Wow! Stephen Kenny has to go after that, a national embarassment!
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[Albion] Internationals
- Thread starter PILTDOWN MAN
- Start date
Eric Potts
Well-known member
Yes , a great couple of weeks . Saw Ireland play Germany and Cameroon.
Did a bit of backpacking , and fell in love with Japan.
Weststander
Well-known member
I just looked at Lux’s results, a sea of losses and draws going back decades.
Until 2016: they can now play the game.
A WC qualifier draw with France, they’ve beaten Hungary, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Greece, Macedonia.
Until 2016: they can now play the game.
A WC qualifier draw with France, they’ve beaten Hungary, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Greece, Macedonia.
hart's shirt
Well-known member
BBC Sport:
"That is only Luxembourg's fourth away victory ever in World Cup or European Championship qualifiers. In 125 games.
Four wins, 10 draws, 111 defeats.
Their last such win was over a decade ago, 2-1 against Switzerland in September 2008."
"That is only Luxembourg's fourth away victory ever in World Cup or European Championship qualifiers. In 125 games.
Four wins, 10 draws, 111 defeats.
Their last such win was over a decade ago, 2-1 against Switzerland in September 2008."
The nations league is great for smaller nations, learn how to win games
Same with the new UEFA club cup that’s coming in next year.
Weststander
Well-known member
A great idea to group tiny football nations such as Scotland and The Vatican City together.
Weststander
Well-known member
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Kenny_(football_manager)
A Southgate-esque appointment of a non-controversial native, worked briefly with the U21’s, thought of as a good, young coach?
Ireland were shit.
On the plus side, I had a lovely chat with my old pal, Bob, while pretending to watch the cluster****.
On the plus side, I had a lovely chat with my old pal, Bob, while pretending to watch the cluster****.
Wow. Ireland sent out a 19 year old keeper to front up to the press.
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
First woman to ref a World Cup qualifier this evening
5k fans watching Holland tonight.....are the bbc being mischievous with that photo....only in the report it says that had to follow strict protocol
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56550520
5k fans watching Holland tonight.....are the bbc being mischievous with that photo....only in the report it says that had to follow strict protocol
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56550520
Ireland can count themselves really unlucky...
...Luxembourg should have been in a 'minnows' group and nowhere near a team that has graced many a major tournament.
...Luxembourg should have been in a 'minnows' group and nowhere near a team that has graced many a major tournament.
Skaville
Well-known member
He did alright. Weird seeing him link up with the likes of De Bruyne and Lukaku. Doesn’t look like he belongs though. There was an moment when De Bruyne was in a good position but crowded out. Trossard had acres to his left but it looked like he didn’t demand the ball at all. A 6/10 overall
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
I turned that game on this morning (during the first half) when I came back from a run.
Firstly, I was quite surprised to see that there were fans in the stadium, and in the first few camera shots into the stands I didn't notice a single person wearing a mask. I therefore assumed the Netherlands must have removed any sort of mask mandate.
It was only when they showed some more crowd shots at half-time that I saw people did have masks (with them, at least, if not always actually wearing them).
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
A bit harsh. He was only with the U21's as a deliberate apprenticeship before taking over the seniors. He managed the Dundalk team that swept Irish domestic honours and gave a very good account of themselves in the Europa League - possibly the best Irish club side ever (at one point featuring the one and only Ritchie Towell).
I think he might as well get the full campaign. We are now in the position that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland spent most of the last two decades in - a lower third tier European side with players who are mostly playing Championship level football at best. Qualifying for tournaments just doesn't look a possibility any time soon. That said, being played off the park at home by Luxembourg even within those parameters is appalling. The general defence of the shambles is that it is "growing pains" and he's blooding young players and a better style of football. I'm not sure I can excuse last night as that, but we're 100% out of the World Cup, so may as well give him some time to see if anything comes of it.
Meanwhile the FAI need to look at the grassroots, coaching and development side - although in truth the Irish lads are all in English academies by the age of 15, so there's only so much control over player development they have.
