Czechia v Republic of Ireland - Thursday, 26th March 2026 - 2026 World Cup Play Off

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Originally Posted by joey B

Ryan manning is a complete clown and it should never be forgotten that his complete meltdown screwed us over,I’m convinced weed have won comfortably but for that,Idiotic

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Its infuriating1 At 0-2 we had them at arms length even if under the cosh. While we wont know, I dont believe they would have gotten a 2nd, they were given belief and we did the opposite, retreated. My annoyance is giving away such a strong position is almost criminal. Like Adam Idah celebrating instead of getting back to go again against Hungary at home, the silly fouls, previously Collins lapses in concentration, this was another total mind boggling thing to do and in a VAR era so why? You are very likely to be pulled even if the ref misses it. Braindead stuff. The manager wont say it publically but Im sure a lot are thinking it was pivotal, the the Hungarians going down to 10 men inpetulantly and costing them over the full campaign. So yes we hit the post and their keeper made a good save at the end but that just shows how we should have won when already 2 up and creating. Did I mention the panic of just hoofing clear for almost 45mins though credit to the Czechs for being 1st to the ball 2nd half but they wouldnt have had that fight with a 2 goal deficit and us able to break and get chances like hitting the woodwork.

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Originally Posted by brine3

I think where it goes wrong is that we just don't know what to do when we are two nil up.

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I think that's a very specific and narrow complaint, especially when we were only 2-0 up for a couple of minutes when Manning went mental.

I'd say strength in depth was an issue for us. The Czechs brought on Soucek (albeit he probably should have started); we brought on Idah, whose first touch was a pass. And equally in fairness, in the second half we hit the post and forced a great save from their keeper. Kelleher didn't have anything to do until the equaliser, which had a touch of luck in that it came off the back of Krejcl's head.

And bottom line is we went to Prague and came away disappointed with a draw. That's not a result we get too often in qualifying. And I suspect Denmark won't have seen much in either team to concern them ahead of Tuesday.

I think the compensation is that it's hard to imagine either team beating Denmark. Hard to forgive Manning, it was so blatant and moronic. Probably gives an insight into why managers don't seem to trust him. The missed penalties, you give credit for stepping up, but they were so poor. Did Azas miss one for the under 21s in the playoff with Israel too? Or am in misremembering that?

I think Browne over Knight probably came down to pure physical height. We'd have been seriously mismatched with another smaller player coming on. Unfortunately, that decision did make us weaker in possession. It was old school backs to the wall for a bit too long, typically remembering how to play again for a bit after the equaliser. Apart from the two off the woodwork, their defender made an incredible tackle when Idah looked to be in one on one.

There's definitely progress and you add Cullen and Ferguson back into the mix, plus hope that Lawal can make a breakthrough and there's something to work with. Still major issues with wingers/wingbacks and could do with a bolter to emerge in the middle still. Still some bright spots amongst the gloom. As Stu has said, a 2-2 draw away to the Czechs would be considered a good result in most other contexts and we wouldn't have had much expectation of that a few years ago.

Its done and dusted but the lads have to have gained some confidence from the last 3 games. Its up to them to focus on the Nations League and throw the kitchen sink at it. Austria, Israel and an improving Kosovo shouldn't scare this team and there is a chance of getting second or even winning the group as I feel a lot of draws will happen.

Sickened at the minute, but we are a different and better team now than we were at the start of this qualification process. That's about the best I can extract from it all. Another major tournament where we look on from afar...

At least we can get full throttle behind world cup boycotts with a clear conscience!

Hate to look for scapegoats but it's hard to think otherwise that if Manning didn't give away that stupid peno then we'd have seen it out.

Our goals were a penalty and an og. Two huge mistakes by them. Manning made a huge error but there was still an hour left to win it.

A big improvement in the second half of the campaign should give the lads confidence going forward.

Terribly disappointing though overall.

Heartbroken today. Proud of the team. Manning made a costly error but his dead ball delivery played a major impact on the goals and hitting the woodwork so I wouldn't be too angry at him.

Scales at wing back and Manning in an attacking role is the answer.

