Republic of Ireland V Wales - Tuesday, 16th October 2018 - UEFA Nations League

[Cathalsmart]

Best bit of play we have managed in a year.

[passinginterest]

Definitely a bit better. Not giving up too many chances or as much possession and creating one or two attacking moments.

[TrapAPony]

Very poor match. Turning into another snoozefest. If Robinson wasn't on the pitch then we would have nothing to offer.

[shakermaker1982]

Not too bad.

Hendrick a key player for us. He is always trying to play football.

Just need a goal now. Looked defensively solid again. Maybe a set piece goal can win it.

[backstothewall]

Christie in midfield. I just can't see it. He isn't showing for it at all. Can't wait to get rid of it when given it.

Hiding.

[seanfhear]

Christie in midfield. I just can't see it. He isn't showing for it at all. Can't wait to get rid of it when given it.

Hiding.He is not doing too bad for a lad that has not played midfield since he was 14 .

It would be good if Fulham gave him a few games there bit I don’t suppose they are too worried about Ireland ( why should they ? )

[shakermaker1982]

Stupid free kick to give away....

[Cathalsmart]

Ill take this loss if O'Neill and co are fired.

[Cathalsmart]

Robinson off....I honestly just dont know anymore, none of this makes any footballing sense but then what does with Martin anymore.

[Cathalsmart]

Against this young Welsh team the last thing we needed to do was give them an even break and of course thats exactly what we did

[the 12 th man]

Robinson should be still on FFS,braindead tackle from Arter on the edge of the box knowing they have that free taking ability from there,Randolph unsighted by his own wall,you couldn't script this stuff.

[Cathalsmart]

Giggs has had a poor enough tenure as Welsh manager, he is lucky in his last 4 games he's managed to find himself in the fortunate position that his team play against a coaching staff thats somehow even worse than him. Our only attacking tactic now is put the ball in the box and hope the Welsh make a mistake.

[Cathalsmart]

Great job not getting rid of MON when you had the chance! We are literally a dead animal being dragged along on a leash now.

[The Fly]

We're soooo lacking in quality .

[Cathalsmart]

Game Over, just to confirm if it isnt obvious to the FAI already that nothing has changed in a year only now all our luck has well and truly run out, time for O'Neill to stop making excuses and just leave.

[Straightstory]

First half was one of the worst 45 minutes of football I've ever seen. Pathetic. O'Neill has to go.

[The Fly]

One of the glaring characteristics of this Irish team is the almost non-existent off-the-ball movement. It has been there for a long time though - since the Trapattoni era.

Whilst getting rid of O'Neill might give us an initial bounce, let's not kid ourselves either. There's just a basic lack of quality in this squad.

Our centre midfield has been so crap for so long that we could patent the donut formation.

[TrapAPony]

Time up on Martin O'Neill. Good luck and good riddance.

[geysir]

At least we'll always have that O'Gara drop goal.

[Jovial Rambler]

In our last 6 competitive home games against comparable teams (wales austria serbia denmark denmark wales) we have scored 2 goals and won none. Thanks for the Euros Martin and all the best. Neil Lennon anyone?

[mark12345]

One of the glaring characteristics of this Irish team is the almost non-existent off-the-ball movement. It has been there for a long time though - since the Trapattoni era.

Let's not kid ourselves, there's just a basic lack of quality in this squad.

Glad you see it also Fly. I've been saying it for some time as well. Far too many on here trying to defend the players' rubbish performances time in and time out.

[NeverFeltBetter]

It's a shame O'Neill has clung (or been allowed to cling) on for this long. It's clear he has nothing else to offer. As per usual, we've gone one campaign too long with a manager.

[Cathalsmart]

FAI paying the price for not getting rid of the two of em while they had a chance of doing it without paying, now we are all going to pay the price for it.

[Cathalsmart]

One of the glaring characteristics of this Irish team is the almost non-existent off-the-ball movement. It has been there for a long time though - since the Trapattoni era.

Whilst getting rid of O'Neill might give us an initial bounce, let's not kid ourselves either. There's just a basic lack of quality in this squad.

Our centre midfield has been so crap for so long that we could patent the donut formation.

We were playing a kids team, tonight above all shows us that literally nothing is being done at training and as usual it shows on the pitch when w play teams that actually do their homework. If it really is lack of quality than thats further proof that O'Neill needs to go, he and co are not capable of getting the best out of what they have so they have ultimately failed their job.

[shakermaker1982]

Irish fans can now go back to watching Liverpool & co in the PL. We’ll all rant and rave but nothing ever changes.

[zero]

dreadful performance. one of the worst in years and years. unacceptable.

[brine3]

One of the glaring characteristics of this Irish team is the almost non-existent off-the-ball movement. It has been there for a long time though - since the Trapattoni era.

Whilst getting rid of O'Neill might give us an initial bounce, let's not kid ourselves either. There's just a basic lack of quality in this squad.

