Bulgaria v Ireland - Thursday 20.3.25 - Nations League

[Razors left peg]

The point then being that the absolute last thing we want to be doing is dropping back to just one.

I think there's an issue where people don't like our current midfield so they're making the case for other players, based on nothing other than hoping they might be better. Taylor can do a job but there's absolutely nothing to suggest he's an improvement. He doesn't start for Ipswich.

Every official post about the team on twitter at the moment seems to be replied to by lads calling for Finn who have clearly never seen him play outside of maybe a highlights clip or two. Because if they'd even watched the limited amount of him playing that I have, they wouldn't be rushing to bring him in.

I don't understand this argument. We all agree that our midfield isn't good enough, but yet we shouldn't change it? Taylor might not start for Ipswich, but would he start for Burnley, Bristol or WBA? I'm not suggesting we look an u17 player who might be good in 5 years, I'm saying that it's worth looking at a lad who is in a Premiership squad and has looked decent for us.

Any social media post is full of idiots who haven't a clue being the loudest voices, but no one here is suggesting Finn should be in the team yet. I have watched him play 3 times this season, thankfully the French league gets decent TV coverage over here, and I do think he's got potential but he's not ready for a call up yet. He's sloppy on the ball, but I've seen flashes where he looks brilliant.

[Diggs246]

Another point to add when Taylor came on against Greece in Athens he was really excellent.

[pineapple stu]

Well we had two cracks at Bulgaria under Kenny and failed to beat them either time.

That can happen though. We didn't lose to them either, and finished ahead of them in the group. They we got seven points in League B the next season while they got nine in a much weaker League C.

I'm not sure the ELO and FIFA rankings ever quite reflected just how bad a team we became during that period.

I think they do. So for example -

Sept 2020 (1-1 v Bulgaria) was 1725 v 1564
Nov 2020 (0-0 v Bulgaria) was 1658 v 1505
Mar 2024 (a year ago) was 1608 v 1468
Mar 2025 (2-1 v Bulgaria) was 1609 v 1459

That's a big (100+ point) drop on our side - and matched all the way by Bulgaria.

A 150 point lead means we should score about 67% - a win and two draws over three games, for example.

I don't understand this argument. We all agree that our midfield isn't good enough, but yet we shouldn't change it?

We've no choice but to change it anyway with Knight suspended.

I think it's ok to be open to changes, while being aware that changes mightn't exactly make a massive difference. Last night we made what - was it seven changes from the starting line-up against England?

[Razors left peg]

The second half was no classic - I blame the ref, the pitch and the Bulgars more so than anything we did wrong - but that was about as controlled and measured a second half performance as we have had in 10-15 years. They barely laid a glove on us and we were extremely composed when the ball broke back to us. I thought Manning was exceptional in breaking any momentum they were building. I think it was a great call from HH to see that in him and make the call. It was turgid but I found it a welcome change from what we have gone through before. We won away, we cam from behind to do it, we capped some exciting new talent, we saw a couple of players step up and make their mark. It checks a lot of the boxes that you would want to see checked.

Azaz was MOTM for most who watched it - that pass with the outside of his left to release Brady or Manning on the left in the first half was out of this world. But I thought Parrott and Manning were next in line for that accolade. Collins and O'Shea make me a bit nervous with their passing at the back and a bit too casual at times but are our pairing back there for the foreseeable. Doherty drives me crazy - a lot of credit for the goal and it was a decent performance objectively but he sucks the momentum out of so many attacks and commits some stooopid fouls. Cullen and Knight did fine. Its not the midfield pairing to go toe to toe with better teams but then, who do we have that can? The replacements are not meaningful difference makers, all marginal. We saw the good and bad of Johnston last night - lightweight and sloppy mixed with tricky and pacy - ill take it though. Taylor showed well again when he came on, as did Jake, and Ferguson had a few touches that showed the talent in waiting that he is. Vata loves the EIRE.

Stu you definitely have a higher opinion on Mannings performance than I did... by a lot. I though he ran around and was busy but added not a whole lot on the ball. He won a few frees by throwing himself in front of his man but I thought he hurt us going forward at times. That said, I would on balance probably start him left back instead of Brady

[SkStu]

If you cant see the value he added in the second half in disrupting Bulgaria trying to gain momentum then I cant help you. It was priceless. He wasn't perfect of course. Can shoulder some of the blame for the goal (as can a few others) but that aside he made things happen. He didnt too brilliantly with two decent headed chances but did well to find himself in those spots. Offered way more than I thought he would and far and away his best appearance for us. How do you think he hurt us going forward, out of interest?

For what its worth, I'm not alone in my general rating of his performance as one of a couple of players behind Azaz as MOTM. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025...ovdiv-victory/

The Irish Times had him top ranked. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soc...over-bulgaria/

Examiner and Balls had him middle of the pack but called out his physicality, smarts and that it was his best outing in green.

