You're a gas man. Able to tell what would have happened, no need to play any games we can just have Mystic Weldoninhio tell us what's gonna happen in every situationOriginally Posted by weldoninhio
if youve been paying attention youd know tchouameni doesnt start much. the other 2 changes were clearly tactical but again you seem knowledgable so im sure you can tell us why both of those changes were made.
You're a gas man. Able to tell what would have happened, no need to play any games we can just have Mystic Weldoninhio tell us what's gonna happen in every situation
He was definitely tired. He put in a hell of a shift. I don't feel he was exhausted. But these things aren't black and white. One mans tired and another mans exhausted might be the same thing. Unless we're talking about Stephen Roche in La Plagne these things are clearly points on a spectrum
But I'll say thing again in case anyone missed it.
Running on fumes or not, he's demonstrated he has a poachers instinct and we needed a goal. IMHO we needed to get him more support, not hook him.
Yes, he was tired, but that doesn't automatically mean he should have come off. When the ball was being fired in to the box in the last 10 minutes he was our best chance to bundle something over the line.
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france dropped coman and didnt play diaby because they wanted to use giroud for his aerial ability for knockdowns. they dropped pace for a target man because they knew we'd sit off. but anything to discredit the performance...
I think with all the talk of playing a different style, it's worth noting that our biggest threat against France came from set pieces. Some Kenny fans like to dismiss it as a dinosaur tactic but is it worth having Duffy on the bench for the last 10 minutes? It was made for him last night.
I'm disappointed in your lack of acknowledgement for Anthony Barry's replacements replacement for our plucky defeat.
As Irishmen we dilute our sense of nation by depending on the English to bring us our balls
All credit to John O'Shea obviously
In the cold light of day it does feel like a point dropped. To concede from what was really the only mistake all night and to have their keeper pull off an absolute world class save was really cruel. Not sure anyone can argue the approach was wrong in any way. I thought we kept the ball really well in the first 10 minutes, then after that we had to sit back and be compact and we did struggle to get our for a lot of the first half. Yet there was very little threat on goal from France, the shape was great, Coleman and Ogbene faced down Mbappe and never gave him an inch and when we did counter it was with purpose and Ogbene, Ferguson, Knight and Doherty all won set pieces in dangerous areas with smart attacking play. It is a big weakness to have Cullen on set pieces, he just can't quite get the same whip as a true specialist and we only looked dangerous once, with the flick on from Egan falling to O'Shea.
Second half started reasonably well and then the goal came, nothing more to say about it that hasn't been said. I blame my wife, she decided to take a video, only one of the game, and it coincided with the goal. No more of that in future! Response to the goal was excellent, never panicked kept going about things in a really disciplined way and the pressure gradually built on France. Incredible that Mbappe was never really given a half chance, at one point he did manage to leave Coleman for dead but Collins read it brilliantly and stopped him in his tracks. Cullen finally delivered a couple of good corners and the French keeper pulled off a good save from the OG and the one from Collins was just incredible. In real time I just couldn't comprehend how he'd reacted to fast and got a hand to it. In replays it does look like maybe Collins put it in the one place he had a chance to save it, but it was a powerful header and the keeper had no right getting such a strong hand to it.
All the players came out with credit. I've said before I like Doherty on the left because he has to concentrate and be more disciplined and that brings out the best in him. Some of his runs were excellent and he was never troubled defensively. Ogbene is just a joy to watch, absolutely tireless, quick, strong and direct. I think with the possible ball to Ferguson it was only on if he played it early, I thought the defender had cut the angle once he went towards the endline and he actually picked out a super ball to Knight which he just couldn't quite take in his stride. Knight and Molumby worked themselves into the ground and never wasted the ball, Cullen too even if the glaring error can't be overlooked. Ferguson had some touches of class and was a bit unlucky with a couple of ref calls against him. Coleman has been rejuvinated the last few weeks and you could see him relishing every chance to get stuck into Mbappe, Bazunu did all you could ask of him and the three in front never really put a foot wrong. All the subs had an impact and contributed to the dominant last 15. One of the few times I think Kenny escapes criticism for his changes, the timing and the personnel were pretty much bang on. Only argument might have been to get Smallbone on for his set piece delivery.
