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

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