Bulgaria Match Thread

Yes indeed, he’s a work in progress like a lot of things in the team.

A number of wrong options taken in the final third, the worst of which was Connolly taking that shot on from a ridiculous angle when Idah and O'Dowda were both better placed. Feel had we gone one up then we'd have won comfortably. 

Very soft goal to give away and we looked bereft of ideas after we conceded. I think Long and Brady needed to be brought on earlier. It was our old school attributes that salvaged the point for us and regardless of what style Kenny manages to implement, I expect that to remain. Bulgaria just sat back after the goal and we did very little to break them down. 

Was happy to see us pass the ball around but I expected us to be rusty and so it transpired. Really should be beating Bulgaria and I expect Wales and Finland to beat them comfortably. Pity but at least we didn't lose.

It's ludicrous for anyone to be judging the manager or new players on yesterday, this is a long term project and will take time. Hoping McGoldrick is back on Sunday. 

This was the first game of his reign. 

I'd be very reluctant to criticise the team based on one performance under a new manager. It was a so so performance, some individual good stuff and some bad things - a draw was a fair result overall.

We're very lucky that we got these two NL matches first instead of being thrown straight into the Slovakia clash.

 

The result in the end was disappointing enough but I felt we looked collectively gassed from early enough in the second half so once they scored knew we were in trouble. There was a definite pre-season vibe to the game in fact with the tempo pretty pedestrian the whole way through. We are definitely going to be defensively less secure playing a system like this and that showed last night with them scoring with relative ease. As PM has already pointed out I'd be a bit concerned that none of our back line play with four at the back for their clubs. As a result the importance of the holding midfielder is magnified and McCarthy just didn't shield well enough last night. Hopefully that was down to fitness issues as much as anything else. Looking forward to Sunday.

EIRE fans are like a man with a locked door in front of him and a bunch of keys none of which are the key to open the door.  Paddy tries a key and it doesn't work.  He thinks the next key is the answer. Nope.  No, the next key will work. Nope.  Maybe if I try this first key again? Nope.  Ok, I'll give the 2nd key a chance.  f**k it. Why won't it work??  I've seen these keys open other doors!!

All our players in midfield are these keys.  None of them work.