Republic of Ireland v England - Saturday, 7th September 2024 - UEFA Nations League

There's another piece in the Athletic by Michael Walker about Carsley. States that he was very torn about who to represent because he was called up to England representative sides and was keen. One year he was asked to join the England 21s squad for the Toulon tournament but had to withdraw due to injury. The following year he's being called up to Ireland 21s and a side representing the Championship against a Serie B selection. But that Jim Smith, his Derby manager, told him to go with Ireland for more certainty of caps.

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

There's another piece in the Athletic by Michael Walker about Carsley. States that he was very torn about who to represent because he was called up to England representative sides and was keen. One year he was asked to join the England 21s squad for the Toulon tournament but had to withdraw due to injury. The following year he's being called up to Ireland 21s and a side representing the Championship against a Serie B selection. But that Jim Smith, his Derby manager, told him to go with Ireland for more certainty of caps.

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Jim Smith ( The Bald Eagle ) knew his stuff ~ That's if it was the same Bald Eagle ( Jim Smith )

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

Jim Smith ( The Bald Eagle ) knew his stuff ~ That's if it was the same Bald Eagle ( Jim Smith )

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Attilio Lombardo is the other bald eagle. Wonder if it was him?

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Attilio Lombardo is the other bald eagle. Wonder if it was him?

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When eagles fly !

Where Eagles Dare!

Is Saturday's fixture v England an FAI claimed sell-out yet! :confused:

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Originally Posted by nr637

Is Saturday's fixture v England an FAI claimed sell-out yet! :confused:

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no tickets on ticketmaster anyway

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Originally Posted by nr637

Is Saturday's fixture v England an FAI claimed sell-out yet! :confused:

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HH has such a short contract he needs a positive start. It's all about the result for me on Saturday. Be compact show an ability to connect the thirds and offer a bit of creativity in the rare moments we are in their final third. I'd be hopeful of a draw on Saturday. I'd also be hopeful of us playing 4 at the back and abandoning thev5 at the back until.we actually have athletic wingbacks and a dominant number 6. It's a 442 for me SS off idah with a narrow 4 of molumby smallbone Knight and browne. Coleman Collins o shea doherty at the back

I think your right about the 4 4 2 formation.
People seem to laugh at it and then not offer a coherent reason to explain why they think it's a ridiculous formation.

I agree with your defense
I would have SS and Troy. They are better players than Adam.

I would also start ogbene on the right

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Originally Posted by liamoo11

It's all about the result for me on Saturday. [...] It's a 442 for me SS off idah with a narrow 4 of molumby smallbone Knight and browne. Coleman Collins o shea doherty at the back

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I think to say it's all about the result is a bit harsh in the context of that line-up. Not to criticise your selection as such - but you can't polish a turd. We are significantly weaker than England in every area even if they are missing a couple of their better attacking players. I also worry that Southgate was a very conservative manager and held them back a bit - maybe he didn't trust the defence fully against top teams, but that's hardly a concern against us.

While I'd love to get a result - and you can say they're weak in defence and we'll be up for it more and we'll have the crowd behind us and they are missing top players - I think performance is more important than result here. Even against Greece on Tuesday, though obviously that's a game we should be targetting at least a draw in.

I'd say there's a slim possibility of 4-5-1, can't see a 4-4-2 happening, most likely it'll be 5-4-1 or 5-2-3 if you want to put an attacking spin on it! I think it'll be;

Kelleher
Coleman
O'Shea
Collins
Scales
Brady

Smallbone
Molumby

Ogbene
Szmodics

Idah

Possibly Knight or Bowne over Szmodics. Browne if he really wants to get bigger physical players on the field. Might also give O'Brien a chance to come in at centre back and move Scales to the left. I do think Heimir might just focus on getting as many big lads as possible on the field.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think to say it's all about the result is a bit harsh in the context of that line-up. Not to criticise your selection as such - but you can't polish a turd. We are significantly weaker than England in every area even if they are missing a couple of their better attacking players. I also worry that Southgate was a very conservative manager and held them back a bit - maybe he didn't trust the defence fully against top teams, but that's hardly a concern against us.

While I'd love to get a result - and you can say they're weak in defence and we'll be up for it more and we'll have the crowd behind us and they are missing top players - I think performance is more important than result here. Even against Greece on Tuesday, though obviously that's a game we should be targetting at least a draw in.

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I totally agree with you if we take these games in isolation. The problem for HH is that SK used up all the opportunities for games and windows and campaigns and managerial reigns to be about performances and cultures and development and styles and philosophies without getting actual hard fought big boy results against better quality opposition. HH is the victim of that now unfortunately for him. He needs us to max out our abilities and have a game plan that focuses on the opposition and not on a philosophy and get a draw however ugly on Saturday. We went no where under Kenny , we were no more comfortable with possession football by the end of his reign than at the beginning and his vision had brought us no closer to been better than the sum of our parts which is the greatest indictment of his tenure.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

I'd say there's a slim possibility of 4-5-1, can't see a 4-4-2 happening, most likely it'll be 5-4-1 or 5-2-3 if you want to put an attacking spin on it! I think it'll be;

Kelleher
Coleman
O'Shea
Collins
Scales
Brady

Smallbone
Molumby

Ogbene
Szmodics

Idah

Possibly Knight or Bowne over Szmodics. Browne if he really wants to get bigger physical players on the field. Might also give O'Brien a chance to come in at centre back and move Scales to the left. I do think Heimir might just focus on getting as many big lads as possible on the field.