Tallaght Stadium Regular
You're right. I should have realized Kenny had nothing to do with setting up that team, it was all John O Shea
No I didn't watch the match. I turned on the TV and looked out the window at the birds and bees.
Seriously.....
We're playing Greece at night. You ever been in Greece at night and felt the heat, let alone run your bol***** off in it. Reference the games in Armenia and Georgia in arguably lower temperatures.
You might need to rewatch it then.
It's actually not that hot at night. We'll be fine. Interesting that the heat in Georgia was never accepted as an excuse but maybe something has changed.
I don't think that was the case though. France were generally ponderous in attack, disinclined to counter too quickly, and generally played at a really slow pace that never stretched us too much. Bazunu was a spectator for much of the game for example.
Hernandez in particular was poor, letting the ball run over his boot and out of touch a couple of times under no pressure, so we can't claim any credit for that for example.
Yes, we defended well and kept our shape very well, hit them on the counter when we could - particularly as the game went on - but I think we can acknowledge that France being poor helped us put in such a good showing, while also acknowledging that we did play quite well ourselves.
Its a pity that we must default to discrediting the opposition every time we compete at this level. France played as well as they were allowed to play.
We lost last night. Our first home defeat in Euro qualifiers since 2010. It puts us in a difficult position to qualify from this group. It's a very strange time to try to claim vindication for sticking with Kenny after 3 years of awful results.
No need to rewatch the game. France were not there for the taking. Your opinion is yours and thats fine but it's one which is definitely unique. And as far as the heat situation in Greece. Kenny even referenced it in his post match comments and rightly so.
I genuinely wonder if some of you lads ever get any joy watching Ireland.
I'm not gonna bother arguing with you here. I disagree with everything you said. We just went toe to toe with a team that was in world cup final 3 months ago. We keep the most dangerous player in world football under wraps all night but it was all down to them being poor.
I need a fcukin break from this place I think
It's not unique, maybe you need to re-read this thread even, nevermind rewatch the match. Have our players never played in 19 or 20 degrees? I looked at Kenny's interview this morning. It was dreadful so I wouldn't be taking much from it.
I’ll catch up on others’ thoughts when I have time. In Starbucks Malahide now just before heading to the airport.
What a frustrating night. We kept France at bay quite efficiently until yet another brain fart / perfectly executed shot combo.
Ferguson is a masterful 9 already. He shielded the ball well and drew fouls all night.
Bazunu looked like a grown up keeper looking like he belongs at that level and like he knows he does, unlike the boy playing in the EPL wondering if his next mistake is coming soon.
Most others played well and worked hard. But one or two disappointments. I actually think Ogbene had the measure of Hernandez and I’d have liked to have seen him isolate him more. And for all his graft I think Molumby’s use of the ball was very conservative. I felt he turned back towards our goal too much, maybe expecting a tackle that wasn’t coming. He had space to turn into and attack a few times but didn’t seem aware of it.
I think Kenny got it about right. Restrict chances and trust that we’ll get a few ourselves. Be still in the game with 15 to go.
The last 10 mins wasn’t unlike previous managers but I’ve no issue with that. The game plan nearly worked and small margins on the pitch were the difference.
I think we’re able to up our game against good teams but I still worry that lesser teams bring our level down too. Greece will be hard but I feel players like Smallbone and Johnston will be too clever for Gibraltar.
It was a very enjoyable game.
France were poor.
Those things are not mutually exclusive.
I did not say it "was all down to them being poor" (my emphasis); that's you reading what you want to read in my post.
A good night for Kenny - he got the shape of the team right, and his tactics and substitutions right. But inconsistency is always the problem. I suspect, that apart from the games against Gibraltar, Ireland may only win one other game in this group - against Greece at home. The 'feel good factor' is high at the moment - It's very frustrating that the next game isn't until June.
-------------------- Bazunu --------------------
----------- Collins - Egan - XXXX ---------
Coleman ---- Cullen ---- Molumby ---- XXXX
-------- Ogbene ------------------ XXXX ------
------------------- Ferguson --------------------
Moving things on a little, are we all more or less agreed that this is the basis of our team for the foreseeable future?
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