Republic of Ireland v Hungary - Saturday, 6 September 2025 - 2026 World Cup Qualifier

[ifk101]

We certainly have a better and more compact shape under HH compared to Kenny’s last year in charge, but what use is that if we consistently concede soft goals and give the opposition long periods of control? And it’s all very predictable and easy to read. 4-4-2 out of possession, a full back pushes up and a box midfield in possession. Repetitive, slow and laboured, no urgency, no aggression, no bite.

And just on the individuals, and as poor as Doherty was, Collins was worse. His first action in the game was to balloon a diagonal ball over the head of O’Brien – the tallest player on the pitch. His second action was to miss Doherty with a simple pass across the backline. The resultant throw-in started the sequence of play for the opening goal. Doherty was too slow coming out after clearing the ball, but where’s the communication and organisation from Collins? No heads up to O’Shea that the player he was tracking on the ball Doherty had cleared had drifted in behind him. The second goal is on Collins – that’s his area of the box and his man that scores unhindered. Hungary could have had a third goal in the first half – again loose marking on the part of Collins with their striker missing a free header on goal.

We have so many good options at CB …

[Stuttgart88]

Starting to feel a bit like England-Ireland 91 out there now.

That was exactly what I thought. A goal felt inevitable, as it did back in '91. OK, it took a bloody long time to come....

[Stuttgart88]

I actually think someone like Mike Maignan might have saved that Idah header, the Hungarian keeper wasn't far off it and, as others are correctly pointing out, he was crap.

I'm being harsh here, but I don't think it was that good a header! He got up well and met it well but it was right into the middle of the goal. Keeper was poor for our first too.

[Stuttgart88]

Surprised with how negative the general tone is on here after we saved our campaign in the 90th minute.

Couldn't disagree more on the Ogbene hate either. I was calling for him to be given the ball every single he was on the pitch.

I might be in the minority but I'm pretty happy after that.

Same here. I think Ogbene made a really positive contribution. A starter tomorrow, for me.

[pineapple stu]

I'm being harsh here, but I don't think it was that good a header! He got up well and met it well but it was right into the middle of the goal. Keeper was poor for our first too.

Give him credit in fairness - as tets pointed out elsewhere, he did make a good run to get into the space and anticipate the cross/chance, and that's been a huge weakness of his game previously. Maybe it's stopped clock syndrome, but if so it was bloody well timed. And if it's a sign of improvement in his game, then great.

[Stuttgart88]

Give him credit in fairness - as tets pointed out elsewhere, he did make a good run to get into the space and anticipate the cross/chance, and that's been a huge weakness of his game previously. Maybe it's stopped clock syndrome, but if so it was bloody well timed. And if it's a sign of improvement in his game, then great.

Ah no, I'm not knocking him, far from it. But it was a bit like Duffy's late goal against (Azerbaijan?). He met it brilliantly but it gave the keeper a glimmer of a chance to save it. But in reality, as both those goals show, from that distance all you need to do is meet it well and that's it, job done.

I remember my pal joking after Duffy's goal, in context of Kenny trying to change the way we play, "the more things change the more they stay the same". You can say the same here. Late headed goal saves the day.

[Kingdom]

There's only one set of people I know of who use "88" to refer to "HH" and they're about as welcome as a gas bill attached to a neo nazi.

There's definitely a subset who use it that's for sure, appropriate given we appear to be trying to strong arm teams into submission.

[Kingdom]

... I can see the ball being moved through us quickly early in the game and if we don't get a good start and get our foot on the ball a bit, our heads could be spinning - without trying to over-egg how good Hungary are (they aren't that good).

Called it!

[Diggs246]

There's definitely a subset who use it that's for sure, appropriate given we appear to be trying to strong arm teams into submission.

I just googled it

Are u saying Heil Hitler!!

Bit strange!!

[Kingdom]

I just googled it

Are u saying Heil Hitler!!

