Republic of Ireland V Hungary - Tuesday, 4th June 2024 - Friendly

[Exgrad]

Josh Cullen. Jesus.

[Razors left peg]

Very poor game over all, but it might be enough to get O'Shea the job. He celebrated like he might get it anyway.

The positives:
Kelleher very solid and distribution excellent.
Smallbone, shaky start but looked confident as game went on.
Idah in 1st half was good, added to his goals of late
Jake O'Brien fitted in well after coming on. Calm and composed and passed the ball well.
Winner for Parrott, played well overall and nice to see a winning goal for a change.

The Negatives:
The shape of the team. Persisting with Wingbacks when we dont have any fit for purpose is infuriating.
Making changes at HT. Duffy and Doherty looked miles off it and I was glad to see that they were taken off at HT (positive that changes were made, negative that those 2 started)
Scales looked very shaky when he came on. Gave ball away too sloppily.
Azaz was quite, we didnt really do enough to get him on the ball though.
Obafemi has miles to go to show hes entitled to get on that pitch.

We have the bones of a good team there. When you add Ferguson to those options up front too its a bright future potentially. Setting the team up wrong will be the death of us though if we persist in being ridged with 5 at the back

[Exgrad]

Kelleher made everything look straightforward, Smallbone can dominate a lot of International teams we'll play if he decides to. O'Brien much better on ball than i expected.

[Exgrad]

Very poor game over all, but it might be enough to get O'Shea the job. He celebrated like he might get it anyway.

The positives:
Kelleher very solid and distribution excellent.
Smallbone, shaky start but looked confident as game went on.
Idah in 1st half was good, added to his goals of late
Jake O'Brien fitted in well after coming on. Calm and composed and passed the ball well.
Winner for Parrott, played well overall and nice to see a winning goal for a change.

The Negatives:
The shape of the team. Persisting with Wingbacks when we dont have any fit for purpose is infuriating.
Making changes at HT. Duffy and Doherty looked miles off it and I was glad to see that they were taken off at HT
Scales looked very shaky when he came on. Gave ball away too sloppily.
Azaz was quite, we didnt really do enough to get him on the ball though.
Obafemi has miles to go to show hes entitled to get on that pitch.

We have the bones of a good team there. When you add Ferguson to those options up front too its a bright future potentially. Setting the team up wrong will be the death of us though if we persist in being ridged with 5 at the back

Good summary, yes bones of decent side there but need a better than decent coach to pull it all together, which clearly isnt O'Shea.

[tetsujin1979]

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[tetsujin1979]

Obafemi has miles to go to show hes entitled to get on that pitch.
I thought he did well when he came on, didn't stop running when he came on

[Razors left peg]

I thought he did well when he came on, didn't stop running when he came on

Me and you could go on and run around, I didnt see anything football related that he did well personally

[osarusan]

What was szomdics doing sprinting level with parrot instead of hanging back a yard and inviting the pass rather then looking offside. Forced Parrot into shooting and nearly making a balls of a 2 on 1 against the keeper

Yeah, you are right, I didn't see that at the time.

[SkStu]

Me and you could go on and run around, I didnt see anything football related that he did well personally

Streakers!

[pineapple stu]

Me and you could go on and run around, I didnt see anything football related that he did well personally
Yeah, he wasn't great alright. Granted he wasn't exactly alone in that; it was that kind of game.

Agree with your summary overall though I didn't think Idah was great, goal aside. (And I know, I know...) Seemed to be on a different wavelength to others when it came to where passes were going a lot of the time, so we lost possession. Don't know if that's something that didn't come through in training or what. Felt he was least involved of the front line.

But the biggest negative for me was the entire second half; it was just ponderous rubbish. That's more than just individual players. And I know it's a June friendly and I know Hungary aren't a bad team so we can't go gung-ho, but we've seen enough of these type of games in the past 5+ years (including March against Belgium and Switzerland) and if it's what O'Shea is going to bring, then we really need to find someone else quickly.

Also thought his celebrations at the end were a bit Stephen Kenny-esque in their exuberance...

