Republic of Ireland V Serbia - Tuesday, 7th September 2021 - 2022 World Cup Qualifier

I can't recall anyone blaming simple bad luck for our ills. Who said that?

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

He has Incredible ability on the ball. Serbia had a fierce press but he manage it with relative ease and never panicked on the ball. There were stages when himself and Bazunu were knocking the ball back and forth and I just had take a second to realise their age.

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Nah, Obamamidele? no, couldn't be: Did you not hear? He was the only one hoofing the ball in Faro. The only one. It totally undermines SK's gameplan and ridiculous reasoning that he's heralding a new type of play. I actually went to the trouble of recording how bad he was at playing football in the second half in Faro (between the second half and the 74th minute):
- 48: successful pass to Doc;
- 50: headed clearance;
- 52: swivel on the ball and pass to Coleman
- 53: interception & pass inside to Cullen;
- 54 block on CR7 after dribbling;
- 56 interception (pen appeal), pass up flank to Idah blocked for throw.
- 63: Long ball up line after interception- possession lost.
- 68: took pass, 40yd pass to Idah's feet, possession retained.

That's probably better than just making sweeping statements as some others are wont to do with no evidence to back it up. probably.

[QUOTE]I see also that Bazunu was successful with 10 long balls. There were some he played onto Doherty's foot or chest that were absolutely awesome. There are not many keepers who could execute those passes. Maybe it's the green tinted glasses of mine but if I were the Man City loan manager or goalkeeping coach I'd be very, very happy watching that game. [QUOTE]

And Doherty deserves immense credit. and he doesn't get enough credit for a lot of the work he does with the ball at his feet. I would say that getting space in tight spaces, and picking out subtle forward passes, he's certainly in our top 3, if not the best. It seems to go very unnoticed.

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Given how much we have struggled in recent years with young Irish talent coming through (there have been some very sparse years since the Class of 92 born lads), it's amazing to see technically brilliant players like Bazunu, Omobamidele and even Parrott coming through. Collins and O'Shea are another pair of lovely ballers.

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I can't advise anyone enough to get down and watch a national underage league match, particularly if you live in Dublin (or the North West - the two standout areas for the past few years). Irish schoolboy children are showing amazing levels of skill and technical ability, and have been doing so for a number of years. They don't know any other way to play.

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Originally Posted by Trequartista20

You have certain incidents, or even matches where things can go against you, or like last night, very much for you. We were extremely fortunate to scrape a draw against Serbia, as exemplified by the quite farcical own goal they scored. As Kerr accurately stated, Serbia 'battered us', and we could have easily been 4 or 5 goals down by the time the Serbs inexplicably put through their own net. But we got lucky - very lucky. In other matches we have been less fortunate, where certain situations have gone against us. But, as the cliché suggests, over a period of time these things do tend to even themselves out.

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Yes, like in Belgrade, Serbia had another gear in them. We didn't.

If our equaliser was 20 minutes earlier, Serbia would probably have found another goal.

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I can't advise anyone enough to get down and watch a national underage league match, particularly if you live in Dublin (or the North West - the two standout areas for the past few years). Irish schoolboy children are showing amazing levels of skill and technical ability, and have been doing so for a number of years. They don't know any other way to play.

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Good to see Zefi going to the continent instead of the English pyramid.

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Originally Posted by brine3

Yes, like in Belgrade, Serbia had another gear in them. We didn't.

If our equaliser was 20 minutes earlier, Serbia would probably have found another goal.

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I'd normally agree with that, but they looked fairly rattled and this is the first time in Kenny's reign and bar McCarthy team against Denmark where we equalised and then went for it. Perhaps as far back as Austria home before that. Circumstances dictate things and we were desperate for a win yesterday to restore a semblance of balance, but we still did look more like scoring than they did in those last 8-10 mins

I'm aware of course given or tempo spurts we'd have died down after 5 or so mins and they'd get a handle on the game but there wasn't that much time left for it to happen last night but as you say with 20-25 mins it most likely would have been a different story

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Originally Posted by texidub

One thing that seems to have happened is that expectations have dropped to a really low level, so that a draw feels like a massive win. In fairness to Kenny, a draw with Serbia is a typical Irish result, no matter who the manager is.

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Portsmouth (Man city academy) <10 caps; Liverpool sub <10 caps; Bohs 0 caps;
Spurs sub; Norwich sub <10 caps; Brighton; Sheff United; Wigan (stoke sub);
Anderlecht <10 caps; St Mirren<10 caps; Newcastle sub;
Preston <20 caps;
Norwich sub <15 caps;

Subs: West Brom sub (Brighton reserves) <15 caps; West Brom; Sheff United (Villa sub); Wycome Sub <20 caps; Cardiff sub <15 caps.

31 goals in the entire squad.
1 tournament qualification in a generation.
Expectations have met reality.

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Originally Posted by brine3

If our equaliser was 20 minutes earlier, Serbia would probably have found another goal.

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yeah but it wasn't, and they didn't.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

yeah but it wasn't, and they didn't.

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thanks for your insight

you're welcome. Imagine needing a stroke of luck to get a result against a much better team. The cheek of us really.

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Originally Posted by Insidetherock

Those having a go at Kenny's selections

Name one other international side they'd expect to beat Portugal, Serbia, even Azerbaijan with a team half made up of 19/20/21/22 yr olds?

