France V Republic of Ireland - Thursday, 7th September 2023 - Euro 2024 Qualifier

[seanfhear]

This match is like having a dentist's appointment coming up - dreading it and it's likely to be painful at times, but has to be done.
And then ~ Stephen Kenny turns out to be the dentist ! ! !

[Colbert Report]

We'll do well not to get clobbered. A 4-0 loss is about the best we can realistically hope for.

[seanfhear]

Reach for the sky ~ ~ But don't pull it down.

[backstothewall]

We're going to get thumped. All that can be realistically hoped for is that this is the end of the road for Kenny.

FWIW

Bazunu
Ebosele
Collins
Egan/Duffy
O'Shea
Stevens
Cullen
Molumby
Smallbone
Ogbene
Connolly*

*Would have picked Sinclair Armstrong here if he had been called up. We may as well take the opportunity to have a look at him.

[pineapple stu]

We're going to get thumped. All that can be realistically hoped for is that this is the end of the road for Kenny.
You have to feel a bit sorry for Kenny going into these games - we've a thin enough squad as it is and when you're missing multiple key players in the same position it really hurts. OK, you can argue that he should have blooded some wing-back options before now - it wouldn't make them any better than the average enough players they are, but at least we'd have a couple more average enough options readily available to us. But it's very hard for a small country like us to take losing arguably our two top forwards (including Obafemi when he's in the mood) and two experienced wingbacks. All on top of a midfield which is never quite the sum of its parts of course.

Hard to see this being anything other than ugly alright, but then I thought the same back in March.

[seanfhear]

Are the French susceptible to over confidence ?

I hope so.

[Predator]

The problem with Duffy is that he can't handle pace - and France have a lot of pace
Egan and O'Shea are hardly flying machines either. Collins is the only CB we have who clearly has decent pace, with Omobamidele (who hasn't been playing) thereabouts too.
Either way, I think too much is made of pace in football at times, as much as it can be frightening when players are isolated. There are loads of speed merchants in the game at every level and our guys have plenty of experience playing against players who are quick. Organisation and reading of the game (plus a bit of experience/cuteness) matter most from a defensive perspective, particularly when sitting in against a team like France. Italy won a European Championship final against England with Chiellini and Bonucci (who were both in the mid-30s and hardly speedsters). England had plenty of flying machines, but it didn't matter in the end.

[backstothewall]

You have to feel a bit sorry for Kenny going into these games - we've a thin enough squad as it is and when you're missing multiple key players in the same position it really hurts. OK, you can argue that he should have blooded some wing-back options before now - it wouldn't make them any better than the average enough players they are, but at least we'd have a couple more average enough options readily available to us. But it's very hard for a small country like us to take losing arguably our two top forwards (including Obafemi when he's in the mood) and two experienced wingbacks. All on top of a midfield which is never quite the sum of its parts of course.

Hard to see this being anything other than ugly alright, but then I thought the same back in March.

The issues at wing back have obviously been coming for a while.

Coleman is 34
Doherty is 31
Stevens is 33
McClean is 34

I feel no sympathy for Kenny in this regard. He knows how Mother Nature and Father Time work. This should have been addressed long before we ended up at a crisis point where we're trying to choose between a CB at going out to RWB to mark Killian Mbappe, or finally giving a debut to Ebosele.

And there have been options available to Kenny. This was entirely avoidable.

Festy should have 5 caps by now. Danny McNamara has played 99 games in the championship without a sniff of a call up.

Left back has been trickier, but there have been options available. Joel Bagan played 21 games at left back for Cardiff during 2021/22. His career has gone off the boil since, but who knows what could have happened with the extra exposure he would have got from being made a full international during that period. Luca Connell can play there and is uncapped. Dennis Cirkin and Aaron Donnelly are playing in the championship & SPL this season without any public attempt from Kenny to recruit either.

[pineapple stu]

The issues at wing back have obviously been coming for a while.

I feel no sympathy for Kenny in this regard.
You're a colder man than I backstothewall!

I completely agree with the first part of course; I've been saying it here for a while. I've been in the "Why isn't Manning getting called up/played?" camp but against that I don't think it'd improve him to be suddenly Champions League standard, or marking Mbappé in Paris standard. It would make it easier to slot in someone with a dozen or so caps who knows the players, etc.

