Re the Ronaldo slap on O'Shea's shoulder: We certainly would be furious if an opponent tried to get one of ours sent off like that. Disappointing behaviour by an Irish player.
Last edited by Demesne Lad; 02/09/2021 at 12:59 PM. Reason: Clarification
Kudos too for calling it what it was, and not a punch or something more dramatic.Originally Posted by Demesne Lad
I'm fine with it to be honest, they'd do it to us and Ronaldo tried it with Coleman late on letting on he'd been elbowed in the mouth. Fine with the home crowd wanting to do the time for killing Matt Doherty for time wasting also, and Bazunu walking a tightrope while taking his time. There was a cynical edge to us last night at times which will serve us well plenty on other occasions and very nearly did away to Portugal for WC points.
Very proud of that team last night and their manager. Big week ahead.
Overall Kenny got the game tactically right and the players put in a tremendous effort only for that typically cosmic intervention from Ronaldo at the end.
That Santos' hand was forced at half-time, when he realised he needed to make a change, was telling and as the game wore on I think they genuinely ran out of ideas. Their two goals came from pumping crosses into an overloaded box - a perfectly basic tactic when chasing a game in the dying moments - and luckily for them they have one of the best headers of a ball in the world in their team.
The minor criticism I'd have is that Kenny persisted with Connolly for too long when he was wasting a lot of chances and losing the ball in crucial moments (the failure to pass to Idah being a major example). I can see why he persisted. He believes in the player and was showing that by keeping him on in the hope he'd eventually score. But after a while that wastefulness can hurt morale. I would have liked to have seen Parrott or Horgan introduced to offer something different, though bringing McClean on made sense when the intent was to protect the lead (albeit he failed on that front).
In terms of individual performances I thought Egan, Coleman, Cullen and Doherty were particularly strong on the night, but there weren't really any bad performances. Bazunu's penalty save then the free kick save at the end were big moments, Duffy cleared nearly everything that came into the box, McGrath's distribution and off-the-ball covering were excellent and Idah's hold-up play frustrated the hell out of two highly accomplished centre-backs.
Just a pity they couldn't hold out.
Re: the Ronaldo-O'Shea incident... players have been carded and sent off for swinging for an opponent. Regardless of your opinion on the morality of O'Shea's reaction, it should have been examined at the very least.
Last edited by Predator; 02/09/2021 at 1:39 PM.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
ah yes... the good old high moral ground argument. quite ironic given who was involved in the incident
Duffy's choices were effective, but somehow that shows his unsuitability for the team?I thought the back line was commanding and also composed.
On the point of composed defenders. I distinctly remember Premier League Player of the Year Dias playing a terrible pass out of defence under zero pressure during the game. He was absolutely atrocious when trying to defend Egan during the Connolly penalty shout too. It always intrigues me how these sorts of moments are generally not placed under a microscope when it is a certain player. They are exactly the sort of moments we'd use to dissect our own players to death. Well, I guess they might be dissecting it on foot.pt.
Last edited by Predator; 02/09/2021 at 2:22 PM.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
Absolutely. All's fair in love and war.
All the best teams in the world play on the edge.
Portugal do it with Pepe the standard-bearer. It helped Italy win Euro 2020. The Limerick fella Mulcahy breaking the Cork lad's hurl in the All-Ireland final. Good teams often tend to have a nasty streak.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
I'd like to think we're better than that, some of us at least, and Kenny .
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
A typical Stephen Kenny team, masters of the dark arts.
As Irishmen we dilute our sense of nation by depending on the English to bring us our balls
Effective in stopping the attack, not ideal in that it just created a new oneDuffy's choices were effective, but somehow that shows his unsuitability for the team?
Jesus, I bore the place to death just focussing on our players. I'll be banned if I do it for opposition. But if we're going down that road....the standard of Portuguese crossing in general was awful - apart from the two peaches they scored from.On the point of composed defenders. I distinctly remember Premier League Player of the Year Dias playing a terrible pass out of defence under zero pressure during the game. He was absolutely atrocious when trying to defend Egan during the Connolly penalty shout too. It always intrigues me how these sorts of moments are generally not placed under a microscope when it is a certain player. They are exactly the sort of moments we'd use to dissect our own players to death. Well, I guess they might be dissecting it on foot.pt.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Did you never do the finger trick against an opposition winger? blowing on the cf's neck was a favourite of mine.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
We lost to Portugal by the odd goal in the same way Azerbaijan, who lost to Luxembourg last night, did.