It also doesn't help that we were bringing through two VERY good players that England poached
Weststander
Well-known member
A bit harsh. He was only with the U21's as a deliberate apprenticeship before taking over the seniors. He managed the Dundalk team that swept Irish domestic honours and gave a very good account of themselves in the Europa League - possibly the best Irish club side ever (at one point featuring the one and only Ritchie Towell).
I think he might as well get the full campaign. We are now in the position that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland spent most of the last two decades in - a lower third tier European side with players who are mostly playing Championship level football at best. Qualifying for tournaments just doesn't look a possibility any time soon. That said, being played off the park at home by Luxembourg even within those parameters is appalling. The general defence of the shambles is that it is "growing pains" and he's blooding young players and a better style of football. I'm not sure I can excuse last night as that, but we're 100% out of the World Cup, so may as well give him some time to see if anything comes of it.
Meanwhile the FAI need to look at the grassroots, coaching and development side - although in truth the Irish lads are all in English academies by the age of 15, so there's only so much control over player development they have.
It also doesn't help that we were bringing through two VERY good players that England poached
Making a comparison with Southgate is an honour. Away from NSC, he’s revered by the media and public.
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
A little bit of rewriting history here - Kenny has reputation that is a little inflated (even more inflated that Potter's before he came to Brighton). Of the teams he had success with - Bohemians - he took over a side that won the double and was sacked after 3 years in charge despite a league title - Derry City - he was relatively successful at Derry, helped by a couple of sock wins in the UEFA Cup preliminary rounds - Dunfermline - succeeded in getting the club relegated from the Scottish PL before getting sacked - Derry City - his second stint was less successful than the first and they were meh during his four years in charge - Shamrock Rovers - he took over a team that had been managed by Michael O'Neill and won two titles in a row and he succeeded in running them into the ground and he was sacked after nine months - Dundalk - he was very fortunate with the team he inherited, including Richie Towell, Sean Maguire, Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan (who all went to Preston), David McMillan (Scottish PL with St Johnstone), Dean Shiels (who played for Rangers and went back to Scotland with Dunfermline), Pat McEleny (who went to Oldham in L1). Kenny fell into a really good squad of players and when they left he couldn't come close to reproducing their form. Dundalk were taken over by an American consortium who pumped money into the club for a season and then Kenny left to take the Irish U21 job. So he has been very fortunate to occasionally land in the right place at the right time while at the same time getting sacked by three teams where he proved that he was not all he was cracked up to be.
He had a good stint as Irish U21 manager - but this was largely down to the young talent that he had at his disposal rather than any great managerial skills on Kenny's behalf. Kenny is a decent manager at LOI or League 2 standard - his term as Irish manager was always going to pan out the way it has. I don't blame him for taking the job, who wouldn't want to manage their international team, but that for one moment does not mean that he is capable of doing the job. It is akin to putting a decent rally driver who operates in one country into an F1 car that struggles at the back of the grid and expect results to improve.
It is also incorrect to say that the Irish team is mostly made up of championship players - Coleman is one of the better right-backs in the PL and Doherty one of the better wing-backs - Clark, Egan, O'Shea, Stevens all play for PL teams. Josh Cullen is an ever present for Anderlecht who are 5th in the Belgian league, Brady and Hendrick are PL players as is Callum Robinson. Jason Knight is captain at Derby and I would be surprised if he is not playing PL next season.
The last two games have shown the ineptitude of Kenny - picking Travers ahead of Bazunu and Molumby ahead of Jason Knight in Serbia (Knight showed more in 5 minutes against Luxembourg than Molumby in the whole game against Serbia - Knight is 20 and is captain of Derby, while Molumby is having a sh*te time at Preston). Picking Collins ahead of Shane Long last night - and Kenny seems somehow enamoured with Alan Browne who does something impressive before giving the ball away 19 times in a row with stupid little flicks etc.
The problem now is that the Irish results are going from bad to worse - Kenny has been in charge for 10 games and they have drawn 4 and lost 6 (twice to Finland, England, Wales, Serbia and Luxembourg) and well as losing the play-off on penalties to Slovakia. They scored once against Bulgaria in Kenny's first game in charge and then didn't score again until the two goals against Serbia on Wednesday. And against Luxembourg Gavin Bazunu was the busier goalkeeper - Ireland had one shot on target the entire game.
