Serbia V Republic of Ireland - Wednesday, 24th March 2021 - World Cup 2022 Qualifier

Stephen Kenny has effectively admitted that the approach he has taken until now in the job has been a complete failure.

That sounds like a criticism. It absolutely isn't. I commend the bravery of doing this. The last 3 managers have been as stubborn as mules and would have stuck with their plan all the way to the death.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

It's the kind of side a keyboard warrior on foot.ie might pick when they don't have to face any consequences for screwing up team selection :)

I hope it works...

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It's the kind of side this keyboard warrior picked a couple of pages back.

In terms of selection I think he's been even more aggressive than i would have been. I hope to god it works out. Fair play to him.

Guilty, Pineapple! :)

All my talk of a 3-5-2 type formation coming to fruition here today. I am really intrigued to see it in action and i can only commend SK on this decision - huge calls in terms of formation and selection. For that reason alone, i hope this works out for him tonight and we get a positive performance and a respectable result. Wow, that really is an unbelievable set of calls/balls!

Unfortunately, he'll be lambasted and accused of panicking etc etc if it doesnt work out.

The bad news is that the players won't have had long to work on the system.

But the good news is that the Serbs will have spent the last week preparing to face a turgid looking 4-3-3.

If it isn't working out we can always put McClean on and let him have at them.

Game on.

Tony just can't help himself with the jabby questions can he?

Jaysus, some set of balls to pick that side. He’ll be torn apart in certain quarters for not picking the experience of Duffy, Hendrick and Brady if it goes terribly wrong. Makes it feel even more make or break than if he made the conservative calls.

Nobody can say it’s not exciting at least! Desperate to see a great performance now.

Is it 4-3-3 with Doherty up top right?

Doing Ok so far, but the same old thing upfront, already given it away cheaply a few times, and letting Serbia pass it about a bit too easily on our half.

Whoooooooooooo

Great stuff!

So, how many minutes was that then!

What to do now, more of the same or consider something less gung ho?

Great goal, really good move.

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Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

So, how many minutes was that then!

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7 whole games plus whatever it was here - 17 minutes? 647 minutes

I wonder has Stojkovic made a selection error leaving Mitrovic and Jovic on the bench? The two replacements seem to be lower profile and Tadic aside, they're not making much impression up front.

Their corners are good though, and they're getting a lot of them.

Are they? They've had six and didn't get a shot on goal off any of them have they?

Well Tadic is sending in nice balls into the six-yard box, but they've no-one on the end of them. But they're the kind of corners that just need a nick and they can cause big trouble for us.

O'Shea very poor there. Both sides have scored from the only chance they've made! Get to half time now and re-assess.

Should coleman have been on the cover a bit more too?

Gutted. It was an almost perfect 45 minutes. Serbia were starting to get frustrated and then they went and scored.

Cullen & Coleman going well.

And Robinson too.

We've had very little possession but when we have we'ved used it well.

We'll do well to keep them scoreless second half. I can't see it given all the ball they've had.

Solid performance, but I wouldn't go too mad praising the team. Serbia being allowed far more of the ball and look far, far more dangerous than us. Dealing with the corners so far, but when you give away this many, as Stu says eventually someone will get on the end of one. Zero ideas most of the time we went forward. I'll take 1-1 thanks.

Thats a good 45 mins, their goal aside. Doherty still doesnt do enough for me. Cullen, Briwne and Molumby have worked tirelessly and but some decent moves together. Connolly is a bit isolated but holding it up well enough.

All in all a good start. Tadic apart theres not a lot between the sides.