Republic of Ireland V Senegal - Friday, 6th June 2025 - Friendly

[texidub]

Don't want to read too much into a friendly, but was really impressed by the focus and organization, the closing down, and the overall energy levels and drive. Solid all round.

[rebelmusic]

Was impressed and if it wasn't for the mass substitutions I do think we contain them for the 90.

Knight was the underrated player of the evening. I thought he was brilliant and I'm less sure who should start in September between him in Cullen.

And despite it costing us a place or two in the world standings, I think putting Moran on was a good call. He's miles off being ready for the tough international games and that question has been answered now.

Only real concern was that Brady clearly couldn't do the full 90. He hasn't exactly had a tough season so hopefully he has a strong pre-season and can stay fit for for the qualifiers. I think he's really key to us as we have no strength in depth for that position.

[outspoken]

Really can't understand why people are so impressed by last night. Yes, first half a good solid display but Senegal's B team were utter horse poo for 80 minutes, subs helped them as expected but we dropped off and invited them on. We did move the ball ok at times, got it up to Idah quickly but set pieces were gack, especially the "long throws" by Doherty, we have to be smarter than that. We need to build winning habbit at home so to chuck it away is annoying against a highly ranked side but result was fair, if it went on another 10-20 mins they'd probably have won.

Big positives were McAteer and Taylor

[texidub]

Maybe it's wishful thinking... I'm always looking for 40 shades of green shoots, especially considering the past few years, but I thought we looked more solid and aggressive and organized than we have been in a while.

[Eirambler]

I think it's only fair to comment on a Senegal B team if it's also noted that we were missing loads of players as well. No Cullen, Azaz, Parrott (in the squad but wasn't match fit), Szmodics, Johnston or Ogbene, who would all either have started or come on if they were available.

[geysir]

A good summation of the point. I actually agree on the broad idea of coaches playing to the gallery and keeping fans/media onside. I just wonder to what extent it figures in the thought processes.

On affecting Heimir's thought processes re team selection and tactics? I'd say less than zero. I heard a good from Didi last night on RTE, "when it's not on, hit it long" . On taking over the job, his first priorities were the obvious team related issues, AFAICS, those were plugging the blatant midfield vulnerabilities the second more difficult one, organising just when and how the team counterattacks and lastly finding out who were the best players for his first team. Alongside that, what he prioritizes is getting the fans behind the team. His method is to explain himself very clearly, be visible and responsive. Heimir is just "playing to the gallery" sounds like a very superficial comment to me. He's impressively intelligent, knows how to present himself and can handle small hiccups such as Bradley's hissyfit with composite ease. Just listen to all the pundits and commentators, they're all behind him (AFAIA), praising him, they're even trying to second guess Heimir assuming his best tactical intentions. No previous Ireland manager has managed to get so many behind the "project", even beloved big Jack had many critics.

I mentioned a few things about Heimir when he was first appointed, maybe I had mentioned when before the 2018 World Cup in Iceland, Heimir did a tour of the major companies that sponsored the national team. He came to a company I did some work for. Everybody and their dog turned up, fully decked out in team shirts, somehow space was created for about 150 seats with another 100 standing. He came complete with a media presentation of what was accomplished during the qualifiers, with video replays to show how each game had gone and why it went that way, the pits and the tactical successes, how the WC Finals preparations were going and what they were trying to do. with the players. All in all it went on for 2 hours including chanting, cheering, ovations and questions.
.

BTW, Heimir's just out on loan to you guys.

[Eirambler]

Heimir is just "playing to the gallery" sounds like a very superficial comment to me.

Just to be clear, that's a compliment in this case. I agree, he's clearly a very smart guy.

BTW, Heimir's just out on loan to you guys.

That's what worries me. That he's potentially just babysitting O'Shea till the end of the World Cup campaign and then he's off, leaving O'Shea to take on the job (and almost certainly make a mess of it).

[tetsujin1979]

Somewhat interesting

[CraftyToePoke]

I get that it was a June friendly, but I would have liked us to make fewer changes, and quite possibly beat a top twenty ranked side on a twenty game unbeaten run, I think we'd have gained more from that than looking at Moran ( get in the fcuking gym lad ), Phillips & Ebosele. We know what Scales is by now and start O'Brien & Ferguson on Tuesday. Taylor was doing well, he was a problem for them, in a position we really need to sort out, leave him out there. I don't see what we gained by any of the changes but we did lose a lead to them.

There's progress, there's cohesion, but letting a win slip we'd have been very unlikely to get, say a year ago, even if they didn't have all their best players out would have been the shine on the apple.

