Qatar v Republic of Ireland - Tuesday, 30th March 2021 - Friendly

**sadloserkid** · 30/03/2021, 9:10 AM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

Anything that doesn't equate a WCQ loss at home to Luxembourg with a friendly with Qatar really would be nice.

This, in a nutshell, is exactly what I'd like.

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I just think it was a stupid thing to pick up on that comment.

And I think it's stupid to overlook an insipid, blase comment to preserve whatever glorified notion of a player's mentality you hope is there. It was a direct quote FFS, there's no microanalysis or reading between the lines there.

**Stuttgart88** · 30/03/2021, 9:24 AM

Do you think that Knight really believes a result against Qatar will offer full redemption for the loss? I don't.

What is stupid is for us to be arguing over it - because as you say it was a blasé comment!

**Diggs246** · 30/03/2021, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

Ghana beat them 5-1 recently, South Korea beat them, they only had narrow wins against Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Obviously they have improved greatly with their import of players but this all sounds like getting your excuses in early. We should be expecting to beat these. Prior to Kenny, we only lost 1 match since 2018, that was away to Switzerland. It's a sign of how bad Kenny's reign has been so far if we're talking up Qatar.

Agreed. Nobody afaik was saying that qatar would beat us before the lux game

**backstothewall** · 30/03/2021, 9:35 AM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

And I think it's stupid to overlook an insipid, blase comment to preserve whatever glorified notion of a player's mentality you hope is there. It was a direct quote FFS, there's no microanalysis or reading between the lines there.

You're right in saying that it's not reading between the lines. It's failing to read between the lines.

When it's the Taoiseach I think it's fair enough to take every word completely literally, but he's a 20 year old kid who plays football for a living. The broad strokes of what he was saying are exactly what we would want to hear.

People (including me above) complain that all footballers do is speak in tired clichés, but is that any surprise when the second somebody actually speaks honestly about the game, there's a bunch of people waiting to do their best version of Vincent Browne with it?

**DeLorean** · 30/03/2021, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

This is what he said:

"Us young lads coming through need to step up now. This is the international stage and you're here for a reason so it's down to us to ultimately perform and perform when we are asked to.

It was really disappointing after the game on Saturday, a really really bad result against Luxembourg ultimately but we're looking forward to the game against Qatar tomorrow, and trying to put things right. There's a real energy to do that; you can sense it from around the group."

I just take that to mean they're going to try to put things right, starting with the Qatar match. Nothing to see here.

**zero** · 30/03/2021, 10:35 AM

I expect a 0-0 tonight and a narrative that we are improving and should have won the game to be persued.

**Eminence Grise** · 30/03/2021, 10:36 AM

I don’t see the snippet as Crafty does – that it lacks awareness of the need for redemption. What twenty year old would have that level of insight? (My thinking as a twenty year old was far more about carrying on with the sins I enjoyed than redemption!!) I read it as trying to put right the things starting with Qatar that they’ve practiced in training, the mentality, the application and so on. Maybe asked today he’d say ‘get’ instead of ‘put’ or ‘put things to rights’ but are we really so uptight about the team* that we need to do a discourse analysis or gobbet reading of every off the cuff subordinate clause said by a young lad with very little media experience?

He’s a footballer, not the chair of a university debating soc. Or Jen Psaki’s understudy. It’s a loose sentence that probably needs better punctuation for clarity. Personally, I’d put a full stop after ‘ultimately’, because there’s a natural break there between looking back on Luxembourg and forward to Qatar which is important for context.

*Actually, we probably are. Nothing a few wins won’t improve. And getting our lives back after Covid.

**Real ale Madrid** · 30/03/2021, 3:57 PM

I'll go with a 1-0 win for us tonight with the goal scorer to be forever known going forward as the Qatar Hero.

**passinginterest** · 30/03/2021, 4:14 PM

We'll probably lose 6-0 I'm giving up on optimism in an effort to stem the tide!

