Republic of Ireland v Greece - Tuesday, 10th September 2024 - UEFA Nations League

I think people are just sick of the nonsense of giving MOTM awards to one of our players in games we lose. Nothing personal against Smallbone. Needs to be stopped, or at least announcing them in the stadium needs to be. If they want to have a small presentation out of sight with the player after the game that's probably OK.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Funny thing is, had that been a Kenny performance we’d be saying yet again we let a game that had something to be taken from just slip away. Losing goals to shots from 20 yards, yet again. Like Didi Hamann used to say, we’re a team that just loses matches too easily and that’s still the case.

But because of the new manager we can put the spin on it that it’s an improvement. The shape looked good, we moved the ball well at times and although we didn’t create much it was generally cohesive and organised (until it wasn’t).

The fact remains that we routinely come out the wrong side of marginal contests while good teams like Greece do the opposite. Greece score from 20 yards, Browne forgets his technique and skies over from the same position, just like Molumby and Szmodics against England. I felt that Greece were just waiting for a good chance that they just knew would come, even while we were playing well. Both winning and losing are habits, which is why I’ve felt a spell in League C might be needed to generate confidence and momentum – if indeed we’re even good enough to win games in League C!

But carelessness and lack of incision aside, I thought there genuinely were good parts. Molumby played really well - in the first half at least. There was a spell on 20 and 21 minutes that was really accomplished progressive possession football. The switch to a back 4 worked well. Knight and Smallbone played well. Omobamidele looks confident again. We looked well balanced. We competed.

I do have to say though that had Bazunu conceded the first goal he’d be slaughtered here. Kelleher was perfectly positioned for the shot. He was only a few feet from his right hand post and he just waved it in. No?

---

Kenny had 4 years with the team, has HH even had 4 training sessions??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

Kenny had 4 years with the team, has HH even had 4 training sessions??

---

No, but John O'Shea has had three separate camps and the majority of a years worth of games with them and they've ultimately regressed.

I haven't shown this level of disinterest in the team since after the shocker of a Northern Ireland friendly in 2018.

Kenny's last year was dismal in the extreme. But that last year coincided with John O’Shea joining as assistant. And since he has come on board, there has been a rapid deterioration in performance + results. Lest we forget it wasn’t all bad under Kenny. Different team when Barry and Eustace were assistant, compared to O’Shea in the role. Just as an aside, anybody else noticed how poor our set-plays are these days - around 30% of goals are scored from set plays. Did we look like scoring from a set play last night?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

Kenny had 4 years with the team, has HH even had 4 training sessions??

---

I'm just saying the performance and outcome were very similar to comparable home games under Kenny, but the changed context makes it somewhat positive instead of totally negative. Which I think is fair.

Thought we played really well in that first half and were well in control of the game. The Greeks looked like they were just going through the motions. I wasn't sure we'd score, but the overall balance of the team and the tempo was excellent, in comparison to what we've been used to recently.

The goal was such a suckerpunch to our fragile confidence. Its not the first time I've sat in that stadium while time appears to stand still as the opposition line up a strike from distance that you already know us going in. I must have said "no" to myself about 5 seconds before the ball hit the net, it was that clear what was gonna happen.

Suddenly the Greeks are owning the ball and spraying it around and killing any chance of a comeback. We threw Ferguson on but to no effect. I'm not convinced he will be as good for us as we hope he might be. Still a lot of hurdles to overcome for him to go on and have a good career.

Hard to be positive when we are building up such a losing habit. But sure as night follows day I'll be clinging to that first half on the eve of the next double header and telling myself that we have the foundations of something under HH.

I think it’s time for sweeping changes to the starting 11, particularly the back 4.

They have lost 4 in a row and it’s not as if there are massive gaps in terms of quality between the established starters and the guys who have been on the fringes until now. The players we are picking game after game have also had their confidence shot to bits. We need change for Finland.


------------------ Kelleher ------------------
Ebosele Obamadele O'Brien Manning*
Ogbene Cullen Smallbone McAteer
-- Idah/Ferguson Parrott/Szmodics --

* Dennis Cirkin is playing regularly at left back for Sunderland at the top of the championship. HH should move heaven and earth between now and then to try to get him to declare for us.

Has there been any attempt to court Dewsbury Hall? What are his prospects of getting an England call-up given the competition, but he would be an upgrade on anything we currently have.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by third policeman

Has there been any attempt to court Dewsbury Hall?

---

What is that? A dorm at Princeton?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ifk101

Just as an aside, anybody else noticed how poor our set-plays are these days - around 30% of goals are scored from set plays. Did we look like scoring from a set play last night?

---

I haven't checked this, so it may simply be rose-tinted glasses, but it feels like we were much more dangerous from set-plays under Martin O'Neill. Ironically, many critics mocked O'Neill's apparent attitude to set-plays (which we were told was basically get it into the box for the big lad to head it).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Early days yet for HH, but this feels very Kenny-esque. Decent start, couldn't keep up the pace, picked off in the second half, lost our way, no real cutting edge, ultimately deservedly beaten.

Two games in and already it's third (and a relegation play-off) at best.

---

Would rather finish fourth than third. Avoid the relegation playoff next March so HH would at least have some friendlies before the qualifiers.