But I think it's still unfortunate to miss so many key players in the same position at the same time.

[tetsujin1979]

Ebosele was an unused sub in both Nations League games against Ukraine in June last year, not sure why he didn't make the match day squads against Armenia or Scotland. Kenny made five subs in the home loss, it's a coin toss whether or not he should have been introduced instead of CJ Hamilton, who came on for Cyrus Christie, but it's a lot to ask a 19 year old to make his debut while the team is losing.
He really should have come on in the away game, Alan Browne played the full 90 minutes, had been booked on 65 minutes, and Kenny only made use of four of his five substitutions in the game.

[Stuttgart88]

*Would have picked Sinclair Armstrong here if he had been called up. We may as well take the opportunity to have a look at him.I would have too. Ogbene, Armstrong and Idah/Connolly. Serious pace there and it'd introduce an "anything could happen" element in the final third. Add Ebsole and you've just got a fantastic recipe for chaos - in a good way.

[backstothewall]

I would have too. Ogbene, Armstrong and Idah/Connolly. Serious pace there and it'd introduce an "anything could happen" element in the final third. Add Ebsole and you've just got a fantastic recipe for chaos - in a good way.

Yeah. It's a shot to nothing really.

With a pacey line-up there's a very small possibility we could defend stoutly, frustrate the French and produce a miracle with a counter-attack as they push further forward desperately trying to get a goal.

It probably wouldn't work but none of the other options available to us will work either.

[JR89]

We'll do well not to get clobbered. A 4-0 loss is about the best we can realistically hope for.

They didn't even score 4 against Gibraltar and only beat Greece 1-0. The only team they've clobbered recently is Holland because Koeman had them playing too openly and got picked off early.

Think some folk are just being too pessimistic. Are we gonna lose, yeah, but it's not gonna be a hammering. We'll probably give away two stupid goals and lose 2-0.

[texidub]

Think some folk are just being too pessimistic. Are we gonna lose, yeah, but it's not gonna be a hammering. We'll probably give away two stupid goals and lose 2-0.

At the risk of jinxing it, I agree with this. 2-0 loss more likely than a complete hammering.

While he won't have the same freedom tonight, Ogbene was sensational in the last match. It'll be interesting to see what the French do with him --or try to do with him-- in this game.

[elatedscum]

Ebosele was an unused sub in both Nations League games against Ukraine in June last year, not sure why he didn't make the match day squads against Armenia or Scotland. Kenny made five subs in the home loss, it's a coin toss whether or not he should have been introduced instead of CJ Hamilton, who came on for Cyrus Christie, but it's a lot to ask a 19 year old to make his debut while the team is losing.

Missed at least one, probably both, with an injury. It’s probably in the thread from the camp

[Diggs246]

Missed at least one, probably both, with an injury. It’s probably in the thread from the camp

Was Festy not available v Malta and Norway as well ( he may not have been playing much in Seria A but loads of our lads aren’t always playing )

its just not proper planning. The two lads at RWB are old and injury prone.

Its not hindsight loads of us on this forum wanted festy involved previously

[JR89]

Kenny was asked about Ferguson again and says that he was carrying the knee injury going into the Newcastle game. The challenge from Guimaraes exacerbated a patellar tendon issue he's been dealing with. Probably why he didn't play as much in pre season

[pineapple stu]

Was Festy not available v Malta and Norway as well ( he may not have been playing much in Seria A but loads of our lads aren’t always playing )

its just not proper planning. The two lads at RWB are old and injury prone.

Its not hindsight loads of us on this forum wanted festy involved previously
Not as if Festy is the only option either - Manning, McNamara and Lyons have been suggested too.

And again, capping them doesn't improve them as players overnight. Or make them capable of marking Mbappé. But you'd have had a much better idea who was next in line and they could slot in, when at the moment we don't really seem to know, and O'Dowda* didn't work out in Greece.

* - another injury in technically the same position actually

[pineapple stu]

Another wing/full-back option gone actually - Omobamidele doesn't make the squad. Had been suggested (though it may have just been random speculation here; not sure if Kenny ever said it) that he might cover across.

Doherty the only other one of the 25 to miss out obviously


1699724726900261256

[tetsujin1979]

Omobamidele only joined the squad yesterday after a family bereavement

[pineapple stu]

They didn't even score 4 against Gibraltar and only beat Greece 1-0. The only team they've clobbered recently is Holland because Koeman had them playing too openly and got picked off early.

