Republic of Ireland V France - Monday, 27th March 2023 - Euro 2024 Qualifier

[pineapple stu]

Not sure how reliable this guy is - seems he's Guardian though, so...

1640388139435925504

[Razors left peg]

Not sure how reliable this guy is - seems he's Guardian though, so...

1640388139435925504

I'd love to see Molumby getting under Rabiots skin in midfield. Bit of old fashioned Denis Wise nastiness. Rabiot is temperamental.

We are all worried about Mbappe of course, but Griezmann coming from midfield could kill us. Cullen really has to have eyes in back of his head to follow him all night

[Razors left peg]

https://twitter.com/IrelandFootball/status/1640398372640112647?s=20

Coleman is starting based on that

[JR89]

1640405825792491538

[Nesta99]

Not sure how reliable this guy is - seems he's Guardian though, so...

1640388139435925504

Nothing to fear in that lineup....let the fun begin! Been a while since I was properly nervous prior to an Ireland game.

[tommy_c12000]

Obafemi for Ogbene, and that would have been the line out id have gone for. Still not sold on Ogbene, particularly his last few months at club level once his head got turned on a potential move

[TonyD]

Obafemi for Ogbene, and that would have been the line out id have gone for. Still not sold on Ogbene, particularly his last few months at club level once his head got turned on a potential move

That’s the line up I expected him to go for. I like Ogbene, and I’d trust him to put in a real shift rather than Obafemi to be honest. He has a knack of getting a goal too. Also not surprised with Knight before Smallbone.

Realistically, don’t expect us to get anything, but neither do I expect us to get thumped.

[JR89]

It's a toss up between Ogbene and Obafemi. Front two will need to get through a mountain of work defending from the front and being an outlet for balls in behind. With his lack of matches might have been a bit much for Obafemi to say we need a 100% out of you for most the game if not all the game as you'd want himself or Ferguson to finish the match. Can hope it's still level or a goal down by the 60th minute and then spring him from the bench.

[texidub]

Looks like a decent line up to me - no complaints! (Am referring to the Irish team, BTW :D )

[elatedscum]

Not convinced by Ogbene in the centre. Prefer him out wide in the 5-2-3. Id have gone for Obafemi up top. Probably would have inched Smallbone ahead of Knight but very tight.

As an aside, just imagined Ogbene having the pace to mark Mbappe at RWB. Outside the box anyway

[paul_oshea]

Lineup pretty much expected though I really don't trust molumby and think he'll be fairly annoymous tonight. At least if he's anonymous he won't be sent off or give a pen away. Smallbone probably too soon but might get a chance with Johnston second half.

Remember Dutch had 5 missing cos of a virus and others affected. It's not the same for us. We should be much more competitive

[SkStu]

Ah well… here we go anyway. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. Nerves are shot.

COYBIG!!

[pineapple stu]

3 minutes in and ok so far :p

[NeverFeltBetter]

Good start, but can't get carried away. Even commentary is sounding like they think a result is on.

Everyone looking at Mbappe, but it's Muani who looks like he'll be the problem.

[Yard of Pace]

I thought I saw a gig listing for Pink at The Point/3Arena.....

[pineapple stu]

France turning the screw in fairness. Struggling to get out of our half now

[SkStu]

Chasing shadows but shape is decent. Going to be a long night. French press is really effective. Hopefully we can find a bit of possession.

[SkStu]

Love that from Molumby

[NeverFeltBetter]

Think Hernandez is a weak link for the French, he's not up to much on the left. Rabiot too. French haven't gone down the right once.

[pineapple stu]

Some of the frees they're getting are strange at best

[pineapple stu]

The French are clearly the better side here but there's no urgency about them at all

If I was a neutral I'd be disappointed with them so far

[SkStu]

The worst part of this is knowing I’m about 2 minutes behind and the fear of god going thru me every time I see a Twitter notification pop up on my phone…

[SkStu]

Molumby again :D have to love it

[NeverFeltBetter]

Ogbene doing quite well, without ever really getting much of the actual ball. Nice spell just now.

[SkStu]

What’s he’s given us is exactly why I had him as a starter. Gives us pace and an out into the channels and work rate in defence. It’s hard to pick a best player as it’s been such a team performance so far but he’d be up there with Collins and Molumby. Doc too.

[passinginterest]

Jaysus this is tense! Very solid first half. Missing the quality of Smallbone on the set pieces because we’ve had quite a few and not really looked dangerous bar one.

[TonyD]

Ogbene doing quite well, without ever really getting much of the actual ball. Nice spell just now.

I think he’s done great, and in general we’ve done very well. Only half way there of course, but so far so good.

[Jd2793]

please stop going long to ogbene for flick ons he cant/wont win them. all his best stuff has come on the turn or running into space.

[CSAD]

The French are clearly the better side here but there's no urgency about them at all

If I was a neutral I'd be disappointed with them so far

This is why France rarely go 8 from 8 or 10 from 10 in qualifying, they aren’t a nation that strive to qualify with a 100% record they are happy to just go through the motions as really with all the talent they have that’s all they really need to do to qualify.

If it stays 0-0 with 20 mins to go they may bump it up a little to try get the winner but other than that they’ll happily be the way they are and then crank it up every now and then.

