Republic of Ireland V Azerbaijan - Saturday, 4th Sep 2021 - 2022 World Cup Qualifier

[Colbert Report]

Shane Duffy should never, ever, be asked to play the ball out on the ground the way he was in the first half. Coleman is the only player with any business doing anything other than hoofing it fifty yards in the air toward Idah. I just cannot understand how people don't see that.

[CSAD]

And now Azerbaijan will kill the game for the entire second half and judging on the match so far the refereee will ofcourse let them.

[passinginterest]

That’s really poor defending. I think we’ll win this 3-1 though. Would like to see McClean off and Doherty back over to the left again. Might as well have Robinson for Parrott because he’s just not getting going and probably Browne or McGrath for Molumby for a bit more quality on the ball.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Amazing goal. Molumby played ok. Cullen out for Hendrick now we need a goal and get a back 4

[ifk101]

Great strike, but totally avoidable. Missing a 10 in the attack. Would drop Parrott into a 10 position, or replace him with McGrath. Doherty and Coleman should be comfortable to deal with that side of the field without an extra body.

[SwanVsDalton]

Criminal defending there. Just basic stuff. The players need to have a hard look at that, completely unacceptable.

Don't understand why Parrott isn't dropping deeper, the gap between the midfield and front line is so cavernous, with the Azerbaijanis putting a couple of midfielders in there every time. So flat.

[Colbert Report]

Doherty is clearly not fit enough to play. The poor guy can barely move. Why was he selected today?

[DCWA]

I feel the boss will leave soon 😞 😞 😞

[AFunnyOldGame]

Molumby has been dreadful.

[pineapple stu]

That’s really poor defending. I think we’ll win this 3-1 though. Would like to see McClean off and Doherty back over to the left again. Might as well have Robinson for Parrott because he’s just not getting going and probably Browne or McGrath for Molumby for a bit more quality on the ball.
3-1 is very optimistic at this stage. We haven't created much here and now they don't need to come forward.

This is quite concerning

[Bielsa´s irish]

The timing of their goal toó... If we lose is the end of Kenny in my view he cant continúe.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Crazy the amount of time Makmudov had to take that shot. They clearly weren't expecting it.

This isn't the same team that made Portugal look ordinary for over an hour. Maybe Ronaldo's double destroyed them mentally, maybe they spent too much time on Portugal and not enough on this one. Something's really off.

[Colbert Report]

Our association is a joke, they don't have the funds to pay another manager, so we're stuck with this guy until the end of June next year. He seems like a nice enough guy, just clearly out of his depth. Steve Staunton would be a significant upgrade, and that's saying something.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Yes he must go if we lose. Unacceptable . the team improved with certain áreas but it is a result game. He cant give away prestige on the cheap

[passinginterest]

I’m an optimist at heart. I do feel like a goal for any of the forwards changes the game completely. We’ve had the Idah to Connolly chance and the Connolly to Idah chance, as well as Coleman missing the target from inside the box. There was a couple of other half chances too with Idah and Connolly and a Molumby shot that was close. There’s chances there if we don’t panic and I’m not sure they’re good enough to sit deep for 45 mins and not concede, even with our difficulties in front of goal.

I don’t see how we’d be doing any better if we just humped it every time either. The issue is not so much the style as the complete inability to actually get the final ball and the finish right.

[paul_oshea]

Connolly off?

[Colbert Report]

The more long balls we put in the box, the greater chance we have of a ball breaking for us and a goal being scored. We give away possession so cheaply anyway so why not at least try to score?

[brine3]

Portugal must have had an off day

[Bielsa´s irish]

This goal is going to destroy them up. Dont see any footballistic answers from the irish dont see a goal. Horgan on the pitch

[NeverFeltBetter]

Horgan making an impact straight away, but once again we can't hit the target when we absolutely have to.

[Colbert Report]

Connolly did nothing in the first half and is about a foot too short to have any kind of impact. Horgan has done more in the first minute of the second half than Connolly did in the entire first half.

[pineapple stu]

Great setup from Horgan there but an awful header with that amount of space.

[Colbert Report]

Let's get this free kick on Duffy's head.

[backstothewall]

McClean's legs have gone and Horgan just isn't good enough for international football.

[Colbert Report]

Surely a red card for Molumby there?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Stupid from Molumby there. Charging in to bolt the keeper over, a situation he's never likely to be allowed to score from by the ref, and the end result is a free out for Azerbaijan instead of an Irish corner.

[Colbert Report]

Molumby needs to be subbed off immediately. We can't afford to have such a reckless player out there. He's doing nothing, just turning the ball over every time he gets it.

[NeverFeltBetter]

We're doing great at passing the ball around the box, even into the box on occasion, but there's just nothing happening after that. It's pitiful to see sometimes.

[paul_oshea]

Horgan>Connolly % 100

[passinginterest]

Glad Molumby is off before he’s sent off. Hopefully some improved delivery from the set pieces now with Hourihane on too.

[zero]

Had to switch it off. Car crash in slow motion.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Duffy seems to have switched the centre forward.

[CSAD]

Some of the misses we’ve managed under Kenny it would almost be easier to put on target…you’d swear the Irish players are trying to score a field goal or something with some of the misses.

[NeverFeltBetter]

All huff and puff out there, but there's a feeling of a lack of leadership on the pitch. No one is good enough to pull the strings.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Azerbaijani keeper getting to every cross going. I swear I think I just saw him yawn.

[passinginterest]

Can’t fault the effort. Just a dire lack of cutting edge at the crucial moments.

[pineapple stu]

This is getting close to panic stations now.

10 to go and if we're honest, we haven't really threatened since the first 10

[Colbert Report]

These guys are full value for their 1-0 lead. We are asking no questions whatsoever.

[NeverFeltBetter]

The amount if misplaced passes in the last five minutes...heads are gone. These guys want to be back at their clubs.

[centre mid]

He should resign after this its embarrassing

[Trequartista20]

Some context: Kenny's home Luxembourg defeat is widely accepted to be the worst defeat in Ireland's entire footballing history.

Luxembourg are ranked 96 in the world; Azerbaijan are rated at 112.

Let that sink in.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Absolutely

[seanfhear]

Halaluyah !

[NeverFeltBetter]

Biggest goal scoring threat, again. Keeper should have done better, but they all count.

[pineapple stu]

Duffy blasts the keeper into the net.

Still has the feel of Finnan's equaliser against Cyprus

[Colbert Report]

Long ball into the box and a goal off our CB's head. If only Kenny had been willing to play this way for the past year.

[passinginterest]

Can we do to these what Portugal did to us?

[Trequartista20]

We keep getting told by a certain cohort of our supporters that Duffy isn't good enough for the sophisticated Kenny and his 'system' - not sufficiently aesthetically pleasing or eye-catching on the ball.

Well, unfashionable though it may be to say it, he remains our best player.

[paul_oshea]

There'll be a few lads leaving foot.ie en mass tomorrow. Reputation in tatters. Some saw serbia as some sort of apocalypse and we lost to lux. Some saw Portugal as a superb performance and we draw with Azerbaijan. Hear ye hear ye. This is just awful. What more embarassment do you want upon your country, your team?

[passinginterest]

Solid result. Green shoots. Keep building for the Euros.