Think some folk are just being too pessimistic. Are we gonna lose, yeah, but it's not gonna be a hammering. We'll probably give away two stupid goals and lose 2-0.
I'd kind of take a repeat of the last time we were in Paris - a battering but a respectable enough 2-0 scoreline.

But they have a couple of other big wins this decade - 8-0 against Kazakhstan, 7-1 and 5-0 against Ukraine and South Africa (friendlies, granted), 4-1 against Australia in the World Cup, when they were pretty impressive after going a goal down. We could be unlucky.

Interesting to look back at our line-up from that last trip to Paris just five years ago -

Doyle
Coleman...Duffy...K Long...D Williams
Walters...Browne...R***...O'Dowda...McClean
S Long

Meyler, Arter, Burke, Judge, Shaun Williams and Doherty came on as subs. Some change since then.

Greg Cunningham (another overlooked at full-back?) and Daryl Horgan unused subs, as were keepers Shane Supple and Conor O'Malley. Don't remember O'Malley at all - was with Peterborough at the time, but retired from football when covid hit to return to Mayo to work in financial services.

[Stuttgart88]

Don't remember O'Malley at all - was with Peterborough at the time, but retired from football when covid hit to return to Mayo to work in financial services.Me neither, or just barely.

Does anyone know Westport? We went on holidays a few years ago, staying in an apartment on Westport Quays. You could walk from there, through Westport House grounds, out a back gate and hit the outskirts of Westport town. Anyway before we knew the way I asked a local if we were going the right way. He said yeah, you go out that gate, walk a few hundred metres and you'll arrive in the financial district.

I said thanks but thought "financial district? In Westport? He's taking the p1$$".

Anyway, we followed the route and lo and behold the first building we arrived at was...AIB Westport Branch!

[Kingdom]

And then ~ Stephen Kenny turns out to be the dentist ! ! !

That sir, is absolute quality. I've guffawed unnaturally loud in the office.
Post of the month,.

[texidub]

On the plus side, we'll win a few corners and Duffy is likely to play. Every chance we could nick one.

[elatedscum]

Omobamidele only joined the squad yesterday after a family bereavement

Yeah - he posted a tribute to his grandfather on Monday

[Crosby87]

Thinking about how I used to take half days or whatever so as not to miss a second of an Ireland qualifier.

The biggest crime about this is the malaise. French players in pressers yesterday not even asked about Ireland. They lose tonight, they lose Sunday and Kenny is gone Monday.

And then what? Its gotten so boring....its a shame. Me Irish mates in NYC have no clue there is even a match today.

I'm a huge Colorado football fan. 1-11 last season , probably the worst team I've ever seen. They gave a boatload of money to Deion Sanders, he got rid off most all the players and brought in 88 new ones and they beat the team who played in the National Championship 7 months ago on the road Saturday. As 20 point underdogs.

Somewhat apples and oranges but that's what Ireland need. A shot in the arm. Hire some edgy manager. Make a splash. Do something different. Don't be afraid of bringing in a little personality. How many members of the senior staff in history have been anything other then white? Think outside the box a little. Hire someone differently FFS.

Are any of you excited anymore in the least? Ill never stop watching but its out of obligation now. It is not enjoyable in the least. Because its always wait until next year wait a few more years. Some lad knocks a goal in for Brentford off the bench or something and we are supposed to get excited for that.

Someone needs to come in like Coach Prime at Colorado, instill a new confidence, hire a top notch staff and change the trajectory!!!

Part of me actually hopes they get mauled today so we can get on with things.

[pineapple stu]

"he got rid of most all the players and brought in 88 new ones"

Beginning to see the problem with that otherwise brilliant plan...

[zero]

Bazunu

Browne
Collins
Duffy
Egan
Stevens

Cullen
Molumby
Knight

Idah
Ogbene

[pineapple stu]

1699840102984478985
Griezmann in midfield, just in case they didn't have enough attacking options.

[SkStu]

We’re so f*cked

[tommy_c12000]

Alan Browne is the answer apparently. Duffy in front of O’Shea. Poor selections

[ontheotherhand]

Thinking about how I used to take half days or whatever so as not to miss a second of an Ireland qualifier.