[SkStu]

Me and you could go on and run around, I didnt see anything football related that he did well personally

He was generally ready to battle.

[JR89]

What was szomdics doing sprinting level with parrot instead of hanging back a yard and inviting the pass rather then looking offside. Forced Parrot into shooting and nearly making a balls of a 2 on 1 against the keeper

If there was one player you'd expect to not make that mistake in a two on one it would be Szmodics. Think my neighbours thought someone was fighting we were shouting so loud at Szmodics to get onside.

[Razors left peg]

In the NFL every season they have an award called the comeback player of the year. I think its kinda cool that Parrott and Idah both round off their season with goals tonight and silence their critics a bit. Fair play to both. They could have gone the other way like Connolly, or Stokes before him. They have been super, and its exciting to see what next season holds in store for them.

Joint Comeback Player of the Year awards to both!!!!

[tetsujin1979]

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[Olé Olé]

Also thought his celebrations at the end were a bit Stephen Kenny-esque in their exuberance...

The exuberance was really bad. He was kissing Paddy McCarthy's face and all. The entire staff were rejoicing.

He must think he has the gig. If anyone in the FAI had a brain they'd note the supporters' apathy and the symptomatic 29k present. And the initial selection and tactical set up were very disappointing for me. If your reliant on Brady and O'Dowda to cover a wing back spot then you shouldn't be playing with wing backs. And if you're playing three centre halves and one of them is Shane Duffy then you shouldn't be playing.wkth three of them either.

All this at a time when our player pool is gradually improving too. There's a good nucleus there for a strong 4-3-3 and with options in most positions, except midfield where things are tight.

Bazunu Kelleher
Coleman Collins O'Brien O'Shea Omobamidele Scales
Knight Cullen Smallbone Azaz
Szmodics Idah Parrott Ferguson Cannon Ogbene

Instead, we are going to have Brady, Duffy, two central midfielders and probably two wide forwards needing to tuck in and support the midfield.

[Fixer82]

Fair play to the lads. Idah’s goal was excellent and they fought hard against a well organised side.

But the winning goal was awful.

For two reasons.

1. It was a crap finish that was lucky to go in. Good break by Troy but a really poor effort

2. Szmodicz was offside the whole time leaving Parrott no option but to go alone. It should’ve been a tap in for him but he remained offside. If Troy had passed it would’ve been ruled out

[Fixer82]

Also, Parrott did this exact same thing against Scotland away in Nations League when the other player (Obafemi I think) was onside and it didn’t go in and he looked like a proper tit

[MeathDrog]

I'd be inclined to give Parrott's fortunate finish a pass because Szmodic's run was so bad. Not only was he offside, he ran too close to Parrott and didn't give him a good angle to pass. It's bound to have put Troy off.

Szmodic actually had a poor enough game. He found himself in a good space twice in the 2nd half and both times put in a dreadful ball.

[tetsujin1979]

I'm happy to give O'Shea a pass on the celebrations, it's his first win as an international manager, the pressure was on after the first two games, and it felt like there was as many questions in the press conferences about his future in the job as about the game itself.
Let him have this one.

[Jd2793]

I'd be inclined to give Parrott's fortunate finish a pass because Szmodic's run was so bad. Not only was he offside, he ran too close to Parrott and didn't give him a good angle to pass. It's bound to have put Troy off.

Szmodic actually had a poor enough game. He found himself in a good space twice in the 2nd half and both times put in a dreadful ball.

whisper it quietly but the guy playing for blackburn might not be the difference maker many people think he should be at international level. that run was criminal.

[zero]

a fortunate win but just the act of winning is (contrary to what many people seem to believe) important in itself. wouldn't be getting too carried away but felt like we kept a decent shape and looked a threat on the counter.

i'd say a decent performance in portugal and the job is o'sheas which is a bit mad really but we are where we are.

[JR89]

Also, Parrott did this exact same thing against Scotland away in Nations League when the other player (Obafemi I think) was onside and it didn’t go in and he looked like a proper tit

Actually it was more Obafemi won the loose ball after a Scotland corner and played Parrott in 1v1 for that chance. Obafemi was about twenty yards away from Parrott and had a Scotland defender between them.