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Spain.

No, wait. Brazil?
No, wait: Germany?

OTB - I've not much grá for them at the best of times, last night said that the discussion on Kenny has become Trumpian, or Brexit-like, where the middle ground is portrayed as being polarising.
And in continuing that fashion....

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Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

Kenny.... He had a play-off he shouldn't have had, a friendly against England, and a Nations League campaign. This team should have been ready from the game in Serbia - instead we're facing down the barrel of our worst qualifying campaign in half a century (possibly the first without a victory since then)

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How many permanent Irish managers have had their first friendly match after 11 games?
If you object to that question (i.e the Nations league is not competitive), then how many permanent Irish managers have been appointed where their first match is a competitive play-off for a place in a finals we're hosting?
How many managers have had to face our own biggest and hated rivals (in our eyes) in their own ground when the respective standing of both sides has never been greater, and when we were not obliged to do so?

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Originally Posted by brine3

That's the problem though, people are always comparing 2021 Jeff Hendrick to 2016-2018 Jeff Hendrick. We should compare 2021 Jeff Hendrick to the other options available in the 2021 squad. If he still makes the team based on that criteria, then he makes the team.

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Eh?
You've skipped 2019-2020, the pre SK period, where JH was quite underwhelming, along with others. By your logic, Josh Cullen would not have been getting a look in and becoming a lock for the side.

Hmm, I don't follow what you are saying.

I'm just pointing out that one of the things Jeff Hendrick has going against him is how good he used to be. He set the bar high for himself. Others that never achieved such heights never have to worry about being held up to the same standard.

The squad in a months time will be interesting. Players like Kilkenny in the 21s will have had another month potentially starting in the championship, the lads who have take up loan deals will hopefully be playing regularly (Coventry, Hourihane, Molumby), Hendrick will have a chance to get back in the Newcastle team, Robbie Brady and Jack Byrne might have clubs, Knight might be fit again and that's just the midfield.

Hopefully there's a bit more luck with fitness and covid issues and there's some serious choices to be made around selecting players that are playing and in form over other who have been in squads but are not getting games. I think Coventry is the one with the biggest chance to jump up into the team. He had an impressive pre-season, he's another good holding midfielder and he's capable of getting a goal or two.

It would be great to see Idah getting more game time (and hopefully a goal or two), and Omobamidele getting into that Norwich starting lineup.

Stevens will hopefully be fit again and fresh adding to the options on the left that are thin on the ground.

Robinson will hopefully be fit and continue his scoring form. Connolly might even sort himself out and be playing for Brighton. Parrot will have more games and goals under his belt all going well too.

I do think a win is still badly needed for the management and the players. Hopefully that comes in Azerbaijan (I think playing them away will actually suit us a bit better anyway).

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Originally Posted by Trequartista20

The other point about Jeff is that he's often unfairly criticised as someone who 'goes missing' or is a 'waste of a shirt'. Well, at the very least he will work hard for the team and put in a shift. Would a Dyche team ever conceivably accept anything less?

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Again it's interpretation. If I've made that accusation about him (I think it's unlikely I'd use those words, but not impossible) then it's the context of him not showing up in a technical sense. I'd hope it's been noted here, that I've constantly said that in a game where we are likely to be the weaker team, or less dominant team, and want to press aggressively, Jeff is the best player for that right of a midfield 3 position. His workrate and stamina levels are off the charts.

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I think the big frustration with Hendrick is the suspicion that he has more ability and more to offer than he sometimes shows. And we have seen glimpses of great quality from him.

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This is it, every word of that is on the money.

Just on Hendrick, it looked to me like he'd had it drilled into him that he's the senior player out there now, the one who needed to take responsibility. And he did that.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

OTB - I've not much grá for them at the best of times, last night said that the discussion on Kenny has become Trumpian, or Brexit-like, where the middle ground is portrayed as being polarising.
And in continuing that fashion....



How many permanent Irish managers have had their first friendly match after 11 games?
If you object to that question (i.e the Nations league is not competitive), then how many permanent Irish managers have been appointed where their first match is a competitive play-off for a place in a finals we're hosting?
How many managers have had to face our own biggest and hated rivals (in our eyes) in their own ground when the respective standing of both sides has never been greater, and when we were not obliged to do so?

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When was the England game organised ? Was it during Kenny's reign? I've always thought it was but the way you're talking sounds like it was forced upon him gun to head like.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

31 goals in the entire squad.
1 tournament qualification in a generation.
Expectations have met reality.

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True enough. And as mentioned previously, a 1-1 home draw with Serbia in a WCQ is a typical result for Ireland no matter the manager or the squad, so for all the change we're seeing, in some ways things remain the same. It's a conundrum, but great entertainment.

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Originally Posted by brine3

Good to see Zefi going to the continent instead of the English pyramid.

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Hopeffully Time will tell. Didn't do alan mahon a huge amount of favours or conor mccormack or o connor who both went to trieste. England are producing wonderful technical players Foden, sancho , Elliott , shoreteire , musiala etc through their academies .

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Originally Posted by liamoo11

Hopeffully Time will tell. Didn't do alan mahon a huge amount of favours or conor mccormack or o connor who both went to trieste. England are producing wonderful technical players Foden, sancho , Elliott , shoreteire , musiala etc through their academies .

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There's a snobbery against English football here. Probably because it's what your average "barstooler" watches.