The Kenny era starts in earnest on Sunday as far as I'm concerned. The previous two NL matches were used as preparation for tonight. He needs to use the next 4 to prepare for the world cup.

Given the shift the lads put jn there tonight and all the travelling involved, I'd suspect chances. Byrne should start along with Cullen for starters 

Morale isn't at an all time low though. Tonight was a kick in the nags but it was a platform to build on. Kenny gets a full week with the team now too

Wales will be a stronger side than Slovakia so let’s see if we can keep going.

Connolly will hopefully be able to get tested and cleared in advance 

its always going to be a lingering thought about not qualfying for the euros esp with us hosting 4 games. Lets hope its cancelled 

Sunday is the true start of the Kenny era, any player who feels they dont want to commit should retire from International duty

Christie

Egan

Long

Williams

Browne

Molumby

Hendrick

O dowda

Idah

Connoly

A couple shouldn’t be given the option! I’ll be disappointed if I see Brady in an Ireland shirt again!

Someone has to be I suppose 

Let's see some new faces and these games are free as far as I am concerned.
No panic if we are relegated to Group C.

Tonight was a watershed moment - we went away from home and played like we were a goal down when we weren't.
The result is heartbreaking for sure.

Good times are coming.

Nonsense statement. Hes is worthy of his place in the squad. Who exactly would you have ahead of him?

I'm not f**king watching that.

I would agree with previous post on Cullen and Byrne. Assume McCarthy be injured still. Connolly and Idah?

Life's way too short for anyone to summon up any enthusiasm for this one in an empty arena.

If ever a match wasn't needed...

Brady was so poor last night that he should have been taken off, after being subbed on.

He hasnt had a good game in four years for Ireland. He doesnt play at club level. He hasnt played more than 20 games in a season since 2016/2017. Either through injury or poor form. 

His attitude, particularly around the qualification campaign for World Cup 2018 was nothing short of a disgrace, as he would turn in stinker after stinker and throw stops on the pitch. 

Even the likes of Ronan Curtis would offer more. 

Brady hasn't played on the left hand side in those four years and has also been blighted with injury. I cannot understand why so many managers continue to play him out of position. One of the best features of his game is his crossing, which is completely nullified by playing him through the middle or on the right. He often, inevitably, looks lost.

There was a case for taking him off, but he also had some moments, such as his involvement in Browne's chance, and he is our best set-piece taker still.

Might be hard to get the players motivated for this as well.

Would he rotate any of the players? Maybe Shane Long for McGoldrick?

If we played the same way as last night I'd be happy, just getting a goal I'd be happier. 

I believe these few days will be crucial for team spirit and bonding the group and the manager etc.   it will also be used to ha e the odd player step in I don’t expect McCarthy to start bad I think Molumby Byrne and Browne will get starts over the next two games.  

This is the quiet tactical and other work that will be done behind the scenes to bring greater cohesion to the group that will hopefully will prove so valuable by the time of the WC qualifiers come along.  

Slovakia is parked and euros is parked. Kenny will move on now to getting performances and hopefully results ahead of the WC campaign. 

Likely we might see a few changes, none of us want to be relegated to league c but its likely we'll experiment for the rest of the nations league I think, so that Kenny can find something that works for WC qualifying.

If we did go to league c there might be a few decent away trips (if we're allowed to go)

Big hope I know.

I am hoping we see a few changes and McCarthy will be a forced one.

I'd like to see Molumby, Idah and Connolly all start and will be surprised if at least two of those three don't start unless the two lads are stuck quarantining.

Maybe give O'Shea a run out also.

And Cullen.

And certainly Byrne.

Then again, these two matches are key for seeding so can't go mad at the same time.

Onwards and upwards, lads.

I’ve always thought that there are quite a few on here more interested in the piss up than what actually goes on in the pitch.

Loads of blanket statements flying around.

I've missed two competitive games in around 4 years due to being working on the other side of the world. And while there I was getting up in the middle of the night to watch all games.

And I'll still say that I'm struggling to get my interest up for Sunday after last night. 

Not just on here, I know of many personally. Their first love is a British football team that they've only seen live in person a handful of times in the last decade (if at all!). Their interest in the Irish Team is piqued every few years when we play one of the big boys or qualify for a major tournament, when they're more than happy to hop on the bandwagon. In meantime they bash us with their uneducated footballing views, not being able to comprehend the reasons why the Irish team don't play like Liverpool. Football is a netflix programme to these people. 

Ah balls, would like to see Mcgoldrick and jack Byrne play together. Long, bless him, is a has been. 

