New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
The reality is often lost because of emotion and our patriotism.. Those stats risk a late loss.
gutted .. we all expected a 3 or 4 nil , a great defensive performance but nothing up front which we’ve known for a long time now anyway, any chance of bringing back Shane Duffy?
I’ll do my best to be positive, if Portugal beat Hungary by a few and we beat Armenia by a few then we go second in the group.
Honestly I thought we were awful.
Effort was ok but boy are we miles off it.
I used think we are miles off World Cup. Getting to Euros seems like that be very difficult too now.
We be embarrassed in 2 years time if we qualify for Euros by most likely default
eh … I might remind you we were away from home playing against a team consisting of top Champions League winners
I expected exactly what happened. I said so here before the game.
Its very typically Ireland and we done the exact same against France and Portugal under Kenny. We won't play this good again until qualification is mathematically gone.
Point taken but I felt the attitude and application tonight was light years ahead of September, regardless of weather.
Goal difference might matter in the end.
If we beat Armenia by 2 goals and Portugal beat Hungary by more than one goal then it gives us a chance.
We'll have to win in Hungary though which isn't impossible. They're no great shakes.
Ah please don't try to explain to the person who thinks football is something you play by catching the ball in midfield and a game lasts an hour
It'll be an absolute miracle if we come second. Hungary made Armenia look like the minnows they are earlier who made us look even worse.
Yes.
But the Dutch, French, Belgians, English, Spanish, Italians etc would be the same. May I remind you our successful teams were able to get a point away against such opposition.
May I remind you we couldn't beat Armenia. This is the level required.
In 2000 in Portugal we drew v Ruis Costa, Luis Figo etc.
I keep saying we're not good enough. I'm not excited by 11 behind the ball moral victories. Great they tried hard, that should be a given.
Can we be not good enough and also appreciate the effort?
watched the match earlier, Hungary were very very unconvincing - at Home - against Armenia, who were a big chance missed at the end away from snatching a draw. Hungary got a 2nd right at the death on the break as Armenia threw the kitchen sink up.
Coleman is a huge driving force for getting players up for games.
I would see him as a future Ireland manager
Portugal will hopefully have already qualified when they come to Dublin so no doubt some of their Champions League players will have picked up ‘knocks’ and will be unavailable for selection. Martinez will use the opportunity to have a look at squad players as he plans ahead for WC 2026.
But much like tonight even though they struggled to score they were the better team and the goals came eventually.
And that is what needs to happen Tuesday.
Time to move on
they were the better team - I’m just pointing out that they were still far from convincing, especially at home, and didn’t make Armenia look like minnows, as you say. It was 4 goal chances to 3. From that game today, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Armenia pick up a point at home against them.
And let’s not forget Hungary were fortunate to hang onto their draw against us. They’re just not brilliant.
I appreciate it.
But we're going nowhere as a football nation. We had a counter in the first half. The inability to finish it was sad to watch.
Whether it's the John Delaney legacy. I don't know. I want a team of the talents of Ireland 2000 to 2002.
We're desperately far behind. We can't beat Armenia and Hungary, who we need to beat to qualify.
Honest post from me. Some who were upset at the loss turned on me for expressing the opinion we're poor.
Anytime an Irish team, in any sport, takes the field I take 100% effort as a given.
You're not necessarily wrong… I just don't really understand the need for some people to jump in with this stuff minutes after a heartbreaking defeat from a really strong performance. Timing, like… it's nice to just sit with a result for five minutes before returning to "everything is awful" mode. It's just about a bit of basic emotional intelligence and understanding of emotional context around the evening…
On the flip side it's hard to get emotionally invested in our current position.
Kelleher should have done better for the goal
Ha, tell that to my nerves and my heart rate half an hour ago! 😂
Nothing wrong with being selective and remembering the good times but don’t forget that same Irish team were seconds away from automatic qualification for Euro 2000 but blew it by giving away a stupid goal in Macedonia. We struggled against minnows then as we do now.
And the embarrassing situation we're in now is how do we beat Armenia?
I'd prefer it to be their first team players coming over after qualifying with no interest in getting injured rather than a bunch of fringe players trying to impress and get into the WC squad
Yeah he seems made for coaching.
He is spoken of so highly by everyone.
Frank Lampard was so effusive.
I think it was just one of those
If he doesn't come for it the guy has a free header from 6 yards with no defender challenging and it still goes in the top corner and we all complain he didn't come out and challenge for it.
Split second the other way and we're cheering his punch clearing the danger
Cracking ball in and happened so fast. On balance I think going for it when you see there's no defender in position to challenge is probably what I'd prefer him to do but I don't think either decision is outrageously bad, it was a quality goal.
Keeper couldn't win no matter what he did
I wasn't jumping on them. I felt Caoimhin would save, he did. Around 80 min in I said I feel a goal would come for Portugal around 92min.
I approached the game with no emotion. We played reasonably well but the performance has been a bit exaggerated. We were terrible in possession.
Is it somehow not allowed to call a performance as you see it anymore, out of some sort of misplaced sentiment?
Being invested/interested in the mens senior team feels like a very niche interest these days. Which I'm delighted to maintain.
Goal difference will matter at the end of the group, which is why tonight was a good performance.
I feel like tonight was a closer representation of where we are when compared to Armenia away.
Looking forward to us building on tonight, and looking forward to Tuesday.
WC 2000 qualification to 2002 WC. Those autumn 1999 lapses were tough.
But we were going in the right direction. We're so far off now.
Tonight was a good performance in its own right. But Tuesday is the litmus test now. The overall campaign is what really matters.