Our centre midfield has been so crap for so long that we could patent the donut formation.

Could also be that we have had a decade of being managed by dinosaurs.

We need to get rid of O'Neill. We also need to get rid of the Denis O'Brien money. Then we need to appoint a young, hard working and knowledgeable manager. We also need to reform the FAI from top to bottom.

[The Fly]

We were playing a kids team, tonight above all shows us that literally nothing is being done at training and as usual it shows on the pitch when w play teams that actually do their homework. If it really is lack of quality than thats further proof that O'Neill needs to go, he and co are not capable of getting the best out of what they have so they have ultimately failed their job.

I was never a fan of O'Neill's sides throughout his career in club management and wouldn't be fussed one way or the other if he was given the boot. I'm always a bit dubious about managers staying beyond that 4 year international cycle anyway.

I'm just saying that people need to be realistic. We lack quality and there's no two ways about that. It's the off the ball movement that's the biggest giveaway for me ~ just braindead stuff.

[seanfhear]

Definitely we needed to bring some creativity to midfield . The most creative midfielder on the subs bench should have been brought on .

[Cathalsmart]

I was never a fan of O'Neill's sides throughout his career in club management and wouldn't be fussed one way or the other if he was given the boot. I'm always a bit dubious about managers staying beyond that 4 year international cycle anyway.

I'm just saying that people need to be realistic. We lack quality and there's no two ways about that. It's the off the ball movement that's the biggest giveaway for me ~ just braindead stuff.

You dont need to be quality to be good at most things we complain about, thats the point its just a complete **** show. All the evidence has shown that O'Neill does f-all with the players and only now when he has clearly lost the dressing room are roosters coming home to roost.

[mark12345]

Irish fans can now go back to watching Liverpool & co in the PL. We’ll all rant and rave but nothing ever changes.

Love that word you are using 'change'. Change - keep repeating it. The whole system in Irish football governance and coaching needs to be changed root and branch

[tricky_colour]

Back to plan A.

[the 12 th man]

Martin thinks overall a lot of positives,QED.

[The Fly]

Could also be that we have had a decade of being managed by dinosaurs.

We need to get rid of O'Neill. We also need to get rid of the Denis O'Brien money. Then we need to appoint a young, hard working and knowledgeable manager. We also need to reform the FAI from top to bottom.

That's a fair enough criticism. It could give us some sort of identity if nothing else.

In the short term I just have my fingers crossed that young Rice does the right thing and declares for us, and also that young Daniel Crowley can be integrated into the set-up asap. We desperately need quality in the spine of side.

[Cathalsmart]

Martin thinks overall a lot of positives,QED.


Rest my case...
This is all going to go only one way, if the FAI have even half a brain surely they can see this and will take action...

[geysir]

I was never a fan of O'Neill's sides throughout his career in club management and wouldn't be fussed one way or the other if he was given the boot. I'm always a bit dubious about managers staying beyond that 4 year international cycle anyway.

I'm just saying that people need to be realistic. We lack quality and there's no two ways about that. It's the off the ball movement that's the biggest giveaway for me ~ just braindead stuff.
Which is it, coaching/management or the players?
From what I can gather, the players may not be world class but they are good enough to be part of a good international team.

[The Fly]

You dont need to be quality to be good at most things we complain about, thats the point its just a complete **** show. All the evidence has shown that O'Neill does f-all with the players and only now when he has clearly lost the dressing room are roosters coming home to roost.

It was there before O'Neill though. When you've had the kind of centre-midfielders in particular that we've had over the years what do you expect?

[dynamo kerry]

I'm tell you what this team lacks. Composure. They don't believe they can do it.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I'm tell you what this team lacks. Composure. They don't believe they can do it.

And MON/Keane used to be able to provide that. That sentiment started vanishing during the World Cup qualifying, then vanished with the 5-1.

[dynamo kerry]

And MON/Keane used to be able to provide that. That sentiment started vanishing during the World Cup qualifying, then vanished with the 5-1.
They actually did pretty well to recover from the Belgian game. But that squad had bigger personalities around. After for me was case in point tonight. No belief going forward.
Duffy has the right stuff. Robinson. Doherty . Coleman. Some of these lads need guidance (hogan, christie) . It's hard to get this back when you've lost it. A change may be needed .. also I think keogh, long, and anyone over 30 possibly except James shoild go. I could handle losing if we were building
Egan surely shoild be playing over keogh

[the 12 th man]

For years we punched above our weight and the total was more than the sum of the parts but now it's the polar opposite.Management substitutions baffling to say the least,nearest thing we had to a play maker was the first player taken off.

[Razors left peg]

This group of Irish players have now had about 8 years of managers telling them that they are not any good. Trappatoni and O'Neill have managed them exactly the same way.