Remaining squad as far as I know;
Goalkeepers: Mark Travers, Gavin Bazunu, Kieran O'Hara

Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Shane Duffy, Ciaran Clark, Dara O'Shea, Ryan Manning, Cyrus Christie, Darragh Lenihan

Midfielders: Alan Browne, Jeff Hendrick, Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Josh Cullen, Conor Coventry, Robbie Brady, James McClean, Daryl Horgan, Ronan Curtis

Strikers: Callum Robinson, Shane Long, James Collins, Troy Parrott

Likely team? I'd start Bazunu again. Maybe give one of the others the last half hour.

At the back;
Coleman - Duffy - Lenihan - Manning

In the middle, I think it'll be a start for Hendrick with either him or Knight holding, neither of which I'm keen on, but doubt Coventry starts and Cullen looks wrecked.
So likely;
Knight, Hendrick, Brady (maybe Molumby)

Up front;
Curtis - Parrott - Horgan (or McClean if he's fit enough).

Squad players probably all deserve a chance to get a run. Maybe Long will start over Parrott. It'll be telling if he again leaves the senior players out in favour of the youngsters and we see Coventry, Molumby, Knight in the middle and none of Hendrick, Brady, McClean or Long get a start.

At this stage I'm not sure how much the result matters, other than a win gets the monkey off Kenny's back. Those who want Kenny gone and those who want him to stay are pretty much decided regardless (unless we do actually lose 6-0 I suppose). If he doubles down on leaving out the senior players it'll be a huge statement and it will be interesting to see how many suddenly aren't available for selection for the summer and autumn games if that happens.

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 30/03/2021, 5:02 PM

Surely we will see a bit of fight tonight and a bounce back from the embarrassment against Luxembourg. The players having some pride in themselves alone should ensure that. When we lost to Cyprus under Staunton, we put in a much better display a few days later against the Czech Republic. So I think we'll see a spirited display tonight.

I was going to try to make a positive post but I've just heard Kenny interviewed and I'm infuriated. 'Some of our play has been nothing short of brilliant.' He actually said that and then listed off some excuses. When are the excuses going to end? It's 10 games in now, McCarthy only had 10 games, Staunton had 17. It's time to see some sort of progress on the pitch, some signs that Kenny is capable at this level. End the excuses and go win a ****ing game!!!!

BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!!!!

**passinginterest** · 30/03/2021, 5:05 PM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

Surely we will see a bit of fight tonight and a bounce back from the embarrassment against Luxembourg. The players having some pride in themselves alone should ensure that. When we lost to Cyprus under Staunton, we put in a much better display a few days later against the Czech Republic. So I think we'll see a spirited display tonight.

I was going to try to make a positive post but I've just heard Kenny interviewed and I'm infuriated. 'Some of our play has been nothing short of brilliant.' He actually said that and then listed off some excuses. When are the excuses going to end? It's 10 games in now, McCarthy only had 10 games, Staunton had 17. It's time to see some sort of progress on the pitch, some signs that Kenny is capable at this level. End the excuses and go win a ****ing game!!!!

BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!!!!

You could certainly argue the first goal against Serbia was a result of some brilliant play, ok it's been flashes but he's not completely wrong. He has to try and find positives from somewhere and something to build on. I'm not a big fan of making excuses but I'm not sure there's a lot else he can do or say at the moment.

**Fixer82** · 30/03/2021, 5:06 PM

Is Arter injured?

**John83** · 30/03/2021, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

Is Arter injured?

Yes. https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-40205096.html

**Olé Olé** · 30/03/2021, 5:28 PM

https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status...184582/photo/1

Bazunu, Coleman, Duffy, O'Shea, Christie, Brady, Hendrick, Molumby, Horgan, Long, McClean

That's the team of a man feeling pressure.

**centre mid** · 30/03/2021, 5:33 PM

Bazunu
Coleman, O Shea, Duffy, Christie
Hirgan, Hendrick, Brady, McClean
Molumby
Long

Not really sure of the formation tbh

Thought Parrott might have started.

**John83** · 30/03/2021, 5:37 PM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

That's the team of a man feeling pressure.

It's swapping out most of the tired players too. Only O'Shea and Coleman are likely feeling leggy, and he's low on full backs anyway.

Good to see more game time for Bazunu, O'Shea, and Molumby. The latter especially will have something to prove after Liam Brady's comments following the Serbia match.