Bit strange!!

Not at all, I was saying Heil Heimar! (I'm hoping someone draws the parallel with Hans Moleman here).
I've no issue with anyone of colour, creed or nationality.

[Diggs246]

Ok no panic!

[SkStu]

Fair! That said, we could play a bit of ball under Charlton at times too (only at times, mind). The USSR game was the famous one, but I watched the infamous Norway 94 game over covid and was struck by how well we played in midfield (but were toothless in the last third). We've refined it a bit for sure - Kelleher wasn't lumping it up to the edge of the box for example - but there's a definite comparison there. And I posted earlier about a spell shortly after Hungary had the red card and how it felt like that Wembley game in 1991 - the sustained pressure clip that's often shown. It was very similar. Ball in the box, up for the challenge, the opposition clear, we win it back on half way and into the mixer again - no time for a breather for them, and we kept at it for 2-3 minutes. Just continuous pressure.

As osarusan said "against a team of a certain quality and below, that's enough to rattle them, and it rattled Hungary" - and it's also rattled Serbia, Azerbaijan and Denmark in the past few years too. I'm fine with that. And yeah, you look at sides like Georgia, say, and wonder how they can play such technically adept stuff and we can't. But there's more than one way to skin a cat.

(Actually, I'm seeing now you've gotten rid of your sig about rock and roll football - the second half last night might have been the first time we've really seen it under HH, and it minded me to go look for it)

One thing we do need to change - and I don't know how much we should really read into this - is that in eight of HH's nine competitive games so far, we've conceded the first goal. Finland at home was the only exception. Be nice to buck that trend on Tuesday.

I like that 1991 comparison a lot actually. I’ll allow the jury to hear the testimony.

[MancIrishWolf]

This was tried repeatedly under Kenny though and it didn't work at all. We ended up with three centre backs marking one central striker while other opposition attacking players were given all the time in the world to beat us down the wings and ping 30 yarders past Gavin Bazunu from outside the D, because our players were in the wrong parts of the field to stop it happening. And Paddy McCarthy's more recent efforts to set us up in a 3-4-3 before HH came along were similarly unsuccessful. We don't need to play three centre backs just because we have a lot of centre backs playing at a high level - it's a waste of a player really.

My view is that you actually have to think counterintuitively at times to solve problems. So if your problem is left back, you don't just solve it by not playing a left back, you put the best one you have in there (likely Manning) and make sure he's protected by a centre back and a defensive midfielder.

Similarly if your problem is in centre midfield, rather than just conceding the area you put a third man in there and win it through numbers because no two man combination we can play there will ever be good enough.

Feel the reason it didn’t work previously is that Kenny’s team invited pressure on themselves (possibly the manager’s nervousness transmitting through to the players), so it becomes a back five (the 30 yard strikes were amply a relying sitting too deep / defensive ineptitude from not closing down quick enough). If three at the back is played offensively / in a counter attacking manner like Palace, Wolves (of last season), Brentford & Forest have used it, it can be very effective. Especially, if under the tactical instruction for a Centre Half to step out to support the midfield against weaker teams, as Collins can do and has done for Brentford.

We have no natural flat four full backs in the squad, apart from a bunch of converted wingers like Manning & Ogbene, so should use them like Munoz, Ait-Nouri, Semedo & Aina have been used at their respective clubs. All for playing a back four, however our midfield are too weak - 3-5-2 gives us much more cover in the centre, both defensively & offensively, whilst using the flanks as outlets

This is where HH is over-complicating things, by sticking square pegs into round holes, when he should be using the materials at his disposal, rather than trying to turn us into an Irish version of Pulis’s functional Stoke team with regimented positioning, rather than high pressure counter attacking playing to our strengths.

[rebelmusic]

Not at all, I was saying Heil Heimar! (I'm hoping someone draws the parallel with Hans Moleman here).
I've no issue with anyone of colour, creed or nationality.

