Republic of Ireland v Hungary - Saturday, 6 September 2025 - 2026 World Cup Qualifier

[brine3]

Put em under pressure. It's all we have, it's all we ever had (apart from Duff and the two Keanes). Stick it in the mixer and get a limb on it. Ridiculous that Molumby isn't on the bench for a bit of drive.

Now now, Johnny Giles

[Eirambler]

11 against 10 and they're still successfully targeting Doherty at left back. How the hell is he still out there?

[Colbert Report]

We are all over these guys, great entertainment.

[SkStu]

You’d think Johnston is nailed on to come in in the next 5 mins

[pineapple stu]

Starting to feel a bit like England-Ireland 91 out there now. Put them under pressure, keep them in their box, second ball

Great stuff

[SkStu]

At that point where you have to make it count. Come on boys!

[Insidetherock]

How has Ogbene managed to make a career as a pro footballer.. as a winger.. for years.. and still not be able to cross a ball

How!!!!

[seanfhear]

How has Ogbene managed to make a career as a pro footballer.. as a winger.. for years.. and still not be able to cross a ball

How!!!!
Having it all ( or nearly it all ) is what makes the difference to a certain level and the top level !

[SkStu]

Get in!

[Eirambler]

Fcuks sake Idah, never mind celebrating, go get the fcuking ball.

[Insidetherock]

Where the f**k are the ball boys

[SkStu]

Well. I don’t. Know what I just witnessed.

[Eirambler]

All set up for heartbreak in Budapest. But it's less bad than heartbreak tonight I suppose.

Six points needed now from the two Armenia games and we'll take it to the last weekend of the group. Which is better than we've managed since 2019.

[passinginterest]

Absolute madness. At least the bit of fight was there. Have to win in Armenia now anyway.

[SkStu]

Well. I don’t. Know what I just witnessed.

Or what this feeling is.

[Jd2793]

as much as it pains me to say it we are still brutal. abysmal 1st half, game saved by a harsh red card for hungary. dont see us getting a point there v 11.

[Insidetherock]

We're as good as Hungary.. we gave away two ridiculous goals.. but we're as good as them

Ogbene is not an international player.. don't care what anyone says.. neither is Josh Cullen

[Jd2793]

We're as good as Hungary.. we gave away two ridiculous goals.. but we're as good as them

Ogbene is not an international player.. don't care what anyone says.. neither is Josh Cullen

neither is knight, nor doherty.... we could be here all night listing players!

[The Fly]

neither is knight, nor doherty.... we could be here all night listing players!
Yep, and I wouldn’t start Doherty again.

[joey B]

Ryan Manning should despise Stephen Kenny…..

[Eirambler]

Yep, and I wouldn’t start Doherty again.

I wouldn't cap him again. He was so, so bad in pretty much every facet of his play tonight. Even when we were a man up he was standing off them and they were getting joy down his side. This just has to be it for him.

[rebelmusic]

Agreed on Doherty, just think he's lost a step and isn't up to it anymore. Maybe as a bench player to bring on for backs to wall stuff.

Don't agree on all the Ogbene hate. He showed his rustiness but won some important frees and brought a bit of energy.

[SkStu]

Fair play to HH. Whatever about the first half, we came out in the second and leveled up. The red card was fair but debatable - we had them a bit rattled though and yer man lost the rag. A bit more cuteness was required at times instead of the flat cross to the back stick but we got the equalizer we deserved. I like what Taylor brings and I’d have kept Azaz on instead of bringing on Ogbene. Not sure his attributes were what was needed at that point. Should have won but happy we didn’t lose and, seriously, that was entertainment. I roared for both goals which I haven’t done in a long time.

It’s all about how we show up in Yerevan now to keep the show going.

[pineapple stu]

Well. I don’t. Know what I just witnessed.
That may have been the best 45 minutes since Mick Part I

Brilliant stuff. No fancy playing through the lines - out wide, get it in the box, create havoc. Fantastic

John Delaney once asked if we could be let back into the World Cup. Well we were let back in tonight

[texidub]

yeah I like ogbene a lot but I question the wisdom of bringing him on against a team that's sitting back and defending close to goal - there's less space for him to run into...

[SkStu]

I know I was bitching about him but has a German ref ever really let us down? They love the pixieheads

[pineapple stu]

Don't agree on all the Ogbene hate. He showed his rustiness but won some important frees and brought a bit of energy.
Thought he was poor enough when he came on - bar winning a couple of good knock-downs in the box strangely - but equally I feel you can't criticise anyone after tonight

Except maybe Doherty. Their counter attacks down the right stopped once he went off

[rebelmusic]

I guess there's a really big chance this group will come down to goal difference so the Armenia games have a new dynamic now...as well as containing Portugal as much as possible.

