Serbia V Republic of Ireland - Wednesday, 24th March 2021 - World Cup 2022 Qualifier

[backstothewall]

Stephen Kenny has effectively admitted that the approach he has taken until now in the job has been a complete failure.

That sounds like a criticism. It absolutely isn't. I commend the bravery of doing this. The last 3 managers have been as stubborn as mules and would have stuck with their plan all the way to the death.


It's the kind of side a keyboard warrior on foot.ie might pick when they don't have to face any consequences for screwing up team selection :)

I hope it works...

It's the kind of side this keyboard warrior picked a couple of pages back.

In terms of selection I think he's been even more aggressive than i would have been. I hope to god it works out. Fair play to him.

[SkStu]

Guilty, Pineapple! :)

All my talk of a 3-5-2 type formation coming to fruition here today. I am really intrigued to see it in action and i can only commend SK on this decision - huge calls in terms of formation and selection. For that reason alone, i hope this works out for him tonight and we get a positive performance and a respectable result. Wow, that really is an unbelievable set of calls/balls!

Unfortunately, he'll be lambasted and accused of panicking etc etc if it doesnt work out.

[backstothewall]

The bad news is that the players won't have had long to work on the system.

But the good news is that the Serbs will have spent the last week preparing to face a turgid looking 4-3-3.

If it isn't working out we can always put McClean on and let him have at them.

Game on.

[BonnieShels]

Tony just can't help himself with the jabby questions can he?

[passinginterest]

Jaysus, some set of balls to pick that side. He’ll be torn apart in certain quarters for not picking the experience of Duffy, Hendrick and Brady if it goes terribly wrong. Makes it feel even more make or break than if he made the conservative calls.

Nobody can say it’s not exciting at least! Desperate to see a great performance now.

[paul_oshea]

Is it 4-3-3 with Doherty up top right?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Doing Ok so far, but the same old thing upfront, already given it away cheaply a few times, and letting Serbia pass it about a bit too easily on our half.

[passinginterest]

Whoooooooooooo

[pineapple stu]

Great stuff!

[NeverFeltBetter]

So, how many minutes was that then!

What to do now, more of the same or consider something less gung ho?

[centre mid]

Great goal, really good move.

[pineapple stu]

So, how many minutes was that then!
7 whole games plus whatever it was here - 17 minutes? 647 minutes

I wonder has Stojkovic made a selection error leaving Mitrovic and Jovic on the bench? The two replacements seem to be lower profile and Tadic aside, they're not making much impression up front.

Their corners are good though, and they're getting a lot of them.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Are they? They've had six and didn't get a shot on goal off any of them have they?

[pineapple stu]

Well Tadic is sending in nice balls into the six-yard box, but they've no-one on the end of them. But they're the kind of corners that just need a nick and they can cause big trouble for us.

[NeverFeltBetter]

O'Shea very poor there. Both sides have scored from the only chance they've made! Get to half time now and re-assess.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Should coleman have been on the cover a bit more too?

[shakermaker1982]

Gutted. It was an almost perfect 45 minutes. Serbia were starting to get frustrated and then they went and scored.

Cullen & Coleman going well.

[paul_oshea]

And Robinson too.

We've had very little possession but when we have we'ved used it well.

We'll do well to keep them scoreless second half. I can't see it given all the ball they've had.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Solid performance, but I wouldn't go too mad praising the team. Serbia being allowed far more of the ball and look far, far more dangerous than us. Dealing with the corners so far, but when you give away this many, as Stu says eventually someone will get on the end of one. Zero ideas most of the time we went forward. I'll take 1-1 thanks.

[centre mid]

Thats a good 45 mins, their goal aside. Doherty still doesnt do enough for me. Cullen, Briwne and Molumby have worked tirelessly and but some decent moves together. Connolly is a bit isolated but holding it up well enough.

All in all a good start. Tadic apart theres not a lot between the sides.

[pineapple stu]

Interesting half. Obvious positive is that we scored and aren't losing. Negative is that Serbia are starting to dictate things more, and Tadic there at the end with another cheeky corner that he was absolutely trying to score from, so he's feeling confident. I think Serbia will be looking to kick on and win in the second half, possibly aided by a stronger bench than we have. Though that said, we have Hendrick, Long, Brady and McClean to call on for 20 minutes if we need to hold out.

Hard to really say too much about the team in general though as we haven't created much - which is partly to be expected in an away game against Serbia. But stats aren't great - 7 shots to 1, 9 corners to 2, 65% possession to 35%.

I'm more confident about Saturday watching this at least.

[Bielsa´s irish]

1-1 good, but we gave away a goal because of lack of anticipation, we ve got to do that, anticipate them

[Bielsa´s irish]

Stevens is playing really good. Cullen too, Robinson and Connolly are feeling the pressure

[seanfhear]

Coleman against Vlahomic (?) on the corners looks a bit dodgy but what do you do when you are up against 11 fine physical specimens like Serbia.

At least we scored.

[Razors left peg]

We did ok in 1st half, not amazingly well. Molumby and Browne in midfield need to do better. Connolly needs to hold up the ball better and not give it away every time, and I just dont see it with Doherty. The whole shape of team adjusted to fit him into team and I just think hes not that good a player. He looks slow and doesnt really offer anything.

