Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland - Sun, 14th November 2021 - 2022 World Cup Qualifier

[tetsujin1979]

Luxembourg squad also named today
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[tetsujin1979]

Luxembourg thread spun out of the Portugal thread

[pineapple stu]

I'm suddenly going to be disappointed if we don't win this.

That's a strange sort of progress, but it is progress I guess!

[liamoo11]

I'm suddenly going to be disappointed if we don't win this.

That's a strange sort of progress, but it is progress I guess!

That's how it should be we should win in lux regardless of if trap or o neill or mccarthy or Kenny are in charge we should win .I think we will

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

It really puts in perspective how much we've fallen when you look at the circumstances of a few teams.

After nearly knocking Denmark out of Euro qualification, they went onto the European championship semi finals and are top of their World Cup qualifying group with 9 wins out of 9. Switzerland went on to the Euro quarter finals and are currently battling it out with European champions Italy to see who tops their group.

On the other hand, we're now battling it out with the mighty Luxembourg to see who comes third in our group, miles behind the others.

[CraftyToePoke]

Jack Taylor called in for Molumby.

[Insidetherock]

do you have anything positive to say?

[pineapple stu]

Seems a bit harsh on Crafty! :p

Or did you mean to post in the other thread?

[pineapple stu]

Just for craic, here's the group table with Qatar in it ahead of the final round of matches (LUX v IRL, POR v SRB, AZE v QAT)


Team P Pts GD
Portugal 9 23 +17
Serbia 9 23 +16
Ireland 9 10 +4
Luxembourg 9 10 -8
Qatar 9 8 -15
Azerbaijan 9 1 -14

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Let's cut through the bull**** on this one. People, mainly Kenny defenders are trying to talk up Luxembourg. They are minnows, their record speaks for itself. We should be beating these. Full stop. And I think we will. 2-0.

[DCWA]

Nobody is trying to talk up Luxembourg give it a rest. They are better than they used to be, that is without question but we should be beating them of course. I think we will. I love the boss. The boss is boss. The boss stays regardless.

[TonyD]

Nobody is trying to talk up Luxembourg give it a rest. They are better than they used to be, that is without question but we should be beating them of course. I think we will. I love the boss. The boss is boss. The boss stays regardless.

That’s it exactly. I will admit to being a bit nervous after the first game, but yeah, we should be winning this one. I really want Stephen Kenny to succeed, I make no apologies for that. He’s on a bit of a hiding to nothing tonight really. Win and the critics will say, yeah, so what, it’s only Luxembourg. Lose and, well I don’t even want to contemplate the reaction.

[mark12345]

Let's cut through the bull**** on this one. People, mainly Kenny defenders are trying to talk up Luxembourg. They are minnows, their record speaks for itself. We should be beating these. Full stop. And I think we will. 2-0.

Let's be honest with ourselves. We are playing Luxembourg in an away game. Luxembourg are better than Brazil and you really expect us to win? Stephen Kenny is the best manager we have ever had but even this one is a big ask. You need to lower your expectations a little.

[dynamo kerry]

It must be great to be a naysayer. So few managers depart on their own terms.

I had to laugh when I heard someone say we were going backwards under Kenny. Perhaps in results last year. The response recently from the players has been pretty good. The trick now is to solve the goalscoring problem but you cant expect him to solve every problem at the same time.

So far he has
- being decisive on goalkeeping
- blooded many new players
- installed a style of playing out from defence
- backed a few players to take on responsibility (Robinson for example)
- established a core midfield (though he seems to think they have another level with the same players)
- encouraged playing in tight spaces generally

[dynamo kerry]

So I think we will win...3-1

[texidub]

0-2

And if it turns out that way, I'll be happier than I should be (it is still Lux at the end of the day), based on the idea that we're back beating teams like this but doing so while playing better football and with a number of relatively inexperienced players. Want to see the upward trajectory continue with this group of players just so for a few minutes of a Sunday evening I can enjoy speculating wildly about how good they might be in 15-20 caps time.

[Insidetherock]

So I think we will win...3-1

Genuinely cant see Luxembourg scoring tonight DK.. in fact I think if they try the high press which was so effective against an Irish team devoid of confidence in March, we could be a couple of goals up in the first fifteen minutes if we choose to really go at them.

A few people here bemoan the fact that Kenny doesn't seem to pick Ciaran Clark anymore.. but he played in that game last March and maybe Kenny saw something at the time that made his think he wasn't the player for him anymore.

But no matter, Coleman, Duffy, Egan.. is a better centre three than Coleman, O Shea, Clark.. so think a clean sheet is incoming.

On current form, I'd also say that Hendrick will offer more than Jason Knight did, and Ogbene/Idah will offer more than Browne/Collins.

Today is the day Idah will break his duck I think.. and if we really get at this lot, I'd be thinking 3-0 isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

What price would one get on Duffy scoring?

[John83]

I think we'll play well and win by a smaller margin than we deserve: 0-1 to us. A big win would be great to finish the campaign on, and it could happen, but I don't know we're there yet in attack.

[SkStu]

Orange kit tonight, apparently. SK can’t catch a break…

[Trequartista20]

Omobamidele is fit again and named in the matchday squad. I'd like to see him start, possibly in place of Coleman if another game in so short a space of time proves beyond him, and I'd also start Idah, who impressed the other night as a genuine number 9 capable of receiving the ball with his back to goal - something we lacked prior to his introduction.

I think it's important we put in a good performance and win this match tonight, both in terms of finishing third in our group and in demonstratiing that genuine progression is being made and continuing with Kenny is the correct path to choose - and I believe we will.

