For me he should be the option to come on at wing back if we are chasing it. Just not good enough as a winger.Originally Posted by irishfan86
For me he should be the option to come on at wing back if we are chasing it. Just not good enough as a winger.
Azaz into the position you have Taylor in and Ogbene into the position you have Azaz in would be my guess. Idah and Vale to come on as subs. Hard to know what he'll go with in midfield behind Azaz. For a physical contest against the Czechs the two you've picked would potentially be best. But it's a big ask to just throw Lawal into this. He seems to like Knight. I like him too, but just not in a midfield two.
I'd swap Knight for Taylor in your lineup and have him play in front of the 3 CBs. He's done two weeks now filling in as CB so he should be comfortable for the DM role.
I don't think Ogbene should start. We don't have Festy's pace to bring off the bench so either if we're chasing the game I'd bring him on for the last 30 or if we're protecting a lead I'd have him on for the last 20. His pace tends to prevent the opposing CBs from coming too far forward and that could be crucial.
From today's evidence he was his usual self in attack but worrying when he needed to defend so I wouldn't have him on at RB in any scenario
unless we're throwing the kitchen sink to get an equalizer at the end.
In other news, Kelleher went down for medical attention in the Brentford game which made me have a caniption. Turned out to just be a tacric for Andrews to give out instructions but Jesus my heart was in my mouth. Collins playing okay but still has that blunder in him. Kelleher in fine form other than the above.
Manning and Azaz had a solid game today. Outside of Parrot and Kelleher, the two of them are the key players for me as our primary playmakers.
Jake O Brien was excellent against Chelsea. Best option to go to RB if we need to change to 4-4-2 if we're chasing as well
Sorry this became and essay. Went on a roll today watching our players so hope it's helpful
Oh and Browne didn't have the best of games today. Maybe a 6/10. Had a couple of solid chances and squandered them
If you remember Diarmuid O'Carroll, former underage striker who was with Celtic and played in the North, he's working as a coach in the Czech Republic now.
Here's his take on the opposition
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soc...hostile-night/
Its strange not having a second leg. Really changes the dynamics of thinking. In any other case we'd be happy with a hard earned draw and take them to the Aviva. In my head we keep it tight until half time, get the measure of them and hopefully be brave from there. But I can't see any left field calls like Lawal or Vale starting
Thanks for that Tets. It's a good read and really does seem like the physical battle will be key on Thursday. I'm inclined to think that a lot rests on which version of Collins shows up on the night. The one positive there is how physical Brentford are so it should be in his club wheelhouse.
I think we're at the right level of underdog for both these games as well. Hopefully we show enough respect for the first 20 minutes and then the longer it's scoreless the more likely it is that we will win imo
Another good read:
https://archive.is/20260323060739/ht...761452377.html
Two legs and a final in a neutral venue makes most sense.
I’m hoping for Browne and Molumby to start and battle in the middle of the park. With Azaz sitting in front of them
I'm encouraged by this observation
'What we know is Koubek doesn’t harbour lofty ideas of playing through midfield. He prefers a more vertical style of football and plays to the strengths of his playing pool.
West Ham’s Tomáš Souček and Lukas Provod of Slavia are good players but the Czech style is generally to miss midfield.
They simply don’t have a creative, ball-playing type of player. What they have got is stoppers, number 10s, plenty of legs and physicality – but they don’t have an elite-level creative midfielder.'
i think we can match that style and go one better, if not then a penalty shootout looms large.
Sounds like us minus Finn Azaz
This feels like a penalty shoot out before a ball is kicked ! Hopefully we have practiced loads and I have confidence in Kelleher getting a hand to one although if the Czechs studied the West Ham FA Cup shoot out, they will go high to the corners with each kick.
All sorts going on in Prague this morning - - thousands marching on the streets, protesting against their president; dozens lifted for football corruption by czech police, interpol, europol and others - including players from all levels of the game... not sure exactly what to make of how that will impact things but it cant be a good thing overall - might be a distraction at interviews and such, even if the players tend to live in a protected bubble.
Any news on the Schick and Sulc injuries? I dreamt that Sulc (who i have probably never seen play in my life) got injured 5 minutes in and i was f*ckin delighted...no idea how the game went but that was enough for me apparently. I'm some weirdo.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
Prague falling apart at the thought of losing this match. Coaching staff should take the corruption thing as a warning and watch the ref like a bleedin' hawk. Feels like a penos type match to me too.
Last edited by texidub; 24/03/2026 at 2:39 PM.
This is giving me serious FOMO, as the kids are saying
https://www.the42.ie/republic-of-ire...992998-Mar2026
Soucek has been dropped anyway it seems. I don't know if this was already a known situation but hard to know if it's good news or bad news.
Seems the new coach is trying to build a wall around the drama during qualifying. I do get the sense that heads will drop fast on their side if we take an early lead.
That always scares the bejasus out of me with Ireland but considering how fast their fans might turn on them it might work in our favour.
Prague seems a bit mental at the moment
Can't remember this level of hype before for any of the play offs we've previously been involved in.
Probably not since the France one in 09. World Cup playoffs are a level up from Euros playoffs. Not sure why the Denmark one in 2017 didn't quite capture the imagination in the same way, but I think there was maybe an understanding that the team were in decline at the time and we weren't easy to watch.
Darren Randolph
Stephen Ward
Ciaran Clark
Shane Duffy
Cyrus Christie
James McClean
Harry Arter
Jeff Hendrick
Callum O'Dowda
Robbie Brady
Daryl Murphy
That was the starting team in Copenhagen and they drew the away leg.
How the hell did that team make it to a playoff?!
its the guts of the team that had a very decent euro 2016 in france, thats how.
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