We dont have many fantastic players but everyone of them would be improved if someone managed to at least coach them and have a game plan. This nonsense of telling a player an hour before kickoff that he is playing, and in a position that he has never played before should be a sackable offense in itself.

I dont care who comes in now, as long as its someone that can give the players a bit of belief in themselves and actually coach them for the few days they are together.

[TrapAPony]

Absolutely no excuses anymore, Martin O'Neill has to be shoved out the door. 5 of Wales front 6 tonight were three 21 year olds, a 19 year old and an 18 year old. Tonight should be the last straw. Really don't care who comes in, but under Martin we are plummeting backwards at an astonishing rate.

[The Fly]

Which is it, coaching/management or the players?
From what I can gather, the players may not be world class but they are good enough to be part of a good international team.

The management has to play a part in it, but there is an underlying lack of quality. Not one of our players is near world class; Seamus Coleman is the only one remotely close to that level. The rest play for the clubs they do for a reason.

Re: O'Neill - if he's still using that detached, let the assistants do the training and I'll come in 30 minutes before, name the team and gee them up routine then that was out of date over a decade ago. I'd love to know what they do and what instructions they're given in training because honestly - trees have better movement than we do. We're basically the anti-Barcelona. If you don't have quality on the ball...at least provide options and quality off it. I can't be the only one who has noticed this?

There's also the lack of composure in the final third.

A couple of players can make a lot of difference at this level though, and we just haven't had any quality in the centre in ages.

[seanfhear]

I don’t think our players need any more of Martin O’ Neill telling them they are not very good and Roy Keane picking fights for no reason with them .

The management team have done enough of that and not surprisingly its not working .

[Closed Account 2]

The management has to play a part in it, but there is an underlying lack of quality. Not one of our players is near world class; Seamus Coleman is the only one remotely close to that level. The rest play for the clubs they do for a reason.

We shouldn't need a plethora of world class players to compete with a depleted Wales and a depleted Denmark side? How many world class players have we faced in the last two matches. This whole nations league concept should see us playing teams of approximately similar standard, we've taken one point and scored no goals in our home games against significantly depleted opposition.

This simply isn't good enough, no matter how much this fraud of a manger is able to gaslight our fans, some of whom ludicrously believe San Marino and Malta are vastly superior to us. We are not overburdened with quality but equally well we are not a nation of clogging amateurs.

In any case if we accept the fact that our squad is light on quality why not employ a manager who can at least set a team up in a coherent defensive manner. Arguably we had that under Trap at the start of his tenure. I would even go so far as to say MON still had the benefits from Traps organisation for the first couple of years of his tenure.

[cornflakes]

O'Neill should of went after the play off defeat.

This year was a great opportunity to rebuild and move in a new direction but that chance has been wasted.

[The Fly]

We shouldn't need a plethora of world class players to compete with a depleted Wales and a depleted Denmark side? How many world class players have we faced in the last two matches. This whole nations league concept should see us playing teams of approximately similar standard, we've taken one point and scored no goals in our home games against significantly depleted opposition.

This simply isn't good enough, no matter how much this fraud of a manger is able to gaslight our fans, some of whom ludicrously believe San Marino and Malta are vastly superior to us. We are not overburdened with quality but equally well we are not a nation of clogging amateurs.

In any case if we accept the fact that our squad is light on quality why not employ a manager who can at least set a team up in a coherent defensive manner. Arguably we had that under Trap at the start of his tenure. I would even go so far as to say MON still had the benefits from Traps organisation for the first couple of years of his tenure.

I didn't say we need a plethora of world class players though. I said a couple of players with quality can make a lot of difference at this level.

You can already see the effect that the absence of Coleman, Brady (& perhaps McCarthy) have.

[Olé Olé]

I though we started well but I think that Christie was a passenger and O'Brien didn't offer enough movement either. I feel Doherty was quiet in the first half due to Christie not being able to play a sideways pass, not to mind a forward one. On the other hand, Hendrick got enough ball out to McClean, he wasn't very effective though.

We switched to a 4-4-2 in the second half and I'm not sure why. If we had taken of McClean and Christie for someone like Stevens and Williams then we could have persisted with the 3-5-2.

It was a travesty taking Robinson off. He looked really good. As did Maguire but our front players for much of the second half didn't seem to know how to play with one another, whilst the midfield was too far away from them.

I think it's really insulting to Irish football supporters to persist with Christie midfield. He looked completely lost in there tonight in the first half. Yet he finished the game. And Robinson was taken off? Utterly mental as far as I'm concerned.

I don't think it was a dreadful performance. I think we were missing some important players (Coleman, Brady, McCarthy) and it showed. But I think the changing of formations during the match and the failure to take off Christie were two of the main contributing factors to such an ineffectual performance.

[Olé Olé]

It's crazy to think we went through 5 strikers in that game and made no other changes on the rest of the side, except positional. How does he expect players to gel!