Ya It will be good to see Jack Byrne get a chance in the next week at the slightly higher level of the nations league some people think he’s not good enough for. The next two games should tell us something on that front . I think he can step up

Not a fan of either player.

Yup press release just out, Horgan and Magurie

Would they not be constantly taking up similar positions?

 This is going to be a very difficult game for us .

Very poor timing having the semi final before these two, total anticlimax. 

Is the game in doubt?

 

We have no chance with Kenny in charge.

 

Pochettino is available we should go for him.

Italians game today is off due to positive tests so there has to be a chance that the game on Tuesday might be off. 

Our goalkeeping options are pretty poor outside of Randolph, so I would give Travers a game just to have a look at him, I wouldn't be handing out caps to players like Christie who won't get in ahead of Doherty, Coleman or O'Shea in the future. 

I presume that McGoldrick, McCarthy and Hourihane don't have the legs to start this game.

Hopefully see something like: Travers, Doherty, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Cullen, Molumby, Hendrick, Brady (LW) Robinson (ST) O'Dowda (RW).

The result will have a direct impact on our ranking and therefore seeding for the world cup draw. 

I take it that our recent poor results have already more or less resigned us to the third pot.

I'd go with Randolph , DOC, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Cullen, Molumby, Byrne, Robinson, McGoldrick, O'Dowda 

Ehhh, maybe I off my head on this but I don’t think Christie would have played worst than Doherty vs slovakia. He’s an ok player. Doherty should step down for a game.

No - Our draw last night combined with Romania losing has us back in the last Pot 2 position 

Apologies. 

I presume Kenny is aware of this as opposed to the likes of O'Neill and McCarthy not having a clue.

Would drawing our remaining three games give us any chance of remaining in Pot 2?

i don't think doherty will play all 3 games so i think it makes more sense to put christie in for this one and go pretty much full strength for finland. agree with wanting to see cullen, molumby, COD start

Oh FFS...Doherty had a decent game last night, particularly in the second half and extra time. He's an infinitely better player than Christie. Christie has done well for us in the past but he's an average championship player at best. If we're building to the future, were not going to learn anything by playing him.  DOC will be an important player for us over the next 5 years. Play him or one of the younger lads

Ok hope I start to see it. Horgan and Maguire have been called in to the squad.

I can see why he's brought them in but kindaunderwhelmed.

Connolly is out of the squad

Oh right I wasn't sure if they deffo out now. Busy day in work

+1 

Happy for them to lose interest for awhile. 

What the hell are you talking about.  We have had many great players who have been born in england who I loved for us McGrath Aldridge lawrenson Townsend hughton and in more recent time decent pros like Kilbane and Breen and McGoldrick Etc.  

Many of my mates from Ireland games were born in england.  So you are spouting absolute rubbish.   

I have seen Collins for ireland Luton and his technical ability for the level we are at is shocking.  If he was born in Cabra I would say the same.   

I'd like to see him given a go under Kenny though he is down in the pecking order of strikers. 

International class or not he'd have buried Hourihane's sitter last night. 

Come on get a grip.  Paranoid?  I have even registered you as a poster in my mind.  I saw the post about Collins and I think he is brutal from what I have seen of him for club and country.   First you accuse me of being biased against English players and now it’s against you as a poster 😀😀😀😀

It’s a forum people disagree with each other and it’s not all about agendas or personal vendettas over football.  

Never a truer word spoken. 

Not sure if that's necessarily good for us. Obviously if we beat Wales it would probably be better Bulgaria took points of Finland. 

Avoiding relegation is the first priority but I think it might be more in our interests if Bulgaria could take points off both Finland and Wales while we still technically have a shot at winning the group even if it's very unlikely. 

I was trying to lighten things up a bit here today as it’s gone very heated . If you read the post again it’s just a stupid joke I made up

It's fairly cxxtish  but don't worry, it won't be the worst post of this thread in the days to come 

 Mon to f**k Muff.

Wankov is also self isolating!

Didn't even notice the player names. Schoolboy error 

Whoooosh!

Baldrick recently lost the rights, or so I have been told.

Djerkov and Tossov will be able to make a decent fist of it, surely?

Depends on the level, If someone scores loads of goals at a low level doesn’t mean they can do it at international level.  

If that’s the case we just call up the top scorer in the Loi every year 

Maguire scores 38 goals over two seasons so he knows where the net is too.  Point is that at a higher level you don’t get the chance or if you do it’s blocked or saved or you are under pressure.   Collins doesn’t have the ability to play for us. 

  You are always picking on me.  You are probably going to get your mate trigger now to back you up.   

Edit edit edit 

2pm, Sunday. 

Thankfully off-licences are open an hour and a half before that.

Off to to the pub for me