[Trequartista20]

Orange kit tonight, apparently. SK can’t catch a break…

Hmm, ominous...

[mark12345]

It must be great to be a naysayer. So few managers depart on their own terms.

I had to laugh when I heard someone say we were going backwards under Kenny. Perhaps in results last year. The response recently from the players has been pretty good. The trick now is to solve the goalscoring problem but you cant expect him to solve every problem at the same time.

So far he has
- being decisive on goalkeeping
- blooded many new players
- installed a style of playing out from defence
- backed a few players to take on responsibility (Robinson for example)
- established a core midfield (though he seems to think they have another level with the same players)
- encouraged playing in tight spaces generally

Steady on. We all want the manager to succeed, but there is quite a ways to go yet. Even if we beat Lux tonight there is still plenty of work to do. Dominating them and beating them convincingly would be a major boost for Kenny's future. Anything less than that will keep the naysayers around.

[Diggs246]

0-0 or 0-3
Slaughter or disaster

[Stuttgart88]

Orange kit tonight, apparently. SK can’t catch a break…
Ha, was just gonna say that the ghastly orange kit surely exonerates any manager from any blame!

Is that 4 different colours in consecutive matches? Azerbaijan, Qatar, Portugal, Lux - white, blue, green, orange.

[paul_oshea]

Luxembourg head coach Luc Holtz believes Ireland's return to a "more British style" has played a key part in their recent upturn in results as the sides prepare to meet on Sunday.

The Republic have only lost only once in the nine matches they have played since the first meeting between the sides, a shock 1-0 win in Dublin for Luxembourg, and that in unfortunate circumstances in Portugal.

[passinginterest]

Feck it, 4-0 win orange shirt curse and all. Wouldn't mind seeing Omobamidele back in for Coleman and possibly Knight for McGrath and Idah for Ogbene. No harm to freshen it up a bit. McClean might start ahead of Stephens too.

[Olé Olé]

McClean for Stevens and Idah for McGrath. Tony O'Donoghue on RTE news confirmed. I'll take those changes.

[Olé Olé]

And the acronym for tonight's front 3? ROI.

[Diggs246]

McClean for Stevens and Idah for McGrath. Tony O'Donoghue on RTE news confirmed. I'll take those changes.
I dont agree with mcgrath. His absence may well be felt.

[pineapple stu]

He seems more like a creative and/or run-at-players than Idah I guess? Which would be more useful than a hold-the-ball up guy.


But I think team selection is fine tuning. Either today's team or Thursday's team should probably be good enough to win. In theory.

[NeverFeltBetter]

People expecting an easy win are going to be dissapointed I think. A scrappy victory much more likely.

[liamoo11]

I dont agree with mcgrath. His absence may well be felt.

I agree . We have a 2 now in midfield up against their 3 so I'd worry we might struggle for good possesion. Ogbene will have to contribute alot more than last day when he just stayed wide or Robinson will need to drop into a 10 position and help out centrally in.midfield . I'm sad to see us revert to this 2 wingers and a front man for.ation when we seemed to be moving to the 3421 formation in the previous 2 international windows

[D24Saint]

Good god that jersey is horrendous.

[punkrocket]

As it's Remembrance Sunday I fully expect McClean to score.

[Eminence Grise]

Orange kit tonight, apparently. SK can’t catch a break…


I think he could just break his duck a l'orange.

[pineapple stu]

Good tempo to this start anyway

[passinginterest]

Entertaining game. Ogbene has had some great moments. Hopefully make one of them count. Surely it was a shove on Idah and a pen too?

[TonyD]

Good tempo to this start anyway

Ogbene is scaring the life out of them. We’ve been a bit slow to get going overall, but look like we’re starting to get on top now.

[Colbert Report]

Ogbene is playing like a man very eager to save Stephen Kenny's job.

[D24Saint]

Maybe he is just playing well for himself & his country.

[SeanDrog]

Ronnie Whelan is one negative guy … painful … him and Brady need a night out :)

[Fergie's Son]

Any links?

[Olé Olé]

Entertaining game is right. Ireland's extra man in the forwards is clear when we attack. Luxembourg's extra man in midfield is clear sometimes too. I can see a goal for us before half time. Even if it is from a corner. One point re Cullen- his corners are always lovely.

[Colbert Report]

Surely anything but a win today will mean the end of Stephen Kenny though, no?

[D24Saint]

Ronnie Whelan is one negative guy … painful … him and Brady need a night out :)

No sound in the local but Sadlier & Brady looked animated in the pre match chit chat. I’d say RTÉ will stick with them as pundits to stir things up.

[D24Saint]

Surely anything but a win today will mean the end of Stephen Kenny though, no?

Nah wouldn’t think so.

[Olé Olé]

That angle for the Bazunu save. Wow.

[Olé Olé]

No sound in the local but Sadlier & Brady looked animated in the pre match chit chat. I’d say RTÉ will stick with them as pundits to stir things up.
Ah, yeah. Collins was milking it for all it was worth. He got it going before the match and he'll undoubtedly stir it up after. Entertaining viewing but a little thin on tactics the pre match analysis was.

[passinginterest]

Stunning save. Absolutely world class. That's the problem we have with this formation though, there's always a risk of leaving that space for a shot from the middle. Some good probing possession and pressing, there's definitely goals in this.

[Olé Olé]

That Gerson is the most annoying player I have watched in a while. Between the persistent calls for a card and the swinging of the leg.