Hahhaa the Hans Coleman reference is amazing. "I was saying Boourns"

[pineapple stu]

I like that 1991 comparison a lot actually. I’ll allow the jury to hear the testimony.

Well Exhibit I is below. 22:30 to 25:30 - 12 crosses into the box, four key 50/50s won to get back possession, England with two touches in our half.

I don't know is the full match from Saturday anywhere? I'd expect it to be a little bit less agricultural in fairness!

[mark12345]

Feel the reason it didn’t work previously is that Kenny’s team invited pressure on themselves (possibly the manager’s nervousness transmitting through to the players), so it becomes a back five (the 30 yard strikes were amply a relying sitting too deep / defensive ineptitude from not closing down quick enough). If three at the back is played offensively / in a counter attacking manner like Palace, Wolves (of last season), Brentford & Forest have used it, it can be very effective. Especially, if under the tactical instruction for a Centre Half to step out to support the midfield against weaker teams, as Collins can do and has done for Brentford.

We have no natural flat four full backs in the squad, apart from a bunch of converted wingers like Manning & Ogbene, so should use them like Munoz, Ait-Nouri, Semedo & Aina have been used at their respective clubs. All for playing a back four, however our midfield are too weak - 3-5-2 gives us much more cover in the centre, both defensively & offensively, whilst using the flanks as outlets

This is where HH is over-complicating things, by sticking square pegs into round holes, when he should be using the materials at his disposal, rather than trying to turn us into an Irish version of Pulis’s functional Stoke team with regimented positioning, rather than high pressure counter attacking playing to our strengths.

Systems, formations, personnel. I try to look at the way great teams play and ask why can't we at least try to emulate them. Best team I've seen this year is PSG. What did they do well? They played with extreme precision and extreme speed. How did they hit those heights? They obviously got on the training ground and started off slowly, putting an emphasis on precise passing and movement of players (ie get away from your marker in order to provide a passing option for the man in possession). They perfected that slowly and then pushed their individual limits to speed up their play and still be effective. Did Ireland's coaching staff do anything like that or even think of it before Saturday? Don't think we'll match PSG any day soon but if we don't try such things nothing will change.

[SkStu]

Systems, formations, personnel. I try to look at the way great teams play and ask why can't we at least try to emulate them. Best team I've seen this year is PSG. What did they do well? They played with extreme precision and extreme speed. How did they hit those heights? They obviously got on the training ground and started off slowly, putting an emphasis on precise passing and movement of players (ie get away from your marker in order to provide a passing option for the man in possession). They perfected that slowly and then pushed their individual limits to speed up their play and still be effective. Did Ireland's coaching staff do anything like that or even think of it before Saturday? Don't think we'll match PSG any day soon but if we don't try such things nothing will change.

Well the first thing they really did was get a big fat cheque book out and hoover up a lot of top talent. Not really something we can do...

[Stuttgart88]

I think the point about square pegs and round holes is important. I can see the theoretical merit of picking Doherty at left back (experience) but apart from Portugal away I can’t really remember ever being happy with his performance there. And more often than any other player I’ve been underwhelmed by him, regardless of where he plays. He pulls a rabbit out of the hat every now and again and that plants the thought back in your mind that he warrants a place. But right from the start on Saturday he looked off it. Collins was too (stage fright?) and he was at left sided centre back, where he has looked clumsy previously. Gary Breen always says he looks much better at right sided CB. Given O’Shea’s ability to improvise at left back I’d have thought he’d be the better of the two to play left sided. I also think Collins should have buried that O’Brien cross mid-second half btw, adding more merit to Idah’s goal – you can’t score if you don’t get it on target! So that’s two individuals that were below par and in positions they’re not natural at. I was sceptical of recalling Brady at LB last year but he was a real breath of fresh air, showing how being well balanced is really important. It was such a great feature of Mick’s 2002 team.