[Razors left peg]

If you cant see the value he added in the second half in disrupting Bulgaria trying to gain momentum then I cant help you. It was priceless. He wasn't perfect of course. Can shoulder some of the blame for the goal (as can a few others) but that aside he made things happen. He didnt too brilliantly with two decent headed chances but did well to find himself in those spots. Offered way more than I thought he would and far and away his best appearance for us. How do you think he hurt us going forward, out of interest?

For what its worth, I'm not alone in my general rating of his performance as one of a couple of players behind Azaz as MOTM. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025...ovdiv-victory/

The 2nd half was when we were at our worst and I thought he contributed to that with his use of the ball. He ran around a lot, but I think we'd have been better off with an actual attacking player in the position he was playing. You can put out any lad from L2 and tell him to run around and be busy, but being a good footballer in attacking positions it's ok to ask for better

[SkStu]

The 2nd half was when we were at our worst and I thought he contributed to that with his use of the ball. He ran around a lot, but I think we'd have been better off with an actual attacking player in the position he was playing. You can put out any lad from L2 and tell him to run around and be busy, but being a good footballer in attacking positions it's ok to ask for better

Thats a bit vague in fairness. And not sure the point you're making about putting someone from L2 out there.

I'd probably have gone with MJ on the left and Sykes or someone else on the right based on HH formation and squad available but I'm not going to criticize him for not agreeing with me when the player he put out there did well and made a positive contribution to the team's success.

[Razors left peg]

Thats a bit vague in fairness. And not sure the point you're making about putting someone from L2 out there.

I'd probably have gone with MJ on the left and Sykes or someone else on the right based on HH formation and squad available but I'm not going to criticize him for not agreeing with me when the player he put out there did well and made a positive contribution to the team's success.

My point was basically that he ran around a lot but I didn't see anything positive he did with the ball. Any fit lad could be put on the pitch to run around but actually being creative and a positive influence on the attack requires better than that.

[SkStu]

My point was basically that he ran around a lot but I didn't see anything positive he did with the ball. Any fit lad could be put on the pitch to run around but actually being creative and a positive influence on the attack requires better than that.

Okey doke, we'll leave it there so, Eamon.

[pineapple stu]

FWIW, the whoscored ratings agree with RLP

https://www.whoscored.com/matches/18...lgaria-ireland

[SkStu]

It also gives Cullen the MOTM award

[Razors left peg]

FWIW, the whoscored ratings agree with RLP

https://www.whoscored.com/matches/18...lgaria-ireland

Jaysus I'm not sure I'd be using them to help me considering the score they gave Cullen

[Stuttgart88]

If you cant see the value he added in the second half in disrupting Bulgaria trying to gain momentum then I cant help you. It was priceless. He wasn't perfect of course. Can shoulder some of the blame for the goal (as can a few others) but that aside he made things happen. He didnt too brilliantly with two decent headed chances but did well to find himself in those spots. Offered way more than I thought he would and far and away his best appearance for us. How do you think he hurt us going forward, out of interest?

For what its worth, I'm not alone in my general rating of his performance as one of a couple of players behind Azaz as MOTM. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025...ovdiv-victory/

The Irish Times had him top ranked. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soc...over-bulgaria/

Examiner and Balls had him middle of the pack but called out his physicality, smarts and that it was his best outing in green.

we were moaning about how naive we were at Wembley. Manning played a blinder for the team’s cause by drawing foul after foul in the second half. Kill the game, deny the opposition momentum, frustrate them and draw more fouls from them. It wasn’t pretty but it was very professional and good for the nerves. I’d prefer to have something more positive to extol about the second half, but good game management is relatively unusual for us so I’ll take it all day long.

[backstothewall]

Does anyone know if there are any tributes to Eddie Jordan planned for Sunday. Different sport obviously but he was a big football fan and a regular at Lansdowne Road in the 90s & 2000s iirc.

[Razors left peg]

It'd be a nice touch

[pineapple stu]

I think there was a brief blast of The Chain at the end of the programme last night (I'd already changed over) - that might have been a subtle nod from RTÉ.

[Eirambler]

Yes they used it for the closing montage, didn't even twig the connection at the time, but now you mention it that will have been the reason of course.

[backstothewall]

For those of us old enough to remember the 1990s Formula 1 was a big part of the golden age of Irish sport that was kicked off by Big Jack. Back in the days when the only sporting code Irish athletes didn't seem to be enjoying unprecedented success in was rugby.

Apart from Ferarri, F1 cars were basically all giant cigarette packets with wheels driving round at incredible speeds back in those days, but the B&H Jordan livery was as good looking as anything else on the grid. And it was between Eddie and Flavio Briatore for who was the biggest character on the pit wall.

Netflix would have loved him.

[elatedscum]

Game in 36 hours and yet to call up anyone to replace Knight. Taylor comes in for Knight and then we have 0 proper midfielders on the bench. Molumby an obvious shout.

Alternatives:
Browne
Finn
Hendrick
Ronan
Connell
Coventry
Hodge
Lawal
Phillips
Adeeko
Watts
Forrester
Goodrham

[SkStu]

I don’t think he’s suspended. He got two yellows already and missed England. This was the first game since then.