We missed Scales and Evan more than anyone

Coleman an absolute legend

We're going to make it to 2028, that much I'm now really sure of

In fairness to Manning it was idiotic, but I wouldn't be blaming it all on him. There was still another 90+ minutes of football played. We needed to be braver on the ball in the second half, we kept giving it back to them far too easily.

Ogbene god bless him give it everything, he just ran out of steam. The back three were good, but those JOB long throws need serious work.

There is the nucleus of a good team there, we just need to find a couple more decent players to plug certain gaps.

You'd hope the ups & downs of this campaign will stand to them over the coming years - even though it feels like it right now, it's not all doom and gloom.

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Originally Posted by Buckett

Our goals were a penalty and an og. Two huge mistakes by them. Manning made a huge error but there was still an hour left to win it.

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We looked a gift horse in the mouth and walked away. My annoyance isnt the result, if we were soundly beaten so be it, stupidity lost us a game, not luck deserting us. If we had lost due to the opposition really playing back in to the game, again fair cop. My annoyance is a bit generic, its not understanding why players do things, like Manning, when a video ref is going to call it back. The rest is football, lucky moments, bad luck, Smodics being a penalty taker but getting clattered seconds after coming on etc. so maybe Browne wouldnt have been taking a peno at a key point. But a player heading away from goal, ball probably running out of play, 3 or 4 defenders around + a keeper to beat at a near post but someone decides to grab a handful of jersey and pull a player back - ref didnt even need VAR. For whatever reason its bugged me enough to find all the reporting on green shoots, work in progress et al just tiresome. Its a good job Im not a manager as Id be dropping Manning for good, an underage player would get the nod before a recall if there were no senior options. His set pieces were fine but others can also deliver a ball.

Lets look for positives.. this campaign is over.

We've finally got a settled back 3 and keeper. They're all pretty young, but they're growing together, and we have decent options off the bench for them (Omibomidele, Dunne)..

A for left wing backs.. Scales probably would have started last night if available, Manning can do a job against most teams, just cut out the dumb stuff, and surely we must be having a look at Alex Murphy from Newcastle in the next cycle. If they can trust him with playing CL, he must have something about him.

Right side.. ouch. Coleman is gone, Doherty is gone, so who?

I'm having a hard time processing this one still... i thought i had come to terms with the likelihood of a defeat beforehand but i hadn't counted on the game script that played out. I feel as low after this as i did high after Hungary which i didnt think would happen in a million years. I know there were positives - and thank you Pineapple for articulating some of that high level - but I cant appreciate them yet.

The unfortunate thing about Manning's brainfart was that it completely shifted the tempo and mood of the game. We still played really well in the first half but they were back in it and only needed one, instead of two, at half time. Huge difference psychologically. It lifted them. Even then, I thought we had done enough right up until Krejci scored that weird header. We had contained them, defended well and not really been under siege. We had had chances of our own (Molumby - who i thought had his best display in green - and Parrotts header). The tightest of margins away from a historic third win in a row against a higher seed. We did fine in ET too and i thought had the better of the second period, looked composed and i thought it boded well for the likely PKs. Our subs, however, stank the place out - Browne (even penalty aside) was very poor and created panic, Brady was ok, Idah was poor, Dunne was terrible (why not Egan with Jake moving to right?)... Sammie Szmodics got elbowed out of the game (hope he is ok)... i know options were limited and it felt legitimately unfair leaving Ogbene and Coleman on as long as he did. I thought Ogbene was done around 60'... also didnt think he was playing that well - his sloppiness caused Taylor to take a yellow which meant he got hauled off earlier than probably likely... ah look... and those penalties - we go ahead in the shoot out and then... Azaz was anonymous pretty much the whole game, assume he stayed on for penalties - stinker. Browne - as soon as i saw him walking up I knew we were toast. I'd have trusted pretty much anyone else ahead of him for the 5th.

Hard to pick at HH... I think he played his hand fairly well. The sub options were limited, sure, but i thought Egan for Coleman might have been a more leadership like-for-like...I didnt think Taylor should have come off at that time. And Idah for Ogbene around 60'/70' would have given the Czechs a little more defending to think about.

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Originally Posted by Insidetherock

Lets look for positives.. this campaign is over.