Based on tonights display I don't think we have much hope of holding Portugal to a draw in either game but...there's acrually hope...for the first time since Mick was manager

[sbgawa]

Doherty is persistantly lazy for ireland. Lets people run off him , doesnt track back , shouldnt be near the pitch

[Eirambler]

Agree about Ogbene, he was the wrong call in that situation. Should have been Johnston and McAteer. I know they both came on eventually, but if you want someone to send in accurate balls all night it has to be Johnston you go for surely - as he showed with the lovely ball in for Idah.

I like Ogbene, but either you start him, or you bring him on to give you an out ball when you're under pressure.

Will be very interesting to see how we set up against Armenia. They're absolutely dreadful, so no excuses. Manning left back for me and more width in the team from the start. Tuesday is massive because the second window looks like a clear three points at home and zero points away.

[backstothewall]

Everything that's been said about Ogbene is true, but I think it's worth noting that he looked much more of a threat when he came over to the left for a brief cameo.

[zero]

can't agree with the ogbene hate. he gave away that stupid free kick but otherwise i thought the Hungarians looked terrified of his pace which thankfully he still has.

their whole back line sat in even deeper after he came on and it was just a siege from then on.

he won a few duels in the box but nothing came of any of them - something to work on there.

[Nesta99]

A small thing, but relevant to situational awarness imo, Idah running un to the corner to celebrate after the equaliser when you want to chase a winner with a handfull of minutes left. Grab the ball, back on the centre circle and ready to go again straight away. Senior players did pull him to get back but it could have run the clock down a fair bit when looking for a win late on. Maybe its nitpicking but I think there is a little bit lacking in concentration, awareness around game management, and even heading to celebrate when really you just want to get on with things when the opposition is just hanging on. As fo only playing when we go behind and there is nothing to lose o have to go for it, its like the pressure still is worn heavy. I really though VAR was there to stop things like jerseys being pulled over players heads i the box by defenders, I dont think that incident with Collins was 6 of 1, he tried to play and get on the cross with the jersey almost pulled off him. 8 subs(?) and a whole lot of stoppages and time wasting seemed longer than 6 minutes but maybe that was just my frustration.

[zero]

i think he (Idah) just really likes scoring goals. it's his thing. he reminds me a bit of andy cole.

[Nesta99]

can't agree with the ogbene hate. he gave away that stupid free kick but otherwise i thought the Hungarians looked terrified of his pace which thankfully he still has.

their whole back line sat in even deeper after he came on and it was just a siege from then on.

he won a few duels in the box but nothing came of any of them - something to work on there.

I think his drifting in to the back post and being a nuisance in the air created that bit of space for a few chances that could have ping in off someone on another evening, made him a decent change at the time. There were a few silly fouls, O'Brien putting a hand on the back of the defender at left full when he was struggling to not concede a corner was basic stuff from an experienced player.

[Insidetherock]

I asked it earlier, and I was serious.. where were the ball boys?

Were there any there tonight.. Hungary were allowed waste loads of time just getting balls back

Overall.. we're decent.. just decent. Don't think Hungary are much better than us, if any way at all.

[Nesta99]

i think he (Idah) just really likes scoring goals. it's his thing. he reminds me a bit of andy cole.

Id love it too but Id want to have a pop at another too. Its a bit 'all about me' rather than getting back at it fo the team. Ok maybe he feels he has something to prove after not being rated at Celtic but still.

[brine3]

That may have been the best 45 minutes since Mick Part I

Steady on now

[pineapple stu]

I asked it earlier, and I was serious.. where were the ball boys?

Were there any there tonight.. Hungary were allowed waste loads of time just getting balls back.
Was talking about that in the ground - there weren't any. Very strange; no idea why that was

[geysir]

Retro Irish hectic football with ball after ball being pumped into the box , trying to get something out of the chaos, managed it in the end with Idah of all players moving into a wide space and getting an expertly driven header on the ball.
No Heimar Icelandic team ever played like that so I guess he must have gone native. I thought he was slow to throw the kitchen sink against this Hungarian team, an ugly sister of Bulgaria, the subs should have come on much earlier. Should it come to a showdown in Budapest for 2nd place, as it stands now I'd be okay with that.

[pineapple stu]

Steady on now
Ha! I'm allowed after that I think

But genuinely - what else have we?

[nigel-harps1954]

As bad a first half as I've ever witnessed from an Ireland team, and as positive a second half as I've ever seen.

Real Jekyll and Hyde stuff.

Doherty at fault for both goals really.

Red was fully deserved from where I was in the ground, but haven't seen replays.

We probably deserved a winner out of that. But on the balance of 45 minutes vs 45 minutes a draw was fair.

Heimir has to take a degree of credit for the turnaround after the half, but he got the first half so so wrong.

