France V Republic of Ireland - Thursday, 7th September 2023 - Euro 2024 Qualifier

**Jolly Red Giant** · 08/09/2023, 6:24 PM

Originally Posted by Trequartista20

But, accept it or not, this is symptomatic of the way the team is organised defensively and a recurring issue that has yet to be properly addressed by the management.

And won't be because the management don't think its a problem - or don't know how to address the problem.

**Jolly Red Giant** · 08/09/2023, 6:25 PM

Originally Posted by JR89

Jonathan Afolabi and Sinclair Armstrong both called up to the senior squad.

I like Armstrong - I think he has a lot of potential and could be Ferguson's strike partner for years if he comes anywhere close to fulfilling it.

**Jolly Red Giant** · 08/09/2023, 6:32 PM

Just as an aside - When Molumby was playing with the U-17s and U-19s (Both for Brighton and Ireland) there was many a game where he was pinging the ball around the pitch like Liam Brady - I think the loans at Millwall and Preston ruined him because they both wanted a box-to-box midfielder who could cover the ground and I think Molumby lost his way in the process - and I blame Graham Potter for not recognising what he had with Molumby and didn't play proper attention to him while he was on loan.

**brine3** · 08/09/2023, 6:59 PM

Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

Just as an aside - When Molumby was playing with the U-17s and U-19s (Both for Brighton and Ireland) there was many a game where he was pinging the ball around the pitch like Liam Brady - I think the loans at Millwall and Preston ruined him because they both wanted a box-to-box midfielder who could cover the ground and I think Molumby lost his way in the process - and I blame Graham Potter for not recognising what he had with Molumby and didn't play proper attention to him while he was on loan.

It happens all the time out on loan in the English meat grinder divisions.

We need to stop sending our best players over there.

Fix our own youth system. In the meantime, try and get players to go to the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, etc.

**Predator** · 09/09/2023, 7:45 AM

Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

Just as an aside - When Molumby was playing with the U-17s and U-19s (Both for Brighton and Ireland) there was many a game where he was pinging the ball around the pitch like Liam Brady - I think the loans at Millwall and Preston ruined him because they both wanted a box-to-box midfielder who could cover the ground and I think Molumby lost his way in the process - and I blame Graham Potter for not recognising what he had with Molumby and didn't play proper attention to him while he was on loan.

I am pretty sure that Molumby's passing accuracy is regularly among the best in the squad. His industriousness and "chaotic" qualities (as Stephen Kenny once noted) often distract from the fact that he rarely misplaces a pass. You could well be right about the moves impacting his better attacking instincts. Similar thing seems to have happened to Jeff Hendrick, who broke through at Derby County as a midfielder who got forward a lot and scored his share of goals. Then he moved to Burnley where his creative freedom was stifled.

**tetsujin1979** · 09/09/2023, 8:06 AM

FWIW, Molumby attempted, and completed more passes than any other Irish player against France - 40 completed from 42 attempted, or about one every two minutes
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw6D2oSoaM2/

**Ol� Ol�** · 09/09/2023, 9:29 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

FWIW, Molumby attempted, and completed more passes than any other Irish player against France - 40 completed from 42 attempted, or about one every two minutes
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw6D2oSoaM2/

And which way did they go? There was a stage in the first half where about two team mates and Alan Browne urged him to slip one around a corner out right ahead of Browne. Molumby turned around and passed it backwards. It was galling in a game where he wasn't being pressed a pile and we couldn't get the ball forward fastly and accurately.

I have been hoping he'd improve but when you are seeing that kind of stuff happening where the percentage of completion is closer to 90% than his usual 100% it is hard to keep rooting.

**Ol� Ol�** · 09/09/2023, 9:30 AM

And, yes, he used to be loving those passes and playing front foot football. Less so nowadays. Hopefully he can train it with confidence and time.

**tetsujin1979** · 09/09/2023, 9:55 AM

Originally Posted by Ol� Ol�

And which way did they go? There was a stage in the first half where about two team mates and Alan Browne urged him to slip one around a corner out right ahead of Browne. Molumby turned around and passed it backwards. It was galling in a game where he wasn't being pressed a pile and we couldn't get the ball forward fastly and accurately.

I have been hoping he'd improve but when you are seeing that kind of stuff happening where the percentage of completion is closer to 90% than his usual 100% it is hard to keep rooting.