The fact we were minutes away from holding on for an unlikely (17/1!) victory makes it all the more heartbreaking.
Therefore I don't quite go along with some of the near euphoria expressed by some on here and elsewhere, though there were some positives to take from both this performance and the previous one against Hungary in terms of personal performances (Bazanu, Idah, Cullen, Duffy, and with certain, qualifications Connolly), a greater solidity in evidence, and the doggedness and application of the players, something which though shouldn't be taken for granted you would expect under any manager. Something to build upon perhaps, then.
That said, if the grim statistic of 1 win in 14 fails to cut any ice amongst the True Believers, then lack of LoI representation and unimpressive possession stats (only 30%) must raise at least a few doubts.
Im still depressed today after the result. My work colleagues all think Im a total psycho for the sh1t fit I threw when the 2nd goal went in yesterday.
I find it hard to understand those that are still focusing on the fact that we didnt win and continue to blame Kenny. With the amount of young players that have been introduced in the last year I think we are making very good progress. Some players came of age last night. Idah was just fabulous to watch at times.
The next 2 games are so vital. If we go back to the Luxemburg performance on Saturday against Azerbaijan then yes people are right to question Kenny, but based on last nights performance alone you cannot criticize him. Most fans I know feared a 4 or 5 nil hammering yesterday, myself included.
I believe we have great chance to kick on and win next 2 games now, and if we do I think Kenny should be allowed to get the next campaign.
Good spot, I don't anybody else remarked upon Idah's hold-up play last night. And in case Idah doesn't identify other areas to work upon, why not send him a message with a list.
You're right. Good thinking. Hopefully Norwich backroom staff and coaches are available on their email
I think in pre-season and the start of the league, I've shown a bit of that so that's probably one of the main things that I've worked on during the summer,"
Idah explained that areas of particular focus during the summer were on his strength and fitness, while he is a participant in meetings involving the strikers at Norwich.
Showing key areas worked on and seeing instant improvement can only give the lad more confidence and belief in adding other attributes to his game.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Do you feel SK playing Idah in previous games when he wasn't as impressive as last night would have been important in his international development, leading to last nights performance ? Or would you deem these unconnected coincidental matters ?
Very perceptive of you. This is exactly how it is in politics nowadays not to mention life in general. Quotes are almost always out of context while logic is nowhere to be found.
Just gonna leave this here
https://twitter.com/KennysKids/statu...864708105?s=20
I think that's wilful misrepresentation, an act of sophistry.
There are no True Believers. I'd say most people not screaming for SK's head realise full well that his tenure has been near disastrous in terms of results and mostly underwhelming at best in terms of performances. But they'd also concede he was thrown in at the deep end and was a Hourihane nightmare miss away from winning his first game. COVID and the FAI's handling of COVID at times has ruined preparation in key games. He inherited an ageing squad with no natural successors. It's been pointed out validly that behind the Hendrick & Brady generation nobody really emerged until around now. There was justified excitement that a good U21 team that was evidently well-managed by SK could form the basis for a good senior team. These guys are only now developing into senior players. The FAI is broke. The stadiums have been empty and soulless.
I think there are those who don't rate SK and that's fine, but I've yet to hear a better suggestion that we can afford. There are very few if any True Believers, just those that recognise that turning our senior team into a team fit for 21st century international football after decades of underinvestment and short-termism isn't an easy job and takes time. Even if SK isn't the guy to finish this job he probably deserves to start it properly and that'd be a full qualifying campaign imho.
And "unimpressive possession stats". Oh FFS, really...
Any clown can see that we used the ball well a lot of the time on Wednesday. We were away to Portugal. Possession stats aren't a stick to beat SK with here. Crap stats and crap qualitative possession tomorrow would be.
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