The biggest crime about this is the malaise. French players in pressers yesterday not even asked about Ireland. They lose tonight, they lose Sunday and Kenny is gone Monday.

And then what? Its gotten so boring....its a shame. Me Irish mates in NYC have no clue there is even a match today.

I'm a huge Colorado football fan. 1-11 last season , probably the worst team I've ever seen. They gave a boatload of money to Deion Sanders, he got rid off most all the players and brought in 88 new ones and they beat the team who played in the National Championship 7 months ago on the road Saturday. As 20 point underdogs.

Somewhat apples and oranges but that's what Ireland need. A shot in the arm. Hire some edgy manager. Make a splash. Do something different. Don't be afraid of bringing in a little personality. How many members of the senior staff in history have been anything other then white? Think outside the box a little. Hire someone differently FFS.

Are any of you excited anymore in the least? Ill never stop watching but its out of obligation now. It is not enjoyable in the least. Because its always wait until next year wait a few more years. Some lad knocks a goal in for Brentford off the bench or something and we are supposed to get excited for that.

Someone needs to come in like Coach Prime at Colorado, instill a new confidence, hire a top notch staff and change the trajectory!!!

Part of me actually hopes they get mauled today so we can get on with things.

Surely a few of them have an Irish granny?

[SkStu]

Alan Browne is the answer apparently. Duffy in front of O’Shea. Poor selections

I’d have Duffy in only if O’Shea was on the right. O’Shea should be our third CB. Therefore I agree.

[TonyD]

Conor O'Malley. Don't remember O'Malley at all - was with Peterborough at the time, but retired from football when covid hit to return to Mayo to work in financial services.

Conor O’Malley was with Pats before he went to Peterborough. Was a hugely promising keeper. Pity he quit so early.

[tetsujin1979]

That's...that's something
1699837434639651274

[Fixer82]

No out and out striker on the pitch

[elatedscum]

Trying to look optimistically, Theo Hernandez is fast enough to compete with Ogbene but he can be a bit of a hot head and gets a yellow card easy enough. Upamecano has a mistake in him occasionally. Rabiot can be got at, mentally soft at times. Dembele has off days where he can’t score for love nor money. Duffy Egan and Collins are great in the air and they could nullify Giroud’s aeriel threat. And giroud doesn’t have the pace to do us damage centrally.


You’d hope for a similar performance to the game in Dublin and nicking a goal from a break or a set piece. You’d expect a comfortable France win. As always, keeping Mbappe and Griezmann quiet will be key. Tchoumani could also dictate things. France also have a great bench with Coman, Camavinga and Kolo Muani capable of being really impactful.

[elatedscum]

No out and out striker on the pitch


Adam Idah

[geysir]

It’s bad when there’s a complete absence of pre-match nerves, I’m not even nervous about a tanking.

Some 50 years ago in an era when the modern Irish intl football was being born under manager Liam Tuohy, a stripped to bone Irish team got a well deserved draw in Paris in a WC qual v France. The whole game’s even on YT (France v Eire).
In defence Tommy McConville partnered Paddy Mulligan, captain & man of iron on the night. Also I’d say it was the most hairy Irish team EVER.

[Fixer82]

Adam Idah

Didn’t spot him in the line up

[pineapple stu]

RTÉ graphics showing France lining up 4-2-4. Last team to try that against us got their comeuppance :)

That said, they have us playing 3-4-3, so maybe it's not entirely reliable

[NeverFeltBetter]

The first ten seconds was great anyway.

[SkStu]

Browne has Mbappé in his pocket, just like I predicted.

[Eminence Grise]

Quel bordel...

[tommy_c12000]

Quality finish…

[NeverFeltBetter]

Stuck to the plan for 20 minutes, Ogbene looking lively, but when France can pull goals like that out, what can you say?

Nothing to even change really, just have to plug away with what their doing and hope they get a huge stroke of luck

[SkStu]

Great strike. Hard done by not to get the free for Idah.

Ogbene is great for us though.

[brine3]

Of course it's a great strike, but literally nobody closing him down. Comedy.

[SkStu]

Defenders were shadowing Mbappé which I think was right, a short ball from him to Tchouameni who hits it first time into the side of the goal doesn’t leave a lot of opportunity to close it down, in fairness.

[tommy_c12000]

France cruising, still in first gear.