Also would mean being in League C when qualification for the Euros is linked to the NLs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John83

This aged badly.

That first half was fine. Dull, lacking in cutting edge, but dominant in possession and making some chances with minimal risk. Ogbene was bright; that offside goal was a lovely finish too. Second half was awful. Worse, I don't think a single substitution improved things. Smallbone's movement was good though his passing was sloppy at times. Brady looked perfectly fine. Doherty was very poor though. I didn't think much of Molumby or Browne, but then we looked much flakier after Molumby came off so maybe I misjudged him. Or at least we didn't have a suitable alternative in Smallbone.

I think we're going to be **** until a midfielder worth a damn matures, but we can't keep giving away those soft goals from the edge of the box.

---

That we keep giving up soft goals is a cause for concern. But I suppose to be "concerned" one would have to be hopeful in the first place. And that's quite an ask right now.
The problems with this team can be traced all the way back to the domestic game. It is as it has been for the last 50 years - nonexistent.
When a father in Ireland can send his son to a local coach in a quest to become the next Robbie Keane, Harry Kane, Luis Diaz - then we can talk. But as far as I'm aware no such person exists.
Equally, where will that so coveted creative force in midfield come from? What coach in Ireland is capable of teaching those skills to our youngsters?

We have spent many decades now placing most of our emphasis on defending. That's all well on good but games are won (and lost) at the other end of the pitch. It's long past time that we shifted our emphasis to that area of the pitch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Predator

I haven't checked this, so it may simply be rose-tinted glasses, but it feels like we were much more dangerous from set-plays under Martin O'Neill. Ironically, many critics mocked O'Neill's apparent attitude to set-plays (which we were told was basically get it into the box for the big lad to head it).

---

I am always wary when the tactic is for the small fella is to head it from set pieces ! Very discombobulating.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mark12345

That we keep giving up soft goals is a cause for concern. But I suppose to be "concerned" one would have to be hopeful in the first place. And that's quite an ask right now.
The problems with this team can be traced all the way back to the domestic game. It is as it has been for the last 50 years - nonexistent.
When a father in Ireland can send his son to a local coach in a quest to become the next Robbie Keane, Harry Kane, Luis Diaz - then we can talk. But as far as I'm aware no such person exists.
Equally, where will that so coveted creative force in midfield come from? What coach in Ireland is capable of teaching those skills to our youngsters?

We have spent many decades now placing most of our emphasis on defending. That's all well on good but games are won (and lost) at the other end of the pitch. It's long past time that we shifted our emphasis to that area of the pitch.

---

To be fair, the level of coaching in Ireland is growing rapidly. There's more qualified coaches than ever before.

You'd do well to go out and watch some of the underage leagues. The standard is excellent.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seanfhear

I am always wary when the tactic is for the small fella is to head it from set pieces ! Very discombobulating.

---

Unless it's Shane Long!

And the U21s and other underage teams do well, so clearly the coaches we have are doing good work. It's a head scratcher how things seem to unravel as the same players get older.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

To be fair, the level of coaching in Ireland is growing rapidly. There's more qualified coaches than ever before.

You'd do well to go out and watch some of the underage leagues. The standard is excellent.

---

I have heard that coaching is improving in Ireland, Nigel, and that's encouraging (I'm not in a position to watch underage games as I live abroad). But it doesn't decrease the frustration in looking at this current team as they are seriously lacking in the tools needed to win games. Maybe I need to be more patient, but I am a lifelong fan and I have lost virtually all interest in this team (and I know there are many more like me).
Change through proper coaching cannot come fast enough.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Predator

I haven't checked this, so it may simply be rose-tinted glasses, but it feels like we were much more dangerous from set-plays under Martin O'Neill. Ironically, many critics mocked O'Neill's apparent attitude to set-plays (which we were told was basically get it into the box for the big lad to head it).

---

Maybe because it was the only way we looked like scoring? :-)

Just a quick check, but we scored 17 goals with Barry as assistant, 5 from set plays = approx. 30%. We scored a goal every 64 mins.

With O’Shea as assistant/ interim, 15 goals with 3 from set-plays = 20%. Goal scored every 96 mins.

O’Shea has overall faced stronger opposition but that’s weighed up with a more experienced (better?) squad to call upon
.
Simple comparison for sure, but I think you can see the coaching in our play when Barry was assistant. There was more invention/ thought behind the set-plays, more patterns in our attack play. Not seeing that with O’Shea as assistant/ interim manager/ head “assisting” coach.

There is a commentary put forth post Greece that the players don’t care, which builds on the previous the players aren’t good enough. For me the issue is the coaching. The coaching is not good enough, we are not maximising the ability/ potential of the players available to us. It is possible HH can do this with time but questionable if he is relying on O’Shea to implement his ideas.

O' Neill also had a considerably better team to work with, and I think relative quality/experience of squads is the thing often left out of managerial comparisons.

Thinking of possible morale boost and developing winning habits... How about an 'Iceland'-type tournament at the end of this season, like the one Jack won back in the day? 3 teams battle it out over a week during a friendlies window - based in Dublin as practice for hosting the Euros. Obviously the other teams should be lowly (even lowlier than us), giving us the chance of a confidence boosting win or 2 and the manager an opportunity to try out some different ideas. (Could all end in disaster, of course, but that's sport.)