[the 12 th man]

Have to say Molumby is putting in some shift tonight.

[pineapple stu]

You'd have to imagine France are getting a bollocking right now. Could see Coman for Hernandez second half?

Still, didn't expect to get this far and be in the game, so this is decent stuff so far.

Really need to make something from the set pieces they're giving us though

[NeverFeltBetter]

All quite positive so far, bar the possession stats. If France stay at this intensity a scoreless draw is likely enough. Crowd doing their part for sure.

[paul_oshea]

That's the cleverest first half we've played under Kenny. Whoever said Kenny would be pragmatic was spot on. We're playing a low block and sitting deep when we need to but also not fannying about with the ball around the box when we need to clear it. We've showed proper game know how here. Having said all that the French could score at anytime they really are that good. When ye see the movement in the flesh it's all the more appreciative. The one thing I'd like to see more about is to go for it with the likes of Doherty or moreso ogbene as all down the right going. He's holding back. Clearly Kenny fears the counter and isn't willing to commit players. It's clear we're playing for a set piece.

Game has mostly passed fergsuon by. He's looked leggy but probably just can't get into it as his lack of experience in this type of game is showing. Molumbys had some key interceptions. And he really fired up the crowd after the tackle was good to see. Overall I don't think anyone can complain about that 45 mins

[ontheotherhand]

Doherty having a fine game so far. Best I've seen from him for a while. Ogbene doing very well at drawing the fouls but we need to make more use of the set pieces.

Molumby having a stormer. These games suit him a bit better I think. Getting in players faces and snapping at heels.

Generally doing well. Mixing it up in terms of play and keeping a good shape defensively.

[tommy_c12000]

France very flat, apart from the one ball over the top which caught O’Shea out no other big threats at irish goal. Ireland set up appropriately. I’ve never seen the lad Rabiot play before but he is having a stinker, as is Hernandez.

Bazunu has been great, really assured. Wing backs have settled nicely, particularly Doherty who is out of position. Still look like a fragile centre of defence. Molumby doing okay, grafting as always, but remains a limited footballer. Ogbene has won a couple of good free kicks and is working hard.

It has been a bit disappointing to see us get in good positions then gradually regress backwards with lateral/backward passing. It seems that the team don’t know how to use Ferguson and have not been able to get him involved with link play. He had one exquisite layoff to Ogbene early on. We need to get Ferguson involved and start with simple layoffs like Brighton do.

No idea what they’ve been working on with the short set pieces, but would err on just getting the ball in the box for the second half until they iron them out

[backstothewall]

Heroic first half so far. Not going to pick out anyone in particular. It's been a true team performance.

[texidub]

That was brilliant, despitre the laxck of goal chances. But it felt like 90 minutes. Molumby in a powerful frame of mind... Ogbene causing all sorts of rattles. Collins unafraid to go on the odd run. French passes going astray. Doherty's run was something I haven't seen from him in an Ireland shirt for a long time. I know there's a long way to go - and there will have to be substitutions which could change everything -- but how could anyone not like this team and the way they are playing?

Only gripe would be - Bazunu needs to mix it up a bit more so we're not playing out from the back unecessarily. 3-4 long punts a match is fine with me.

[backstothewall]

Do we have VAR at Lansdowne Rd

[osarusan]

Decent first half. I'm surprised they're swinging so many crosses in rather than trying to go through us.

They've not created too much really, but if they do score I cannot see a way back as we don't look like creating anything. Tough night for Ferguson, but it would be for anybody in that role.

[ontheotherhand]

Do we have VAR at Lansdowne Rd

There was a peno check so we must?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Yeah, there was one penalty check. The one handball claim seemed more like wishful thinking from the crowd though.

[pineapple stu]

There was a peno check so we must?
It was used against Armenia

[Nesta99]

Good start, but can't get carried away. Even commentary is sounding like they think a result is on.

Everyone looking at Mbappe, but it's Muani who looks like he'll be the problem.

Im stuck abroad too and commentary is not RTE, its pretty patronising stuff - biggest night in Irish football history, French sloppness due to the pitch and the hammering it got in the rugby at the weekend, butchering a corner (true) but 'need to work on the training field'. Bizzare stuff...
Game stuff, didnt really lay a glove on us. We look focused, keeping the pressured a bit with a couple of breaks from winning some one on one battles. Looking composed when we do have the ball but then that is relative. Ogbene with the right ball and a ref that isnt going to penalise pretty 50/50 physicality, is an outlet. If we keep concentration and dont run out of steam then so far so good!

[paul_oshea]

And there ye go fannying about on the edge of the box and we concede. Just play the sensible ball none of this sh1te

[tommy_c12000]

That is just awful from Cullen

[SkStu]

Balls. Twitter spoiler.

[paul_oshea]

Bazunu looks awful small in those goals.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Overplaying at the back, and noone was keeping that out. Now what?

[pineapple stu]

And there ye go fannying about on the edge of the box and we concede. Just play the sensible ball none of this sh1te
It was inevitable we'd do that given France had done little of note all game

Utterly frustrating

[NeverFeltBetter]

Stupid shot to take on when Doherty was in space as an option. Need to keep their heads.