Irish soccerball nil - That boy Bazunu will save us (Part 1) 🐐

He won’t as most people were baying for Doherty to start. Coleman has never been that good for us really either

We’ve still never won a Nations League game. I’d hope the do or die nature of the play-off against Slovakia would bring an improved performance.

Buff not happy

2 Likes

He was immense in Euro 2016.

2 Likes

This will surely have to be looked at by Kenny at some stage. We have no wingers, all of our defenders are more comfortable in a 3/5, and none of our strikers are suited to being up front alone. It just makes sense to play 3/5 or at least give it a go

3 Likes

Matt Doherty has not been very good for Ireland so far. System at Wolves suited him perfectly with him as a wing-back. He’s been fairly underwhelming as part of a back four.

Going into the Slovakia game as savage underdogs will suit us.

Nations leagues a load of bollocks anyway.

Correct. A good manager shaped his team to suit the players not the other way around.

1 Like

Also we are really going to miss fans at games hugely. So many times the crowd set the scene for our better performances.

Molumby nearly breaking a fellas leg because of his cat touch. What an awful mid 3, Arter, Molumby and Brady, christ. Brady is good on the ball but doesn’t have the legs to make continuous sprints to get a yard to receive the ball and turn. He just doesn’t have that power or fitness. Arter is gutless. It means it leaves little option for the centre half except to play to feet to mf, receive it back, then a hopeless crossfielder to Connolly. Depressing.

Slovakia are going bad themselves. Lost 3-1 to the Czechs the other night

1 Like

Scales in ahead of Stevens
Byrne for arter
Obafemi for Connolly

Bradley for Kenny

2 Likes

image

1 Like

Idah starting twice and Obafemi not even getting a call up looks really silly now.

2 Likes

Kenny out.

1 Like

I’d take Vinny Perth at this point.

1 Like

Kenny’s appointment is another hangover from the Dela era…

:grinning:

Kennys not going to last.His body language is defeatist.
A bit cheeky dropping the auld regulars for young lads that need to be introduced slowly.
All that will do is alienate.

Yeah, I’m going to be serious now and withdraw my earlier demand for Kenny to be fired. It’s been a baptism of fire alright and I’d say he’s shocked by what he witnessed there.

I think he tried to build some continuity for Slovakia with the two selections, most notably with the keeper, back four and the two wide lads. Kind of have 7 or 8 starters together for 2 preparation games.

It’s a given that a fit Didzy will start ahead of Idah and the midfield trio isn’t nailed down yet. I’d say he was comfortable changing the entire midfield unit on the basis of it still being pre-season for most of these lads and the 48/72 hour game turnaround. For example, McCarthy was never going to play 2 games in 2.5 days after all his injuries and lack of football.

But the way it’s planned out now there are question marks over Doherty, Connolly and O’Dowda and the established lads were below par too. Do you bring back the likes of McClean or retain belief the players that failed to impress in this double header will turn it on in a play off game?

This evening was a bit of a shitshow in truth. Other Ireland managers have been savaged for lack of constructive, controlled possession football but we’ve broadly been solid and at least hard to beat. That display had neither the passing football nor the defensive solidity. I think it was bordering on shambolic in terms of lack of structure, cohesion and players looking bewildered and ragged. I felt it was reminiscent of the Staunton era.

He’ll obviously get more time and the WC qualifying campaign, even if things go wrong in Slovakia but it’s an even tougher task than I thought it was.

2 Likes