But, yet again, the source of our first half general crapness was the total absence of a midfielder constantly demanding the ball. Is it really about numbers and formations? Cullen only ever wanted it in safe positions and I don’t think Knight and Azaz showed much bravery with the positions they took. That left us only able to push the ball wide or long. We played it wide, then back inside then back to Kelleher repeatedly. We never managed play through their lines, only wide of their lines. The extra man allowed us to keep doing this but with the advantage of being able to generate overlaps.

In the interest of improving our balance I’d go with a back 3 of O’Brien, Collins and O’Shea tomorrow, with Ogbene and Manning as wing backs. Or maybe keep O'Brien wide right and bring Scales in as left side of the back 3.

Just as an aside, I was really surprised our opener stood. It looked like Collins smashed his opponent in the face and I was sure it’d be overturned by VAR when I saw the replay on the big screen. I’ve seen them given as they say. I think HH’s assessment of the ref was correct: he was really annoyed with Hungary’s time wasting and theatrics and it felt to me that the marginal calls were going to go our way as a consequence.

[passinginterest]

I had no problem with Doherty at left back. I think he's been very solid when he's had to play there. My logic was that it forced him to be more focussed as he wasn't comfortable and so he was less prone to being too casual on and off the ball. Unfortunately, it was the worst of both worlds on Saturday. As has been pointed out, Collins beside him suffers a bit from the same malaise and they seemed to drag each other down. It's like they're so focussed on being cool and calm that they actually lose all sense of urgency. Both come across as needing someone in their ear constantly to get the best from them, and that's something this squad really lacks (maybe a larger symptom of the modern game, I think being loud on the pitch is coached out of young players).

After the first 15 minutes, whether Hungary backed off or being 2-0 down just forced some urgency things did start to improve. It took the best part of 40 minutes to get a couple of balls in to Ferguson, but once he got a few touches he showed he's sharp again. I'd agree with others that Azaz was frustrating, he'd make a good move find a bit of space and then just lose the ball sloppily. Manning had a great game, I think he's had issues in the past with focus, tactical awareness, discipline and couldn't win the trust of coaches, but he seems to have matured and brought his game to another level now. I can see why Kelleher got man of the match too though, he did make three crucial saves and was good overall.

Smdozic was very quiet and can't see him starting too many more games for us. Cullen was ok, I don't think he works well with Knight and there's a serious lack of physical presence with them beside each other. Knight is more dynamic but wouldn't trust him as a pure defensive midfielder. Cullen can pick a pass, but doesn't do it often enough. It's a shame Lawal isn't getting more game time in midfield because he does seem to have the physicality and defensive strength to be an asset there, but he's not getting enough time there at club level and it would have been asking too much to throw him in for such a critical game. If we're sticking with the same formation I'd like to see him start in Azerbaijan.

I still love Ogbene and what he brings, his attitude, pace, aggression are such assets. He won a couple or brilliant headers and put in a few ok balls too. It would be amazing if his final ball was better, but that's why he'll never be elite level, but he gives us something completely different and his versatility is an asset too. Hopefully he stays fit and has a good season. Delighted for Idah, I still think he has all the assets, but was really doubting if it was going to click. Not saying it'll suddenly all come good now, but with a fresh start and a bit of confidence maybe now is going to be his time. Although funnily enough, I spoke to someone who is very familiar with him and Johnny Kenny and he said he'd pick Kenny over him any day of the week and that Kenny has a higher ceiling.

Overall, it does seem like the fragility of the squad is still there. It's something Kenny couldn't iron out and HH seemed determined to fix it but yet they look worse at the start of games that ever. Kenny sides seemed to start well and fade, whereas HH sides seem to concede first and get better (although that's probably the better option I suppose). A win is essential on Tuesday for hope to linger on in any case.

[tetsujin1979]

I don't know is the full match from Saturday anywhere? I'd expect it to be a little bit less agricultural in fairness!

It's on RTE player