[Razors left peg]

This is the main dilemma facing HH right now. I think there is a world where Smallbone and Azaz can fit into the same midfield, but it might be strictly for games where we're going to be in control. Azaz looked phenomenal in the last window, but Smallbone has more to his game defensively.

I dont think that Smallbone and Azaz are directly interchangeable, but I do think that Taylor might be better suited to drop back into the Smallbone position and Azaz takes up the 10 role that Taylor played yesterday

[Razors left peg]

Really can't understand why people are so impressed by last night. Yes, first half a good solid display but Senegal's B team were utter horse poo for 80 minutes, subs helped them as expected but we dropped off and invited them on. We did move the ball ok at times, got it up to Idah quickly but set pieces were gack, especially the "long throws" by Doherty, we have to be smarter than that. We need to build winning habbit at home so to chuck it away is annoying against a highly ranked side but result was fair, if it went on another 10-20 mins they'd probably have won.

Big positives were McAteer and Taylor

I dont think its that complicated tbh, I think most people were impressed because we were actually quite good for long periods and it was enjoyable to watch. The opposition is irrelevant, we can be crap against crap teams too

[liamoo11]

I dont think that Smallbone and Azaz are directly interchangeable, but I do think that Taylor might be better suited to drop back into the Smallbone position and Azaz takes up the 10 role that Taylor played yesterday

Smallbone vastly superior technical player to Taylor and had far more influence on the game yesterday.

[Razors left peg]

Smallbone vastly superior technical player to Taylor and had far more influence on the game yesterday.

I thought Taylor was our best player yesterday and we lost control of game when he went off. Smallbone might be better technically but hes a bit powderpuff too

[Eirambler]

We dropped to a two man midfield when Taylor went off (Ferguson came on for him). As usually happens when we drop to a midfield two, we were overrun from that point on. It's the lesson we just refuse to learn, for some reason.

[rebelmusic]

Probably what I found most encouraging after thinking about it was how well the team held their shape and pressed as a unit. I agree about Taylor coming off being a big part of it, although he picked up a knock.

If goes back to an earlier debate we had on the midfield and I do think Taylor is going to be the difference. Smallbone as an option when we have the luxury of being more creative.

All in all, there's a starting 11 finally starting to form and that for me is the big takeaway from Friday.

[Predator]

No previous Ireland manager has managed to get so many behind the "project", even beloved big Jack had many critics.

You might be overstating it a little considering the fact that up until the last window there were still a lot of sneering "Icelandic dentist" comments from fans and pundits alike, but he is certainly beginning to win people over, there is no doubt about that. A good friend of mine became a Heimir convert (and Azaz fan) in the last window, renouncing his previous view that Heimir was a spoofer and that the FAI had ballsed it up. I think that sort of Damascene realisation dawned on a lot of fans in the last window. On the point of getting people behind the 'project', it could be argued that Heimir's predecessor managed to get a lot of people behind the plan, so much so that he was probably given greater leeway than others. It just didn't work out!

I mentioned a few things about Heimir when he was first appointed, maybe I had mentioned when before the 2018 World Cup in Iceland, Heimir did a tour of the major companies that sponsored the national team. He came to a company I did some work for. Everybody and their dog turned up, fully decked out in team shirts, somehow space was created for about 150 seats with another 100 standing. He came complete with a media presentation of what was accomplished during the qualifiers, with video replays to show how each game had gone and why it went that way, the pits and the tactical successes, how the WC Finals preparations were going and what they were trying to do. with the players. All in all it went on for 2 hours including chanting, cheering, ovations and questions.
.

BTW, Heimir's just out on loan to you guys.

Brilliant. I think he is certainly showing his capabilities in that regard with his tour across the LOI grounds. He managed the snarls of Bradley et al well too and didn't come across as condescending. The initial skepticism is wearing off and his intelligence is clear to see. Now that performances (and results) are improving, he is earning greater good will.

[Kingdom]

What is absolutely great about Irish football fans, is how so many can watch the same game and see it so differently.

From a tactical perspective, and having had a few months to plan this and clearly with some thought gone into this window, this camp, this squad - looking forward, is that someone decided against a team of physical beasts, that we would drag one full back across the entirety of the pitch - twice - to launch a 'missile' into a box, when the launcher would appear ill-equipped to do so, and on a greasy pitch, not have towels waiting at the side of the pitch to dry the weapon.

[rebelmusic]

England were thumped by them today. I know there's a lot of caveats to that but it puts an extra sheen on Fridays result