That miss was the turning point in Kenny's reign imo, and last night he could have won JOS the job full-time. That goal goes in against Scotland and think we'd have gone on to win the game which would have put us top going into the last game I think.

[JR89]

I'm happy to give O'Shea a pass on the celebrations, it's his first win as an international manager, the pressure was on after the first two games, and it felt like there was as many questions in the press conferences about his future in the job as about the game itself.
Let him have thisone.

Also a last minute winner.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Whoops meant 1 all.
That's o shea annointed. Suppose we could do worse , not much but the fai could probably be counted on to deliver
Really - like we have already had Stephen Kenny

[seanfhear]

whisper it quietly but the guy playing for blackburn might not be the difference maker many people think he should be at international level. that run was criminal.Was Szmodic actually offside or was it the camera angle ~ Surely a professional footballer playing at the level Szmodic has been playing at would Not be stupid enough to be offside in that position ~ Sometimes camera angles can be deceiving !

[jbyrne]

Was Szmodic actually offside or was it the camera angle ~ Surely a professional footballer playing at the level Szmodic has been playing at would Not be stupid enough to be offside in that position ~ Sometimes camera angles can be deceiving !

looks level if you follow the lines on the grass

[seanfhear]

looks level if you follow the lines on the grass
Television angles can be misleading ~ It would be nice to see those off-side lines put up on a screen somewhere.

[Exgrad]

I'd be inclined to give Parrott's fortunate finish a pass because Szmodic's run was so bad. Not only was he offside, he ran too close to Parrott and didn't give him a good angle to pass. It's bound to have put Troy off.

Szmodic actually had a poor enough game. He found himself in a good space twice in the 2nd half and both times put in a dreadful ball.

He looked like someone who hadn't played a game of football in over a month, which he hadn't. Was suprised he stayed on the full game.

[Predator]

Why shouldn't a manager celebrate a last-minute winner? What an utterly bizarre thing to fixate on. I want people showing they give a sh1t and it's good to savour wins, particularly when they don't come along very often any more.

Overall, the performance was poor. The team appeared to rush the play a lot, which led to the breakdown of a few counter-attack opportunities and the midfielders were very often second to breaking balls. In the lead up to Idah's goal, a roar of "CALM!" was audible on TV - presumably it came from John O'Shea or one of the coaches - and the players clearly heeded that instruction. Hungary were a bit loose, but the cross from Smallbone along with the movement and header from Idah were very well worked.

The set-piece we conceded from was a bit chaotic, with a deflection and the flick on. When the ball was just about to be flicked on, Doherty seemed to just abandon Lang, as if he gambled on us winning the header. I'm not sure if he was trying to step up to play him offside or what, but it was a bad decision and left us completely exposed. Could the first ball - the flick-on - have been dealt with better? Either way, you'd be expecting better communication and decision-making in those situations.

I thought Parrott had every right to back himself to score, albeit a square pass would have been the safer bet. We want our strikers to be confident and not afraid to go for it. Players with that type of confidence tend to get their share of luck too and thankfully it went his way this time. We've not had much luck in games recently, so I'll take it.

The clichés are true in football and winning against the odds after playing poorly will help instil belief and breed confidence. It's a start.

[jbyrne]

Why shouldn't a manager celebrate a last-minute winner? What an utterly bizarre thing to fixate on. I want people showing they give a sh1t and it's good to savour wins, particularly when they don't come along very often any more.


couldn't agree more. you would be forgiven for thinking that some people don't like to see any joy around the team.
every time someone sees a chink of light through a players club performance there is always a poster ready to bring us all back down to earth, management over celebrate a last min winner, last min winner was lucky, last min winner could've been offside IF the scorer had passed. holy god its miserable around here most of the time

[nigel-harps1954]

If I ever got a chance to manage my country, I'd jump up and down out of control at a 90th minute winner against San Marino to give me my first win.

