New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
I was at Barcelona v Seville September 2023, felix was by far the best player on the pitch, he definitely has the talent but maybe not the drive and hunger to be a top footballer.
Sure isn't he playing in Saudi Arabia? A lad in his 20s, says it all about him.
Didn't the last Portuguese manager try to phase Ronaldo out of the squad during the last World Cup?
I have a vague memory of him being benched for a quarter final.
Ronaldo is essentially there in case they get a penalty and he can add to his stats. The commotion around his free kicks is hilarious because he hasn't been good at them in genuinely 10 years and even then he was no Pirlo.
You can't speak out against Ronaldo because he has weaponised his social media following. I can't wait until the cults around himself and Messi are gone from football.
I assume a part of Martinez getting the job was having Ronaldo’s approval, with Ronaldo looking for someone who would guarantee he would be involved up to WC26.
But he’s long past it at the top level. Hes still a top finisher and in unreal shape for his age, but he hasn’t been able to run at the level required for years. His ego is far too big to accept that though so as long as someone like Martinez is involved to pander to him he’ll probably stick around for the Euro campaign.
As silly a post as I've ever seen TBF.
We’ve had so many years of debate on here over what’s possible, how should we play, why are we so uncompetitive, etc. Last night was the essence of the debate for me: have a good game plan, execute it well and put bodies on the line at the back. We CAN compete.
Best performance since O’Neill, and best result too. It’s a huge ask on Sunday, we all know that, but this is the kind of result you can bring into the next Nations League / Euro Qualifying process. I think it’s also really important to get to the last game for the first time since 2020 qualifying. Small bits of actual progress for the first time in forever. Delighted.
What's funny is Ronaldo promised 'to be a good boy' in the pre match press conference, and then got sent off for the first time playing for Portugal, lol.
Did Ireland's new President Catherine Connolly attend the Ireland v Portugal game last night!
A perfect response to someone saying you can't criticise Ronaldo because of his social media fan boys.
100% win record as president. Michael D. was holding us back.
After last night, how are people feeling about Sunday?
Obviously spirits are high and coming off the biggest win in a decade.
However last night probably took a lot out of the legs and home advantage for the Hungarians is a big deal.
It looks like a 50-50 shot for qualification now.
What is very positive is the big boost in confidence this result will give the players - they need the belief they can get a result and should now have that.
At the risk of thinking too far ahead, does anyone have an idea who the potential play off opponents are? Is it the usual 2-legged affair? In March?
there’s a total of sixteen teams for 4 spots -12 runners up and 4 nations league entrants. so it’s a one legged semi final and final to qualify.
Too early to worry about that though!
I was looking at the stats last night, Portugal had 5 shots on target, Kellehar saved one. They got no goals. What happened the rest? I don't remember 4 times when a last defender cleared one off the line? Maybe something I'm missing, just curious!
Its not 2-legged, it's 2 ties, i.e. semi-final and final. It'll be the 12 group runners-up and 4 Nations League winners. So 16 teams for 4 places. There are no guaranteed particpants as yet. (EDIT : Albania definitely one of the 16).
But reasonably certain that the teams will include Poland, one of Denmark or Scotland, Turkey, Bosnia, Italy, Wales, Czech Rep, Hungary or Ireland, Slovakia or Northern Ireland, Iceland or Ukraine.
ah look - I was at the Ireland Germany game 9 years ago - yesterday was better for me really since the team has been in such doldrums. And because of the pure pantomime of Ronaldo, which added to it hugely.
A few thoughts after yesterday (i) it makes the entire Kenny era look like a folly. I think there was a bit of feelgood around an LOI manager taking over the team, but he didnt play to the teams strengths. Heimir should be kept on. (ii) these players have had so many bad days, but they keep showing up and you have to give them credit for that. Dara O'Shea has played 40 times for Ireland now, how many of those have been disappointing nights - the 2023 euros campaign he played most of those games and it was just dismal; but the likes of Dara keep showing up and keep putting it in for Ireland.
So I'm absolutely delighted for him and Coleman and Collins and Ogbene and all those lads, and for the fans and for the coaching team, especially John O'Shea. Lets give it a lash against Hungary, but either way - that was an incredible night.
I’d imagine Kelleher saved 5, are you sure you’re not getting confused with Kelleher only had one good save to make equating to he only had one save to make
I can only remember us going 6 points against any type of half decent opposition once and that was Wales/Slovakia in March 2007. (Wales were very average then).
Sunday is going be huge but also massive ask. If we were looking for draw I think it be 50/50 but win is going be very tough get.
I will take 0-0 or 1-1 with 15 minutes to go now and see from there.
I can never remember beating a big team like that by more then goal. All famous ones were 1-0, England 88, Spain 89, Italy 94, Holland 01, Germany 15, Italy 16, Austria 16 (first away win against side ranked higher in 29 years, ironically that was also 1-0), Wales 17.
That's why last night was bit more special and in a nutshell was weird when we got the 2nd goal cause its usually backs to wall when we got first.
Beat Bosnia 2-0 in 2015 which was very professional performance and Scotland 3-0 few years back but that was nations league.
I don't think it's a coincidence to see an uptick in performances and results since Seamus Coleman came back into the team. But for a 90th minute goal conceded in Portugal (when Seamus had come off in the 86th minute) we'd be unbeaten in the three games with 7 points.
We haven't conceded when he's been on the pitch.
Basically we're in a quarter final now and have to win three games. Hard to see it happening but think I'd rather be in our position of having to win than Hungary who might be unsure how to approach it.
Read on Twitter that the last win by more than one goal was against Croatia in 1998.
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/54988--republic-of-ireland-vs-croatia/
On a side issue, will they ever fcuk off playing freed from desire at matches. Something like the song below would be far better.
Forgot about that campaign. You're spot on.
Still not got over how we fucked qualifying for Euro 2000 in Macedonia
That's interesting. I didn't realise they had also done this for the world cup play offs. Thought it was only for the Euros.
Too early to be thinking about it, yes. But maybe one off games against seeded teams will suit us better than 2 legs.
The history of modern Irish soccer is missing out on qualification because we drew some shtty game we should have won.
I’d wonder how the game would have went if Portugal started this guy. Portugal’s midfield was a little dainty for our direct tactics. They underestimated our threat and got punked.
Well…not sure when modern starts but if you back far enough, we had no right to qualify for Euro88, until Scotland did us an absolutely massive favour. More recently, beating Germany and then getting a handy draw against Bosnia helped us enormously in 2016, likewise with Estonia in 2012. It averages out.
I think at this stage its missing out because of poor managerial choices more than anything, thanks in large part to the chaos wreaked on the FAI by John Delaney.
I can't find any link to my favourite Apres Match sketch "But We Drew" which was a cover of Only You by The Flying Pickets.
A perfect summation of the Irish team in my lifetime.
I was just going by the stats on the live score app, I then checked the uefa stats and they were the same. It's a strange one as I assume a shot on target is either a goal or a save.
here you go! A classic
