New thread as the last thread seems to be broken.
I think the crying gesture was AI.
ok we’ll agree to disagree. I don’t believe Ireland are that close to being a good team as just needing a midfielder. It ignores other large shortcomings and the fact that the heartbeat of the team is a 37 year old.
I don’t think the top teams are saying those kind of things. Maybe Croatia.
I thought Collins had a good game against Portugal, but Ronaldo was probably the ideal forward to be marking.
At fault for Hungary's 2nd yesterday though.
Every team has weaknesses, even the top teams.
I just mean we'd be a decent tier 2 European team if we had a proper midfielder.
It's the most important position. It's a glaring hole in our team.
We have decent GKs, CBs, LBs, Strikers. Ogbene, Azaz and Schzmodics are decent also.
Cullen's a decent DM but his passing is limited.
True, but if it works - and mostly it seems to work - it's called professional and street smart. Great management etc.
They just came up against a bunch of starved, hungry bastids willing to die with their boots on.
Yep. The only Pot 1 change that'll cost us is Austria replacing Bosnia in the play offs. Otherwise its just higher teams swapping around with eachother.
Bosnia getting in automatically and being replaced by Austria knocks ourselves and Poland down a spot and thus into the lower pot.
so I would respectfully say that the idea we are a midfielder away from a good team isn’t really accurate.
we need a right back, I don’t think scales or manning are “good” really at international level if viewing from non green tinted glasses . Brady still our best there but he’s not “good” either. He just has some quality.
Our wingers aren’t good either as seen by the level they play at and the fact that we pick smodics there and he ain’t no winger.
so really we are a long way off a “good” team as I understand what that means but Troy Parrott is on fire and the rest are providing tonnes of grit and we play to a plan so we are in the playoffs
Ideally we would rather not have to deal with either Germany or Denmark at any stage in the playoffs 😂
Apologies yeah meant pot B.
When we were 1up against Portugal we took anout 3 minutes to take a throw in. We absolutely wpuld have done the same. No idea why people are banging on about it.
Their players making crying gestures after scoring is another story. That kind of wakner behaviour is a delicious meme now.
talking about good under 17 is pointless as they are just too young to judge them.
There’s no real good midfielders in the 21s
He's a little error prone alright for Ireland.
If the tables had been turned and Ireland engaged in the same kind of negative, defensive play and conceded a last minute winner as a result, the critics would have blamed that negative, cynical mindset and ask why the team wasn't more proactive in securing the win. Questions that members of the Hungarian press are asking of their team this morning.
Collins looks like he is afraid of the ball sometimes the way he hesitates. Was awful for their second goal yesterday.
Took rights away from gay people. Believes different races shouldn’t mix. Dismantled the courts and the media and fair elections . Funnelled tax revenues into his own businesses. He is not a good guy.
Yep this seems right. The only other realistic changes would be Denmark or Germany to drop to playoffs as they both play the team currently in 2nd in their group. But those other teams (Scotland and Slovakia) are also ahead of us in the rankings so it would change Pots 1 and 2 but not affect 4th place in Pot 2 which is what we should occupy
So as you say, Austria and Wales are the 2 teams who could push us to Pot 3
The graphic I saw had Wales in pot 2 already. It must have been wrong.
That's our strongest area.
Are there any good midfielders in the under 17s or 19s or 21s?
He's a rough diamond.
Right now they're in pot 4 (as they'd be qualifying via the nations league route) with north Macedonia are in pot 3.
If Wales beat them tomorrow night, North Macedonia would drop into pot 4 (they're the next in line for the last nation's league spot) but Wales fifa ranking will put them into pot 2 bumping everyone beneath them down a spot.
Our ranking is going to cost us. Most likely an away semi final. Kenny time is going to cost us dearly now. Still though this team have shown that anything is achievable. However the mind set can be different in this scenario. Against Hungary we just had to win, whereas a semi final will go to ET and penalties. Being away from home in ET or penalties you are at a disadvantage.
We could do with a better centre back too.
Albania beat Andorra and lost to England while we beat two sides above us so that we should should go above Albania. The danger is Wales or Bosnia beating Macedonia or Austria. They'd jump us into pot 2.
As it stands assuming we jump Albania we'd be the 4th team in Pot 2.
Now
Wales are playing for a home semi-final. Win and they go from the Nations League Pot 4 into Pot 2. Loose and they stay in Pot 4.
Its the same for Macedonia in that win or loose they are in the play-off's. BUT crucially (for us) Macedonia are guaranteed to be away, they shouldn't jump us in the new rankings so even a win will keep them in Pot 3. A loss they go to Pot 4.
If Bosnia beat Austria they'll win the group sending Austria into the play-offs. Bosnia would then naturally leave the draw alltogether and Austria would enter the play-offs. Austria would go into Pot 1 and push Poland into Pot 2, and Ireland into Pot 3.
If Wales AND Bosnia both win both ourselves and Slovakia go from Pot 2 to Pot 3.
Everton transition to a back 3 in possession and the left back pushes forward, so I guess he's not a traditional right back.
Ogbene can play RWB.
Abankwah can play there also but he's primarily a CB.
But you're correct.
Does the FAI get any extra dosh for making the play offs?
A lot being made of the Hungarian time wasting coming back to bite them in spoppage time.
Surely this is par for the course from most teams. A couple of subs….. a fella rolling around on the ground after minimal contact… jogging very slowly to take a corner etc.
We would have been at the same thing if the tables were turned.
It was more to do with crappy defending when it mattered most, letting Liam Scales get that header away and letting Troy ghost in to get just enough on it.
They would have known after the Dublin tie that this was going to be the way it would play out against an Ireland team.
Easy to know, harder to do something about it in the 96th minute, I guess.
It doesn't take a genius to pick the panel or team even.
Very small pool of players playing at a decent level.
Some people are deluded when it comes to the LOI. Saying it's L1 level.
It's the level of the National League in England. Would any other country hire a manager from that level?
We should've stuck with Mick really. Pair him up with a young modern coach.
I guess Wales are marginal favourites to get 2nd in the group, so people are working on the 'most likely' situation.
Both are guaranteed a play-off spot either as 2nd in group, or via NL.
Wales v Macedonia in final game (Wales need win).
They're very talented in the forwards area at least.
Umeh is the big talent I guess.
nah, he isn’t a right back long term. Not one that remotely replace what Coleman brings