Brian Kerr pushed the FAI to put proper structures in place when he was Irish manager - the FAI didn't renew his contract - and have still done nothing to build proper structures in place.
Ah here - lets be clear with both Grealish and Rice - those decisions were made based on money and agents. I do have less time for Rice - he played three times as a full international, tweeted crap like 'up the RA' etc and then tried to bury everything when he switched to England (with the connivance of a lot of the English media). Same with Bamford - good luck to them - football is a short career and for many footballers it can be difficult coming to terms with life after its gone.It also doesn't help that we were bringing through two VERY good players that England poached
The reality is that Ireland have a lot of really good kids coming through - many won't make it but some will. For example - it is possible that in 3/4 years time the goalkeepers at Man City and Liverpool will be Irish internationals. It is as clear as day that leaving Kenny in charge will not help with the future development of Irish football - I am sure he would be welcomed by a number of LOI clubs and we should let him go back to something he is reasonably good at.
Ireland can count themselves really unlucky...
...Luxembourg should have been in a 'minnows' group and nowhere near a team that has graced many a major tournament.
You’ve assumed you wouldn’t get through the qualification process, or that Ireland’s ranking would be good enough to go to the main draw
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
I don't think it's fair to say it was a rewriting of history at all, I just didn't put his entire career backstory into the post. I was just explaining that he wasn't an FAI man promoted from within like Southgate in England, but got the Ireland roles of the back of Dundalk. He was talked about as one of the top young Irish managers at the time - I'll be honest I thought he was the right man for the job, and there were comparisons made with Kerr in his knowledge of the game at all levels (who I still maintain got the best football out of the Irish squad in my lifetime).
I think you're being a bit disingenuous to list all of those players to suggest we have a lot of PL calibre in the squad. Matt Doherty probably looks to have a decent premier league career ahead of him. Coleman is a top quality PL player, but is 32 now. Egan, O'Shea, Stevens, Clark and Robinson are all playing for teams that are getting relegated from the PL in two months time, and I can't see any of them getting snapped up by top level teams when they do. Hendrick (also most likely getting relegated) and Brady barely play for their bottom-half PL teams, and even though they're 29 there seems to be this acceptance that their international careers are on the wane (in Hendrick's case for good reason, I'd like to see more of Brady) - if either moved clubs now it would be down a division without a doubt.
Agree there's some promise, certainly with Kelleher and Bazunu. We all know what Connolly may yet become, maybe Parrott as well. Things change quickly in international football, who knows who might come through at an LOI or English club in the next 2-4 years, not necessarily someone currently on the radar. I'm personally unsold on Jason Knight - I don't think he contributed a lot last night, any more than Molumby against Serbia (who was also ineffective). I've sat down to watch Derby a few times because of him this year and not quite seen what everyone is talking about - maybe it's just my bad luck on the games I've seen. I know Wayne Rooney says he's great but I don't think he's the next Alex Ferguson.
Totally agree on your assessment of team selection and tactics last night though. I'm not 100% behind Kenny by any means, but bringing in someone like Trappatoni or McCarthy to organise the defence and make the results more respectable - does this really resolve the issue get everyone's heads back up? It had stopped working for Mick by the end. It feels like we might be in for a bit of a miserable immediate future either way.
Duffy and Molumby on the bench for ireland, Connolly gone home to Brighton with a calf injury
Not really related to those three, but think Luxembourg could make life difficult for ireland today.
People could point at Luxembourgs meager four or five wins over the years but its a football nation developing in a very strong way, on the verge of becoming the central european equivalent of Iceland - small nation that produces lots of good footballers. In a couple of years no one will be surprised with Luxembourg winning games like this.
It was obvious when Dudelange (team from Luxembourg and with mainly Luxembourgian players) reached the group stage of the Europa League last year and the year before that, both times with some impressive displays. They have something going on over there and cant be considered the blueberry nation it was for a long time.