According to who scored - https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/16...France-Ireland - it was 41 passes in total, 20 forward, 21 backward.
I forgot Molumby went off on 68 minutes, so it was closer to one pass around every minute and a half

**seanfhear** · 09/09/2023, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by Trequartista20

Since the beginning of 2021, 11 of the goals we've conceded have come from long distance strikes - roughly half of the goals scored against us in that time.

Taken in isolation, you could say every one of those goals was 'a unstoppable worldie', 'simple bad luck', 'an unbelievable, once in a lifetime hit', or whatever. But, looked on collectively in overview, it's obvious we have a problem. 'Don't get fixated' said Kenny, when asked about the issue.

But, accept it or not, this is symptomatic of the way the team is organised defensively and a recurring issue that has yet to be properly addressed by the management.

Kenny has not taken in to account that his team are playing against much better players than he is used to playing against and much much more capable of shooting from distance. He is not giving the goalkeeper enough protection from these shots.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2023, 1:41 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

Kenny has not taken in to account that his team are playing against much better players that he is used to playing against and much much more capable of sc bring from distance.

Ah will you stop

**seanfhear** · 09/09/2023, 2:20 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Ah will you stop

Stop the shooters or at least make it more difficult for them.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2023, 3:08 PM

�Give them space lads, plenty of time to get shots away. We have nothing by to fear - Market Fields, the Showgrounds, Terryland, you name it I�ve been there, and players never score long shots against my teams. France more or less at the same level so we should be grand. Are you listening Festy? Enda, Shano, Johnser, Jayo, Joshy - Whatever you do, remember, just give them lots of time on the ball and plenty of space to shoot from distance.�

That�s how the team talks go.

**legendz** · 09/09/2023, 3:11 PM

Romania v Israel tonight and Albania v Poland tomorrow are games of interest for Ireland. Ireland need Israel and Poland to qualify automatically with Romania and Albania missing out.

**John83** · 09/09/2023, 3:19 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

�Give them space lads, plenty of time to get shots away. We have nothing by to fear - Market Fields, the Showgrounds, Terryland, you name it I�ve been there, and players never score long shots against my teams. France more or less at the same level so we should be grand. Are you listening Festy? Enda, Shano, Johnser, Jayo, Joshy - Whatever you do, remember, just give them lots of time on the ball and plenty of space to shoot from distance.�

That�s how the team talks go.

Ah, here, Stu, that's a weak strawman. That's not how it works. Every decision made about how a team plays is a compromise. No one is saying, "Make this mistake." They might be obsessing about stopping one kind of attack and inadvertantly priming another. The best balance is delicate, or managers would never get an edge on each other tactically. I'm not arguing that's what's happening here, but it's hardly implausible.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2023, 3:28 PM

I know. Read seanfhears post though. It implies that Kenny is completely brainless, lacks anny awareness and doesn�t coach with account for the quality of the opposition he faces. We all have our opinions on Kenny but come on!!

**seanfhear** · 09/09/2023, 3:51 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

I know. Read seanfhears post though. It implies that Kenny is completely brainless, lacks anny awareness and doesn�t coach with account for the quality of the opposition he faces. We all have our opinions on Kenny but come on!!

Kenny is the one that is saying long range goals are not an issue ~ ~ When they are.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2023, 4:55 PM

That�s not true SF. I just read an article this morning where he calls out the issue and talks about the adjustments they have been making and need to make. Obviously more needs to be done on the issue but he�s also not a brainless, blind numpty which is what I took from your original message.

**John83** · 09/09/2023, 5:01 PM

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/stephen-kenny-issues-injury-update-ahead-of-ireland-vs-netherlands/a621700174.html

Kenny confirms Keane and Stevens out and discusses the late call-ups. 3 minute video.

**mark12345** · 09/09/2023, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

Kenny is the one that is saying long range goals are not an issue ~ ~ When they are.

Time for everyone on this forum, a day out from the visit of Holland to the Aviva, to put their thinking caps on and identify the problems besetting our national team and the solutions to fix those problems. I've been listening to, and it's not limited to this forum by any means, Irish lads bang on about this or that for decades now. And I can't remember one solution offered or any type of vision for the future. Unless something changes drastically with the Irish game we'll be here forever moaning about not qualifying for major competitions.