Really have to hope we can get two wins out of Armenia and hope that Hungary take nothing from Portugal, but we have an uphill battle from here realistically, and you could sense that feeling from the players at full time too.

Another thing that ragged me was the amount of Hungarian fans in among the home support. Small fry really, but it was a bit annoying.

[placid casual]

Thought azaz played well, as did Kelleher and Manning (to an extent). Don't know what smodzic brings,and Doherty is a farce at this stage.
Still in it but need 6 points against armenia to have even the remotest chance.

[brine3]

Ha! I'm allowed after that I think

But genuinely - what else have we?

Away in Paris in 2009.
Getting a point off of the world champions in Germany and beating them at home.
The match in Cardiff with the James McClean goal.
The Bosnia playoff.
The first 45 against Sweden at the Euros.
The first 45 against France at the Euros.
The away performance against Austria in the 2018 qualifiers.
And then nothing for the last seven years.
And then today.

I would even argue that in most of those examples better football was played than the exciting chaos we saw in the second half today.

[kennedmc]

Thought azaz played well, as did Kelleher and Manning (to an extent). Don't know what smodzic brings,and Doherty is a farce at this stage.
Still in it but need 6 points against armenia to have even the remotest chance.

Thought Azaz was ****e. Especially when under pressure in attacking areas. Csn see why PL teams stayed well clear

Thought oshea and Collins were poor defensively and did there usual not getting headers in target in opposition box. Doherty was his usual nonsense self for Ireland.

Reality is Hungarian keeper made 1 save from azaz header. Thought we were a shambles and even down to 10 men they cut through us a few times

[kennedmc]

Thought azaz played well, as did Kelleher and Manning (to an extent). Don't know what smodzic brings,and Doherty is a farce at this stage.
Still in it but need 6 points against armenia to have even the remotest chance.


A small thing, but relevant to situational awarness imo, Idah running un to the corner to celebrate after the equaliser when you want to chase a winner with a handfull of minutes left. Grab the ball, back on the centre circle and ready to go again straight away. Senior players did pull him to get back but it could have run the clock down a fair bit when looking for a win late on. Maybe its nitpicking but I think there is a little bit lacking in concentration, awareness around game management, and even heading to celebrate when really you just want to get on with things when the opposition is just hanging on. As fo only playing when we go behind and there is nothing to lose o have to go for it, its like the pressure still is worn heavy. I really though VAR was there to stop things like jerseys being pulled over players heads i the box by defenders, I dont think that incident with Collins was 6 of 1, he tried to play and get on the cross with the jersey almost pulled off him. 8 subs(?) and a whole lot of stoppages and time wasting seemed longer than 6 minutes but maybe that was just my frustration.

I agree with this,and I was well ****ed off with it - players running to celebrate equaliser when there was still time to win . But that weak pisa poor mindset is all through this team

Hungary get a player sent off so our players need to do nothing but what happens? Cullen and others start getting all excited and involved and he gets a yellow...what was the ****ing point in that.

3 or four times in 1st half our players when they can't win headers just lazily jump into back of player and give away free kick - giving them an easy out

[Eirambler]

I kind of feel like we might be almost back to where we were around 2019. That is, sticking in there long enough that we can stay involved in a group until the last game and then not qualify from it.

It's depressing that that counts as progress, but the reality is that it is. Only if we win in Armenia of course.

On a separate note I watched Scotland last night. Now, granted they have a much better midfield than us, but the core of their defence was three players who wouldn't even make our 23 man squad - Angus Gunn, John Souttar and Grant Hanley. And they held the Danes to a 0-0 in Copenhagen. Basically just throwing limbs at the ball Shane Duffy style to keep it out.

I don't know how we get back to a position where we have that level of defensive fight in us. On paper we have better players at centre back, but they're not showing it. They're playing like we used to, and we're playing like they used to before Steve Clarke took them over and got them into shape. They probably won't make the World Cup, but they're closer to where they want to be than we are right now.

[Buckett]

Reality is Hungarian keeper made 1 save from azaz header. Thought we were a shambles and even down to 10 men they cut through us a few times

That's not accurate really, he also saved a shot from Ferguson and he saved Manning's free kick that was going in the bottom corner. O'Shea had a great chance for a header late on that he should have scored.

[kennedmc]

That's not accurate really, he also saved a shot from Ferguson and he saved Manning's free kick that was going in the bottom corner. O'Shea had a great chance for a header late on that he should have scored.
That manning free kick was going well wide. Fair enough re Ferguson although save was very standard - EVAN did well to create chance.

We didn't work their keeper anyway enough and he looked poor - e.g manning 1st free kick for Evans goal he made complete balls off

[Eirambler]

I actually think someone like Mike Maignan might have saved that Idah header, the Hungarian keeper wasn't far off it and, as others are correctly pointing out, he was crap.