We've finally got a settled back 3 and keeper. They're all pretty young, but they're growing together, and we have decent options off the bench for them (Omibomidele, Dunne)..

A for left wing backs.. Scales probably would have started last night if available, Manning can do a job against most teams, just cut out the dumb stuff, and surely we must be having a look at Alex Murphy from Newcastle in the next cycle. If they can trust him with playing CL, he must have something about him.

Right side.. ouch. Coleman is gone, Doherty is gone, so who?

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I watched the U21 game yesterday before the senior game.
Alex Murphy had a nightmare game. Looks nowhere near ready for the senior team. He needs to get out of Newcastle in the summer.
Curtis was probably our best player on the day. Looked a threat going forward from RB. He was attempting long diagonal balls to the left wing in the first half which were woeful, but those stopped in the second half. Maybe one to look at for the summer camp.

I'd love to know the stats on how often we concede after scoring. I can't think of examples right now (the hangover isn't helping), but I feel like my whole life watching Ireland there has been a pattern of us taking a hard fought goal and the immediately conceding. I know we were two up at this stage so my point is a little messy, but we do not protect advantages well. It has to be psychological, because i've seen teams in the 90's, 00's and 2010's all do the same thing

Are we allowed to call up a replacement for Szmodics for Tuesday night?

I presume so.

Though can you imagine being called up for a post-World Cup elimination friendly game against North Macedonia? Poor bugger.

I'd almost change the entire team for Tuesday. Not out of disrespect for NM (who were fairly hammered yesterday - they didn't even have a shot on target), but just to see how the newer players in the squad might fare. Though I'd imagine Coleman will start as it's likely to be his last international - maybe Brady too. But give games to Vale, Lawal, Abankwah, Kenny, Dunne and Travers and see how it goes.

Then it's a summer session of Grenada, Qatar and Canada to look forward to, and seeing (probably) Denmark take on South Africa, South Korea and Mexico instead of us... :(

All building to games against Israel in the second half of the year and the protests that will no doubt precede the games

I feel like Ive been dumped by the love of my life and just need to keep talking about it all the time to everyone, wrecking their heads with the same thing over an over....why?!! Im just over 40 years a football fan, a League of Ireland football fan, and know all about implosion and gut wrenching late goals in Europe. But the whole plenty more fish in the sea, it could be worse, look at the positives stuff is just annoying me. I didnt expect a win, certainly didnt think we'd beat the Danes, but for whatever reason this feels different for all the disappointments and mediocrity in the past including losing on penalties - Spain 2002 and the realistic run we could have had to semi-final and all those what ifs didnt evoke this annoyance and as SkStu says difficulty processing it. Id accept its borderline pure irrational but its how I feel. An absolute waste. Hungary would have beaten the Czechs imo. Even the disarray they were in, starting a player who'd retired from international football for what 5 years. I will desist from further rants but I dont think I will ever get over a player knowing that they'd be on cam and still pulling the jersey. If they did a Ronaldo and were wound up to it and losing the rag is at least understandable. Penos these days tend to be just poorly times tackles, unlucky, hadnball confusion rather than blatant.

Sooo Iran may get chucked, how much can we cobble together to get Gianni to just have an open draw of all those eliminated in the play-offs as a replacement....

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I presume so.

Though can you imagine being called up for a post-World Cup elimination friendly game against North Macedonia? Poor bugger.

I'd almost change the entire team for Tuesday. Not out of disrespect for NM (who were fairly hammered yesterday - they didn't even have a shot on target), but just to see how the newer players in the squad might fare. Though I'd imagine Coleman will start as it's likely to be his last international - maybe Brady too. But give games to Vale, Lawal, Abankwah, Kenny, Dunne and Travers and see how it goes.

Then it's a summer session of Grenada, Qatar and Canada to look forward to, and seeing (probably) Denmark take on South Africa, South Korea and Mexico instead of us... :(

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I think its a no brainer to try and build a 2nd string that can slot in, promote some underage lads (next camp). I doubt it will happen but with a useful pretty settled back line we know all about, switch it up with change of keeper and those that didnt play last night. Same for a couple of the games during the summer and then play 1st 11 in the last game before Nations League.

