New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
Who's ever said the team shouldn't try to win matches? Who's ever said those words?
Ultimately it's down to how you go about it. The team's best bet is to be defensively organised, first and foremost, and then make the most of whatever chances they can create down the other end. We'd all like to see the team play incisive football through the middle of the park, but their route of success is still more than likely going to be high balls into the box that can be lummoxed into the net or poached by Parrot.
Is it not based on nations league ranking?
I missed most of the game due to being at a kids concert. Annoyingly can't find any good quality highlights online.
Well, two games later, maybe my point that Troy should start, makes a bit of sense
Just search for 'Troy Parrott' on Twitter. I've rewatched his winner about a dozen times now.
Yeh, you’d expect we could get decent point bump after Portugal and Hungary wins. ChatGBT calculated that we might get 36 point bump from the two wins that as you said would take us above Albania.
2-0 Ukraine , so that’s them bumping us a spot.
4. Once the 16 teams constituting the play-offs have been determined, the twelve runners-up of the European Qualifiers group stage will be ranked 1st to 12th on the basis of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking issued at the end of November2025, and the four teams having qualified from the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 will be ranked 13th to 16th.
It's Fifa for 1-12. Nations League was used to determine pot 4.
In other words, play to our strengths!
The last manager couldn't get this through his head for whatever reason.
HH copped onto this from day 1 and it paid off the last 3 games.
Parrot is walking proof that more Irish players should be looking further afield for their club careers and not essentially calling it a day if they don't get a game for an English club. If Parrot had stuck around England, he'd probably have been lining out for an average Championship side and not banging in goals for AZ, and not experiencing the kind of form he's in right now.
Do Irish academies offer any foreign language courses for the trainees?
After Group D games
You even saw it several times in this game. Stupid passes being played out from the back, getting into needless danger instead of just knocking it up the field. Players need to be cleverer about that stuff. As Jack Charlton once said - if you can't be certain of getting to at least the halfway line, don't be passing it on the deck.
FAI capitalising on this by selling season tix now to guarantee a ticket to the playoffs, surely false advertising
does Ireland have academies would be a more apt question. They’re a little bit more concerned with keeping the lights on then becoming a centre of training on foreign languages
Hmm, well Duolingo is free.
must be good then
Full game is on RTE player. Skip to near the end and you will get the last few goals and all the highlights and analysis
In fairness the ST were available prior to this match for 2026.
No issue advertising them for sale, but to say it guarantees a playoff ticket is blatantly false
They always sell season tickets this time of year - been on sale for a week or 2 now - even before the last 2 games they were saying season tickets would count towards loyalty for World Cup tickets/ playoff tickets etc
I don't think there'll be any handy draws. From the picture the teams in Pot 2 and 3 we could meet all look the same level. A rocking Aviva can make a difference if needed late one. And any final will likely be away from home.
And if both matches are away from home? So no guaranteed match
I don't think that's how the draw works. As it stands we will be away in the playoff semi against a team from pot 2.
The draw on Thursday will determine which team that will be and pair us with 2 teams in another semi.
The draw will also decide if the winner of our semi or the other semi is at home for the final.
Better than nothing.
Thursday at 7 O Clock I have never felt so down about Irish football.
Hungary had just beaten Armenia which meant we had beat Portugal.
Thursday was great it really was. But today for me is a far better result because 1. We had win. 2. We came from behind 3. We scored 3 goals against good side.
I gave us no chance.
I will say though that I did give Parrott big up for past while so I take that.
Im just jealous of my friends who were at it.
The third goal reminds me of Robbie Keanes goal against Germany in 2002.
Second goal was sensational in fact the assist came from lofted through ball. A rare site in Irish football.
Beating a top team by more than goal on Thursday, followed up by beating a top side away from home after going goal behind not once but twice. And to actually get back to back wins. No idea what's going on but I enjoy it.
The u17s doing us proud too and a QF place awaits in Tuesday.
Big satisfaction in knowing that Orbán cnt got a sickening.
Delighted for the lad and he's having a smashing 25/26 season. Fingers crossed it can get him a big move next summer. Also it now gives HH something to think about as I still think Parrott wouldn't have started if Ferguson was fit. Work out a way to get two CFs onto the pitch perhaps.
Though can see him wanting to stick with Ogbene if fit as a support player for the CF so it's going to be up to Ev to win his place back now when he's next given a game.
The way things are going either one could give Keane's record a crack. Especially if one of them can stay regulars for the next 12 years. Parrott is already 15th on the list of goal scorers with 10 and Ferguson is 29th with 8 but jumps to 19th with one goal. Both should at least pass out Quinn. This window alone doubled Parrotts goal tally.
I’d go with nothing is better. No point teaching some Irish lad the Dutch for where is the train station unless that’s a better than 5% chance he’s going to be using it. Probably just takes time away from the football part.
We can still sneak into Pot 2 though. I assume when it comes to the four teams in each playoff the highest ranked team in the final gets home advantage.
They could be trying to learn some of this stuff in their downtime. They're not on the pitch 24 hours a day. Plenty of players from around the world are able to attain a decent level of English by the time they come to play in the Premiership. You don't even have to be fluent, just communicative, and several Irish players have managed the feat in the past - Liam Brady played in Italy, Joh Aldridge played in Spain, Aidan McGeady played in Russia. And there are more resources than ever to accomplish this.
We're always saying that Irish players have been edged out in England and that our domestic league just isn't at a high level. For those Irish players potentially looking at a middling career in the Championship, maybe it's time they set their sights a bit higher?
Hallgrimssons contract expires when we get knocked out of qualifying. Tonights win has extended it until the play offs at least.
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