Irrespective of opponent, occasion, or otherwise, it must have been a very proud moment for a man who has always represented his country with the utmost dignity and professionalism.

It wasn't a classic game, it was pretty crap for the most part, but it must have felt as good as a champions league final win to John O'Shea.

[pineapple stu]

If I ever got a chance to manage my country, I'd jump up and down out of control at a 90th minute winner against San Marino to give me my first win.
I know you're exaggerating to make a point, but had Steve Staunton been jumping up and down out of control after his side's 90th minute winner against San Marino I think he would have started a riot!

I didn't mind it much - for a first win I guess - but it did remind me of Stephen Kenny. And I don't like being reminded of Stephen Kenny. The excessive celebrations got a bit tiring with him. I don't want Stephen Kenny II to take over... :p

[Acornvilla]

I'm very happy we won, especially that the two lads scored. I'm also not sure Hungary were particularly trying or that we were any good. Nice to see us beat anyone but Gibraltar all the same. Good vibes are important in a dressing room, this will help a lot of lads confidence.

[Fixer82]

Was Szmodic actually offside or was it the camera angle ~ Surely a professional footballer playing at the level Szmodic has been playing at would Not be stupid enough to be offside in that position ~ Sometimes camera angles can be deceiving !

Watch it back. He may have been level at the point of Parrott shooting but for the rest of it he was ahead of him. Couldn't believe it to be honest, a player of his calibre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsN3VotdzRc

[weldoninhio]

Good to see Matt Doherty and Shane Duffy endearing themselves to fans on Insta. Whinging about only getting 45 minutes.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Good to see Matt Doherty and Shane Duffy endearing themselves to fans on Insta. Whinging about only getting 45 minutes.
They weren't whinging about only getting 45 minutes - they were being upfront about being p*ss-poor while they were on the pitch. The fact that some people on insta saw it as whinging says more about how superficially people look at comments on social media (and then wanting to have a go) than anything else

[Predator]

JRG is correct.

When he was asked about taking them off at HT, O'Shea said that Duffy took a "big knock" to the calf and that he was also conscious about Doherty's lack of game time, both of which could well have affected their performances. Maybe O'Shea was just protecting them a bit, giving some cover from the, eh, ignominy of a half-time substitution.

Some of the comments on Doherty's post are just nuts though. Lads suggesting Duffy "would rather sing GSTK" (which, considering what he has gone through to play for Ireland, is a disgraceful comment to make) and just wildly abusing the two of them. All of this after a win!

[Acornvilla]

The reaction on insta and elsewhere is wild. I know a lot of people don't get sarcasm, and tone in text can be difficult to parse, but the amount of people losing their minds and falling over themselves to attack the lads is desperately sad stuff. We have a growing group of rabidly angry eejits online and I try to ignore them generally, but I can't help but be annoyed about it.

[joey B]

A crazy reaction and very demonstrative of what social media is,nobody has a clue what they were meaning by the post but people have decided it’s a huff and the mob followed!

[liamoo11]

They weren't whinging about only getting 45 minutes - they were being upfront about being p*ss-poor while they were on the pitch. The fact that some people on insta saw it as whinging says more about how superficially people look at comments on social media (and then wanting to have a go) than anything else

Disgraceful to play Duffy if he has been arrested on drink driving charges, that gets people killed and we are picking him to play for our country

[JR89]

Disgraceful to play Duffy if he has been arrested on drink driving charges, that gets people killed and we are picking him to play for our country

Yup, should have never been allowed pull on the Irish jersey again imo.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Disgraceful to play Duffy if he has been arrested on drink driving charges, that gets people killed and we are picking him to play for our country
That is a whole other issue

[Razors left peg]

Disgraceful to play Duffy if he has been arrested on drink driving charges, that gets people killed and we are picking him to play for our country

He was 3 times over the limit too

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24311287.photos-show-damage-crash-involving-norwichs-shane-duffy/

Bit conflicted on saying he should never play for Ireland again because he was drink driving. Stupid mistakes happen and he is lucky he got away without seriously hurting anyone. He made a ridiculously stupid decision, but if he learned from it I wouldnt say he should never play for us again based on that.... but I do think its in a bit of bad taste that hes been called up so soon after the incident. Would have been very easy to leave him out of this window and say hes dealing with personal issues, or be blunt and send a message that Shanes been left out because of the incident that the FAI condemn.