[seanfhear]

We did ok in 1st half, not amazingly well. Molumby and Browne in midfield need to do better. Connolly needs to hold up the ball better and not give it away every time, and I just dont see it with Doherty. The whole shape of team adjusted to fit him into team and I just think hes not that good a player. He looks slow and doesnt really offer anything.
And yet Wolves could get get great stuff from him !

[Philly]

We're doing well here, all things considered. Hopefully they can regroup at half time and get some energy back.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Long is coming for Connolly if he is still feeling the heat. Molumby is kicking around. We have to much kids on the pitch for my liking

[Razors left peg]

And yet Wolves could get get great stuff from him !

I know, maybe he was good in that environment. Hes consistently been poor for us and Spurs

[Bielsa´s irish]

We look a modern team though, their goal was avoidable, Tadic is drifting back which is a problem, he is pulling the strings a bit a la Rui Costa type of guy

[pineapple stu]

Portugal 1-0 Azerbaijan is a half-time too, but Portugal utterly dominant - 11-0 in shots, 6-0 in corners, 75-25 in possession. Would expect a couple more goals there second half.

Qatar 1-0 Luxembourg in the "friendly"; don't really know what to make of that to be honest.

[passinginterest]

Interesting stuff. We’ve accepted to an extend letting Serbia have the ball, but compared to previous regimes we look to have a good system for breaking out and working the ball upfield when the chance is there.

Browne is one of those players, very like Hendrick, who gives it away or makes a stupid tackle as often as he does something good. Took the goal well but lost the ball cheaply quite a few times.

I think Connolly has been ok, won fouls to get us up the field and he’s a threat in behind all the time, we just haven’t picked a pass yet.

Subs could be crucial, high energy game and I think we need to freshen it up fairly early. The experience coming on should help there.

Serbia certainly got more dangerous. Vlahovic is hanging off the shoulder of O’Shea and there was a few close calls before the goal. Maybe needs a bit more cover from Coleman.

Lots of promise and lots or worries. Fingers crossed it’s Serbia who feel the pressure more.

[irishfan86]

Doherty is a premium caliber wingback who is low on confidence having been used primarily as a fullback unsuccessfully at Spurs and with us. Obviously a middling first half from him but at least he’s doing the right things going forward in terms of making runs and offering an outlet.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Interesting stuff. We’ve accepted to an extend letting Serbia have the ball, but compared to previous regimes we look to have a good system for breaking out and working the ball upfield when the chance is there.

Browne is one of those players, very like Hendrick, who gives it away or makes a stupid tackle as often as he does something good. Took the goal well but lost the ball cheaply quite a few times.

I think Connolly has been ok, won fouls to get us up the field and he’s a threat in behind all the time, we just haven’t picked a pass yet.

Subs could be crucial, high energy game and I think we need to freshen it up fairly early. The experience coming on should help there.

Serbia certainly got more dangerous. Vlahovic is hanging off the shoulder of O’Shea and there was a few close calls before the goal. Maybe needs a bit more cover from Coleman.

Lots of promise and lots or worries. Fingers crossed it’s Serbia who feel the pressure more.

The movement was avoidable but what we need to is to anticipate them a bit, Stevens the best player

[NeverFeltBetter]

Robinson offering very little out there, and I presume will be one of the first to be hooked.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Seeing a bit of route one emerge in the second half a few times already. When we get the ball in our half the first instinct is to kick it up the furthest man. I know some people want to see that but you need better target men or it's pointless.

[passinginterest]

Good chance that. Quick thinking with the throw in. Would need to see a replay to know if Connolly was a little slow to get across

[centre mid]

We're actually got a decent bench to call on

[NeverFeltBetter]

Penalty? He got a touch on the ball but the tackle was a bit loose apart from that. I never checked but I assume there is no VAR.

[Fixer82]

Penalty? He got a touch on the ball but the tackle was a bit loose apart from that. I never checked but I assume there is no VAR.

Looked like the Serbian got the ball

[NeverFeltBetter]

Serbia probably had a better shout at the other end actually, their man got clattered off the ball.

[passinginterest]

We might regret these chances. They look very vulnerable in the channels, but they also look likely to score again. Think it would have been a harsh enough pen at either end.

[pineapple stu]

I think the ref may have viewed it as Coleman losing his footing because the ball took a nick and clearly changed direction. Not sure if that's a correct call, but it's why he fell anyway and I think it would have been harsh.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Keeping a decent shape I suppose, which isn't a bad thing at all, but Serbia always seem like they are a moment away from being one-on-one with Travers. Don't want to sound to harsh, I'd say the last ten minutes have been or best since the play-off. Hendrick the first one on, hopefully he slots in well for the half hour.

[centre mid]

Harsh on Molumby that substitution

[placid casual]

Ireland down to 10 men with hairball hendrick now on..

[passinginterest]

I don’t mind that sub. Too often we wait until the midfield is legless. Happy to see the energy introduced early. Hendrick can prove a point that he should have been on from the start maybe too.

[passinginterest]

Think hamstring gone for Connolly

[NeverFeltBetter]

Whenever we get the ball at feet in the attacking third, we always seem to make the wrong call with the pass or the lack of a shot. Very frustrating. It's not the chances we're missing, it's the chances we're not creating.

[passinginterest]

Well balls, some finish in fairness. I think we’ll get another chance or two.