France v IRELAND Match Thread, 28/05/18

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   I think what proved the point is the consistency of the poor and toothless performances. We have to go back to Vienna in 2016 to remember any sort of attacking flair and beyond that we have ridden our luck, to the point that it nearly ran out, and then it did. I would also argue that the decisions at half time against Denmark should a considered a serious lack of foresight. As opposed to taking out Christie and Ward, and pushing Brady and Meyler back, while bringing Wes on for the midfield and Long up front with Murphy, he took out Arter and Meyler, and created a midfield of Hendrick, McGeady, McClean and Wes, which was too light weight, and was going to lack to tough edge to anchor the central play in midfield.
Poor squads will be poor, but poor management will make poor players even more exposed, and can detrimentally effect good players. Wales' lack of true ambition in Dublin cost them against a patchwork Irish team which had grit and experience, but little else, and Coleman ought to answer for that. By playing the type of hoofball we are playing we are riding our luck in a manner that Trapp and Jackie Charlton wouldn't have contemplated. The latter liked the high line and the advanced midfielder. Trapp played to a rigid system, which eventually ran out of road, but was initially successful. MON seems to have lost faith in the style of system he played between 2013-2016 and he is now doubling down on the system which got us points against Wales and kept us in the hunt for the WC until half time against Denmark. One might say those are results worth trying to replicate, but now it's becoming harder and harder to believe that international opposition will fear route one football with grit.