We are going to miss Coleman in a lot of ways, might be worth having him on the coaching ticket, but he is the organiser and sensible head that prompts Collins. There was an awful lot of chat with the ref last night, Czechs seemed to be regularly at him and he wasnt waving them away for just the captain. Collins seemed to be jogging up regularly to hear what the issue was and have his own say. Another ref wouldnt have had it - maybe not a bad thing the the ref was communicating.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

I feel like Ive been dumped by the love of my life and just need to keep talking about it all the time to everyone, wrecking their heads with the same thing over an over....why?!! Im just over 40 years a football fan, a League of Ireland football fan, and know all about implosion and gut wrenching late goals in Europe. But the whole plenty more fish in the sea, it could be worse, look at the positives stuff is just annoying me. I didnt expect a win, certainly didnt think we'd beat the Danes, but for whatever reason this feels different for all the disappointments and mediocrity in the past including losing on penalties - Spain 2002 and the realistic run we could have had to semi-final and all those what ifs didnt evoke this annoyance and as SkStu says difficulty processing it. Id accept its borderline pure irrational but its how I feel. An absolute waste. Hungary would have beaten the Czechs imo. Even the disarray they were in, starting a player who'd retired from international football for what 5 years. I will desist from further rants but I dont think I will ever get over a player knowing that they'd be on cam and still pulling the jersey. If they did a Ronaldo and were wound up to it and losing the rag is at least understandable. Penos these days tend to be just poorly times tackles, unlucky, hadnball confusion rather than blatant.

Sooo Iran may get chucked, how much can we cobble together to get Gianni to just have an open draw of all those eliminated in the play-offs as a replacement....

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Think about how Coleman was the spiritual leader of the team at 37, and how Collins is captain at 24. Kelleher, O'Shea, O'Brien, Azaz, Molumby, Taylor, and Parrott are all 24-27, We should have a cohort of players at 30-34 who can lead the team, bring their experience, and help to calm things down when the pressure is on or we're in a commanding position. We don't. We brought on Browne and Brady who played like lamped rabbits. We're still struggling because of that lost generation. The younger lads at least play with intensity and courage, and I think we'll be fine going forward if we can unearth a decent #6.

It’s going to take a while to get over this one. Depressing trip home.

I don’t think I’ll be able to do a rewatch either. 2-0 up, a dream start, the Czech’s on the ropes and Manning goes and grabs a jersey. Why do players even chance it with VAR?

Gutted for Coleman, To play 96 minutes without any football is astonishing.

I think we left it too late with the subs but maybe HH held back because he knew there was a big drop off in quality.

I thought we were heading for penalties before kick off and fancied us because of Kelleher’s astonishing record of saving spot kicks but I knew we were goosed once I saw Browne walk up.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I presume so.

Though can you imagine being called up for a post-World Cup elimination friendly game against North Macedonia? Poor bugger.

I'd almost change the entire team for Tuesday. Not out of disrespect for NM (who were fairly hammered yesterday - they didn't even have a shot on target), but just to see how the newer players in the squad might fare. Though I'd imagine Coleman will start as it's likely to be his last international - maybe Brady too. But give games to Vale, Lawal, Abankwah, Kenny, Dunne and Travers and see how it goes.

Then it's a summer session of Grenada, Qatar and Canada to look forward to, and seeing (probably) Denmark take on South Africa, South Korea and Mexico instead of us... :(

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Tuesday is a challenge. Neither side wanted to be involved. Truth be told everyone would probably prefer to call it off and just go home. But there's been tickets sold and the beer has already been delivered to the stadium so it has to happen.

The only way to call someone else in without thwm wanting to fake their grandmother's death to get out of it is for it to be a debutant.

In terms of a team I'd say the following selections are important.

Alan Browne and Finn Azaz should start. They will both be dreading their next Ireland game. This is an opportunity to rip the band aid off. Ditto Manning.

I also think it's a captains responsibility to start games like this so Collins should start. And Parrott should already have one eye of Robbie Keane's record so he should start.

Keeley, Lawal and Abankwah should all get their debut. Harvey Vale should also start, and if he is starting I like the idea of an all QPR right hand side, which means starting Jimmy Dunne.

