímsson said the 21-year-old will be sidelined for upwards of eight months with the injury.

[weareros]

Big game for the women this evening in PUC against group leaders the Dutch. Unfortunately Denise O'Sullivan is suspended for this game, and that's just a huge loss. Need a win to have a chance of qualifying directly. Considering they are 4th seed in a 4 team group, it's been a good campaign so far.

[weareros]

Mostly defending but still 1-0 up at half time. Hard to know impact the conditions will have. Ireland against the elements in 1st H.

[seafoid]

Ireland 3  2 Netherlands
Amber Barrett last minute