All that being said I think he showed on the actual pitch the other night why he should never be picked for Ireland again. His time has passed. Hes not good enough on the ball for the modern game, and now his legs seem to have gone too. Hes just not a good player anymore, and in a position that we have a good bit of depth with much younger players now, its time to move on from him.

[elatedscum]

Disgraceful to play Duffy if he has been arrested on drink driving charges, that gets people killed and we are picking him to play for our country

Yup, should have never been allowed pull on the Irish jersey again imo.

I wouldn't have held Paul McGrath to that standard, so I'm not going to hold Shane Duffy to it either...

Obviously both incredibly stupid and incredibly dangerous. Far too common with footballers over in England these days. Jack Grealish back in covid springs to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCw8kkxO5WM

Pretty sure Bobby Firmino got done the night before a game, as well, back in his relatively early Liverpool days...

[liamoo11]

That is a whole other issue

Surely it's a more important issue than if he is good enough to play for ireland?

[Colbert Report]

I watched him struggle badly in the Championship play-offs and was slated on here for suggesting that he hang up his boots. He's been an excellent servant to us, and I was astounded when he wasn't called up last year. He's definitely done though. It comes quick, and for a big guy like him, 32 isn't that young. We have at least half a dozen better players at his position.

[Eirambler]

It's incredible how badly that generation of Ireland players born in the early 1990s has fallen away. Between injuries, form and club issues (i.e. sitting tight on a long contract with no game time), every one of Brady, Stevens, Christie, Duffy, Hendrick, Hourihane, McCarthy and Arter look all but done at international level. Doherty is still there but looks well past his best and Egan might come back but there's no guarantee. It's almost a full team worth of players who should be the ones leading the younger players emerging now. Instead Seamus Coleman, born in 1988, is outlasting them all.

[JR89]

He was 3 times over the limit too

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24311287.photos-show-damage-crash-involving-norwichs-shane-duffy/

Bit conflicted on saying he should never play for Ireland again because he was drink driving. Stupid mistakes happen and he is lucky he got away without seriously hurting anyone. He made a ridiculously stupid decision, but if he learned from it I wouldnt say he should never play for us again based on that.... but I do think its in a bit of bad taste that hes been called up so soon after the incident. Would have been very easy to leave him out of this window and say hes dealing with personal issues, or be blunt and send a message that Shanes been left out because of the incident that the FAI condemn.

All that being said I think he showed on the actual pitch the other night why he should never be picked for Ireland again. His time has passed. Hes not good enough on the ball for the modern game, and now his legs seem to have gone too. Hes just not a good player anymore, and in a position that we have a good bit of depth with much younger players now, its time to move on from him.

Leaving something on the roof of your car while you drive away is a stupid mistake. Putting the wrong fuel in your car is a stupid mistake. Getting into your car ****ed off of your face and endangering the lives of others is scumbag behaviour.

[Eirambler]

Whatever about the merits of O'Shea (and I don't think he should be anywhere near any shortlist for the job), no candidate should be supported on the basis that they probably won't be as bad as Kenny. Kenny has the worst record of any Irish manager in history and it's a record that is unlikely to ever be surpassed. So we're going to need a lot more justification than that to consider appointing the likes of O'Shea to be anything other than another FAI shambles.

[seanfhear]

If Ireland win or draw in Portugal, O'Shea will be a bona fide candidate. His predecessor retained high credit rating despite seven games without a goal, despite defeat at home to Luxembourg, despite dropping us 21 FIFA places.


O'Shea's credentials are far from elite but I cannot remember a more vilified candidate in Irish football history. Some of the thrash aimed at him is embarrassing.After the Kenny debacle it would seem proper to show John O'Shea some respect alright ~ ~ After-all John O'Shea did put lots in as a player for us.