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I can't see how we can survive with 2 central midfield players against England. SS has zero pace playing off the left having to track saka from an advanced position will be be a total.mismatch. trying to maintain the small amount of possession we will gey in the final third will be key on Saturday and to me ogbene offers no ability to link up play, to connect with his striker or to impact the game centrally so basically ends up as a luxury winning a few frees out wide where he is going no where and getting high on the idiotic applause of the crowd for the kick and run winger stuff. If we play 5 at the back.id love to see ogbene as a wingback but his limitations make him.a liability any further forward at international level.in our side.

What benefit do 3 centre backs give us when England play kane up front who will spend most of his time droped into.midfield to overload the central areas to make it at least 4 v 2 centrally for England in midfield ? We will get utterly run over through the centre. 523 is about making the game expansive which is utterly the opposite of what we need to do to get a result. We need to make the pitch nartow give up the wide areas congest the central areas and deal with the crosses that then hopefully come in from those wide areas as our centre halves should. When we win the ball back centrally then we need to have the ability to keep possession to create a few chances not kick it towards the side line and run after it for a few cheers

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Originally Posted by liamoo11

I can't see how we can survive with 2 central midfield players against England. SS has zero pace playing off the left having to track saka from an advanced position will be be a total.mismatch. trying to maintain the small amount of possession we will gey in the final third will be key on Saturday and to me ogbene offers no ability to link up play, to connect with his striker or to impact the game centrally so basically ends up as a luxury winning a few frees out wide where he is going no where and getting high on the idiotic applause of the crowd for the kick and run winger stuff. If we play 5 at the back.id love to see ogbene as a wingback but his limitations make him.a liability any further forward at international level.in our side.

What benefit do 3 centre backs give us when England play kane up front who will spend most of his time droped into.midfield to overload the central areas to make it at least 4 v 2 centrally for England in midfield ? We will get utterly run over through the centre. 523 is about making the game expansive which is utterly the opposite of what we need to do to get a result. We need to make the pitch nartow give up the wide areas congest the central areas and deal with the crosses that then hopefully come in from those wide areas as our centre halves should. When we win the ball back centrally then we need to have the ability to keep possession to create a few chances not kick it towards the side line and run after it for a few cheers

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Agree with all this. So if JOS has his say expect 5-4-1.

Better to just see this game as a free hit I think. Kenny was given over two years of free hits before there was any real sign of accountability for his failure so I think HH can at least be given this game!

I think we need to be realistic about this Nations League campaign. I follow a football stats/data page that has us as statistically fourth favourites to win the group, third favourites to come second, joint second favourites to finish third and favourites to come last. So if we can even finish third here while being competitive across the four Greece and Finland games, Heimir can consider it a job well done.

Third is fine anyway, we're not going to win this group and there's no major benefit to coming second over third. So basically the aim will be to match Finland's results throughout and try to win the head to head against them.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

Better to just see this game as a free hit I think. Kenny was given over two years of free hits before there was any real sign of accountability for his failure so I think HH can at least be given this game!

I think we need to be realistic about this Nations League campaign. I follow a football stats/data page that has us as statistically fourth favourites to win the group, third favourites to come second, joint second favourites to finish third and favourites to come last. So if we can even finish third here while being competitive across the four Greece and Finland games, Heimir can consider it a job well done.

Third is fine anyway, we're not going to win this group and there's no major benefit to coming second over third. So basically the aim will be to match Finland's results throughout and try to win the head to head against them.

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The digs at Kenny aside ( its over man, let it go), I agree that tomorrow is a free hit and irrelevant really. If we play well and get a win Hallgrimsson will make himself an instant national hero, but as long as we show some good things I'll be happy enough. Lets get the basics right, pick the right players in their right positions and get subs right. If a player is obviously having an nightmare dont leave it until the 85th minute to change it.

The Greek game is more important to see what his actual way of playing might look like

I'm genuinely dreading heading to this game for every single one of the reasons you'd think. The combination of factors is just grim everyway you look at it.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

I'm genuinely dreading heading to this game for every single one of the reasons you'd think. The combination of factors is just grim everyway you look at it.

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The new manager gives a bit of new hope so Im not dreading it as much as I was.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

Third is fine anyway, we're not going to win this group and there's no major benefit to coming second over third. .

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Second gets a promotion playoff and third gets a relegation playoff

You're right - I'd forgotten they brought that in.