-------------- Keeley --------------
Dunne Abankwah Collins Manning
--------------- Lawal --------------
------- Browne ----- Azaz --------
----- Vale -- Parrott -- TBC -------

I like the idea of bringing Rocco Vata in for Szmodics and starting him on the left wing. It's a perfect opportunity to give him his debut and take another positive out of this situation. Left back is still a problem, so if we can bring another one in maybe a chance off the bench for Joel Bagan at half time.

It's hardly our strongest team, but it should be enough against a Macedonia side who will probably have their **** up in Temple Bar on Saturday night and will likely be hoping to be on a plane out of Dublin before midnight on Tuesday.

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

I like the idea of bringing Rocco Vata in for Szmodics and starting him on the left wing. It's a perfect opportunity to give him his debut and take another positive out of this situation.

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Hasn't Vata already made his debut ? & hasn't he also been out injured since January ?

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Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

Hasn't Vata already made his debut ? & hasn't he also been out injured since January ?

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Ahh bugger.

What can I say. Never drink and post folks.

Though the rest of the team looks sensible enough.

I've tried to type my thoughts on the game a few times since last weekend and tbh it seems futile. The fact that there are only 4 pages of a WC Playoff match thread (even allowing for decreased site traffic) suggests other posters feel similarly.

If we really boil everything down, we got what we deserved from the campaign. there was a phrase John Giles used to use - 'moral courage' or some ****e like that (applying it to playmakers showing and not hiding) - which was applied to individuals, but in this instance I'd apply it to the team. When we were down and out we fought and clawed our way to two improbable results. We did started that way but fell back into our national consciousness of dropping and dropping and kicking aimlessly.

I thought Molumby was excellent - gave away possession once in the game. My feelings on Jayson should be well-known by now, but I really wish/hope that others would look at his performances without bias going forward and acknowledge the perputual motion of his play. If you just focus on him in a match, it's actual incredible the ground he covers.
Dara O'Shea was a close second. Seamus' display defied logic. I also think Jack Taylor should get credit for his first half performance. He's far from perfect, but he complimented the side well in the first half.

I thought the occasion got to O'Brien. In a game where we're clearly being targeted in the air, you want your big men to step up - and he's our biggest. He's 'won' a spot in the team, but I'm not sure he's actually earned it yet. I think Kelleher's performance shouldn't be overlooked. His distribution of the ball was possibly the worst I've seen from him for us and it contributed to us being in a constant cycle of defence in the second half.

For my part I was not at all impressed by the preparation and game plan v Czechia, I'd say Heimir ballsed it up no end, the easy resort to hoofing even when under no pressure was dismal, not to mention hoofing it up remotely in the direction of Parrot and Ogbene with no support, any creative sparks of offensive play in the game happened incidentally out of individual players making it happen. We have a solid list of central defenders and full backs, the attacking midfielders and forwards are decent, up to intl standard at this level but why is there a huge vacant hole at CM with nobody to go into space to receive the ball from defense and pass it on. I just can't watch the game again to be more precise on the failings but the game at the time overall impressed as being very little different from the worst of Mick & MO'N.

When Heimir was with Iceland there was a plan, definitely not the most creative of plans but according to their strengths every player knew the plan and their part in it, when to defend en masse and when to get forward and support. There is no way that I would put the onus of this defeat on the players available, implying they are not good enough to qualify for the WC finals. This was a 50/50 game but we entered the game with a complete absence of a coherent plan on how to control the game and win it, in its stead we got a form of chaos, at times a very ugly chaos.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

I thought Molumby was excellent - gave away possession once in the game. My feelings on Jayson should be well-known by now, but I really wish/hope that others would look at his performances without bias going forward and acknowledge the perputual motion of his play. If you just focus on him in a match, it's actual incredible the ground he covers.
Dara O'Shea was a close second. Seamus' display defied logic. I also think Jack Taylor should get credit for his first half performance. He's far from perfect, but he complimented the side well in the first half.

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I've been hard on Molumby in the past, but i thought he was excellent. In fact I think he's been excellect since returning to the squad after being deservedly dropped for the Hungary & Armenia. He has responded to that in the best possible way.

I also thought O'Shea was excellent in both games