Republic of Ireland General Discussion Thread 2026

Browne was the only Irish player who when he was getting ready to take the penalty looked extremely nervous . Making me think he is going to miss. Then the way he struck it had no conviction. It was as if he wanted to just get it over with. Might as well of closed his eyes.

I would much rather not risk the lads who look like they don’t really want to take one. Ireland’s first three were very confidently struck assured looking.

Its the pressure that cant be replcicated.

Footballers practice kicking a football into a goal every day. Same as Shane practices hitting a golf ball.

The pressure on the shot is why that drilled technique fails them. A WC penalty shootout is like every golf shot being to win the masters.

Not every golfer has the nerve to win the masters and not every footballer has the nerve to score a penalty.

Thats not the same as saying they dont have the ability or talent and its not trying to claim as youre making out that im saying they dont practice their trade.

100% but they'll shout at their TVs the next time we concede a goal.

This team has come a long way so fast, we're on a good journey at last.

If we played like that with the score at 2-0 fair enough. Fact of the matter is you give a team the ball for that long and sit off them they will eventually get a chance from pressure applied. Im surprised that people are being this kind. Czech were crap, we battered them first half and decided for some reason to completely let them back into the game 2nd half. We should have had our knees on their throats that first 15 mins after half time.

We missed a golden opportunity. Im 31 and I cant remember as big a game that we left so badly left behind us.

I would've loved 4 days of dreaming of the WC and discussing the Denmark team.

If we'd beaten the Danes, I'd have loved a few months of discussing our group opponents.

I'm still heartbroken.

Sure looks are kinda irrelevant aswell. Richard Keogh permanently looked like he was seeing his night terrors manifesting in front of him at every moment.

We were in big danger of falling into irrelevance longer than we did from 2002-08 so good that slide has been halted at least.

The national team will never fall into irrelevance in this country.

The game of soccer itself just has too big of a following in Ireland for that to happen.

I remember as far back as 2007, when we were losing to Cyprus and needing a Stephen Ireland miracle to get past San Marino, ther was a discussion on Off the ball about whether rugby was taking over from soccer.

The concensus was that it was the case, but 5 years later soccer was back with Ireland in the Euros, and even though we will never again see Italia '90 type scenes , Irish soccers big days will get the country buzzing just like it did this week and back in November when the comeback started.

And buzzing far more than rugby could even dream of.

I didn’t say anybody is entitled to anything, just commented on the current quality of players.

We played very well first half up until the penalty but we were playing a side low on morale who just haven't delivered lately but the penalty gave them and the crowd a massive lift. Their new manager is very direct and he clearly got into them at halftime, they were more physically up for it. We didn't just sit back, we were forced back as they were so direct. Any chance they got out wide they lashed it into the box but our defence was brilliant and didn't give them a sniff so the mention of them bottling it is a pathetic shout.

What let us down second half was our counterattacks, it was very poor and we kept giving it back to them but we also had really good spells at keeping the ball second half.

The equaliser was a complete freak header and it came out of nowhere. The Czechs made 5 subs overall during the 90mins where we only made 2 as we just don't have a squad , losing Cullen and Ferguson was massive.

We finished extra time really well but just a lack of quality to make a chance.

I was gutted to lose but I'm hugely optimistic about the next few years, I've been there for some awful performances over the past few years but now we actually have a team to compete, to beat Portugal, Hungary and get very close to beating the Czechs is a massive turnaround from a what's been happening over the years. We're on a journey with this side.

Completely agree, the progression of this side has been great, I had pity for Kenny as he tried to play it the right way but he also had to blood in some many young players, he wasn't good enough in the end but his football heart was in the right place and I think we're seeing a payoff from some of his work. Heimir has turned them into a tighter and proper football team on the pitch.

I dont think anyone in this country is not enthralled when we go toe to toe in a big game but ireland was a mile off Broadway up until 5 months ago.

We were going into the final day of every qualifying stage of tournaments from 1987 to 2001 with something to play for.

2018-24 was the lowest point in our history since the Charlton era.In much the same way Kerry football had a rough decade after the mid 80s. Still a big deal to the fans but a good bit off their best.

I was fearful we were heading in the same direction as Wales or Northern Ireland circa 1995.

You'd hope this isn't a one off but we've built on playoffs before so the signs are good.

You could have said the same after Trap and Duff and the likes departed but then we had Robbie Brady emerge.

We arent going to be Man City levels of perfect but I'd be happy having potentially good consistent strikers like Ferguson and Parrot. A competent midfielder would suffice though a alonso/de bruyne would be ideal.

We have become known as the Spurs of international football, I've heard that said by a few people. I'm not sure where all this positivity is coming from. Granted, we are much better than we were under Kenny, but that is like saying sheep are more intelligent than worms.

Made a list of promising players in 18 to 23 age bracket.

Feel free to critique or make suggestions.

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Mason Melia 18 Spurs 

Owen Elding 20 Hibs

Jaden Umeh 18 Benfica

Franco Umeh 21 Portsmouth 

Sinclair Armstrong 22 Bristol City

Evan Ferguson 21 Brighton 

Johnny Kenny 22 Celtic/Bolton

Trent Kone Doherty 19 Molde

Rocco Vata 20 Watford

Harvey Vale 22 QPR

Ike Orazi 18 Reims

Andrew Moran 22 Preston 

Romeo Akachukwu 19 Southampton 

Aarón Ochoa Moloney 18 Malaga

Jacob Devaney 18 Man Utd/St Mirren

Rory Finnernan 18 Newcastle United 

Cathal McCarthy 19 Hull 

Cathal O'Sullivan 19 Preston 

Jack Moorhouse 20 Man Utd/Leyton Orient

Bosun Lawal 22 Stoke

Killian Phillips 23 St Mirren 

John Patrick Finn 22 Reims

Grady McDonnell 18 Club NXT Belgium

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Anselmo García MacNulty 23 FC Zwolle

Andrew Omobamidele 23 Strasbourg

James Abankwah 22 Udinese/Watford 

Sam Curtis 20 Sheffield United

Gabriel Otegbayo 21 Sheffield Wednesday 

Tayo Adaramola 22 Palace/Sheffield Wed

Alex Murphy 21 Newcastle 

Festy Ebosele 22 Istanbul 

Ade Solanke 18 Bournemouth 

Josh Keeley 22 Spurs/Luton

Noah Jauny 21 Brest