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WE ARE HOSTING on Euro 2028 but we are relying on it too.
Ireland won’t be at Euro 2024, are not good enough to qualify for the next World Cup, and so the next major tournament we are likely to grace will be our own in five years time.
This 2-0 loss at home to Greece officially killed Ireland’s slim mathematical chance of qualifying from this group, while our play-off hopes are now rated at 2%. The universe will doubtlessly conspire to crush that down to zero by the middle of next week.
So now we are back in a deep slough of apathy, heading into another year of friendly internationals and conversations along the lines of No, the Uefa Nations League is actually very important.
While this group made daunting by the two seeds drawn above Ireland, the truth is the group’s fourth seeds are better than Ireland, too. The defeat in Athens was comprehensive, but this was damning too: Ireland jabbed zestlessly as Greece delievered the few rib-shaking haymakers they needed. Those who booed at the end were those who bravely kept their attention on the game.
With much of the build-up to the game dominated by talk of spies and moles and insider info, Stephen Kenny locked his game-plan beneath layers of security. Debutante Liam Scales was one of five potential wing-backs on the team-sheet so it was initially puzzling to see how Ireland would set-up. It then looked like it would be the customary back three, as Ireland ran through that shape in their warm-up.
But it was all a decoy so elaborate that not even Gary Dicker could have decrypted it. Ireland took to the pitch in a 4-2-3-1, and with their opponents briefly thrown, Ireland started brightly. Chiedozie Ogbene’s neat lay-off in the box for Will Smallbone forced a fine save from Odysseas Vlachodimos, while minutes later Evan Ferguson curled a shot from outside the box and clipped the outside of the post. Ireland’s bright start didn’t bring a goal but it at least engaged the crowd with a game to which the nation spent the week indifferent.
Alas, the Greeks then settled. Ireland’s early impetus bled slowly away, and they were behind by the 20-minute mark. Chiedozie Ogbene lost a 50/50 with Kostas Tsimikas – he was unfortunate for the ball to bounce behind him and ideally for Tsimikas – and then Ireland allowed him an age to pick his cross. That cross was delicious, slung right onto Giorgos Giakoumakis forehead as he climbed unhindered into the sky, having shaken off Nathan Collins too easily.
The crowd rallied the Irish players as they trooped forlornly once again to the centre-circle. The players responded, led by the ever-gutsy Ogbene, but struggled to create many chances with a Scales cross from the left agonisingly eluding Ogbene in the box. Ireland’s sense of control was brittle, such was the weight of Greece’s counter-punch. Bazunu lithely tipped over a Dimitris Pelkas shot in the penalty area after one lightning Greek counter.
But it was in the final seconds of the three minutes of added time at the end of the first half that Ireland’s maddening fragility was put on show again. Ogbene lost the ball on the edge of his own box, and from there the crisp edifice of Ireland’s defence instantly crumbled. Pelkas launched the ball forward for Giakoumakis, who was still in his own half, which made Collins’ decision to step up to play offside inexplicable. Giakoumakis’ skidded ball across the box was too far ahead of the arriving Masouras, but not of Pelkas. He scuffed the ball back for Masouras, who hooked the ball into the net. Poyet marched down the tunnel before the whistle, and heard a chorus of boos roll down the terraces behind him. Ireland have an unmatchable knack of losing on the swings and the roundabouts.
Collins was hooked at half-time, perhaps in punishment.
It was the first time Ireland had conceded twice in the first-half of a competitive home game since the 5-1 World Cup play-off defeat to Denmark, but there was at least no second-half collapse this time around. Nor was there anything else. Ireland returned to their desultory toil, lolling in possession, shuffling it side-to-side to no end. The portions of the crowd who weren’t utterly disinterested crackled with frustration. Their best chance fell to Matt Doherty from Smallbone’s fine corner, but he reacted too slowly to make anything of it. Otherwise Ireland were restricted to a couple of shots from range and set pieces, one of which ended in a chaotic phase where Ferguson whipped a ball into the box for Duffy. Greece dealt admirably with Ireland’s aerial threat.
Callum Robinson and Mikey Johnston were introduced from the bench and both made fleeting impacts: Johnston won a corner from which Doherty brought an agile save from Vlachodimos, while minutes later Robinson flashed a shot narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post.
But that was about as good as it got for Ireland. Tonight they were beaten by a better team, and Europe is now littered with better teams than Ireland. Stephen Kenny will leave his job shortly, and be dismissed as experiment that failed in qualifying, but the course of action he altered was failing too. Ireland have tried playing every which way; they have blooded youngsters and returned to veterans; they have played out from the back and knocked it long; three, four, and five at the back.
Nothing has worked.
Ireland are pushing a rock up a hill and if they look to their side, they’ll see even Sisyphus is further ahead.
Republic of Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Matt Doherty; Nathan Collins (Ryan Manning, HT), Shane Duffy (captain), Liam Scales; Jason Knight; Josh Cullen, Will Smallbone (Callum Robinson, 69′), Alan Browne (Mikey Johnston, 69′); Chiedozie Ogbene (Adam Idah, 84′), Evan Ferguson
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We need a harsh rule to stop career criminals, to be honest we could start at 100 strikes and you get a life sentence and it woujd still improve things!
Sounds like a plan – when interviewing Anglo bankers, slip some laxative in their coffee. When the mess ensues, the judge will go to town on them later. Their barrister may be able to bamboozle the court on corruption and fraud charges, but try weasel out of the defecation charge.
Sean Fitzpatrick: 10 years
Fingers Fingleton: 15 years
Matt Moran : 50 years
I am not saying any of these individuals are guilty of any financial wrongdoing , but we could fit them up for a defecation offense
and we struggle with budgets to keep Garda stations opened, so for stealing 16 euro’s of Fairy Liquid, pooping – we spend a further 121,333 euro keeping him in Mount Joy – great lads !
Back in my day a cop would have put on rubber gloves and cleaned it up. Nowadays, they outsource it. Poor Gardai, they don’t like the rain or cleaning up a bit of shit.
Idiot do you think they went in with a wet wipe and picked it up. It is unknown what diseases that scuumbag is harbouring I would think that room was given a deep clean.
Martin you are not looking at the bigger picture. He got caught 165 times stealing so how many times didn’t he get caught? Multiply that by the amount of goods he stole each time and I’m fairly sure it would add up to much more than €16 and that’s why he is locked up.
Even with a deep clean by someone with the HACCP courses done (like me) a rate of 131 euro for half an hours work done is pretty good going – don’t assume were all idiots – Alesis
I didn’t assume it, Martin. I’m simply pointing out how ludicrous is it that a Garda can;t clean a room or cell in 2015. What would happen if it happened in a station in a small town in the middle of the country? Would the Gardai call someone in from the city to clean it? If so, that’s outrageous and a shcoking waste of money.
“So by ur logic nurses have to clean a hospital” – Yes. That happened up to very recently and is now yet another reason why the health service is in shit and costs a bloody fortune to run,. We know have manky hospitals and superbugs Bring back the Matron – they ran a tight ship and at least cleaned the bloody place.
“teachers clean the schools” – as a matter of fact yes. Teachers AND students used to clean the schools in days gone by. Imagine that. What depravity eh?
That’s true Martin, I reckon instead of blaming the guy who appears to have had a fairly good start in life and to end up pooping in a garda station needs to be looked at, simply rearresting him over and over again for the same crimes and it not working is like the definition of madness repeating the same mistakes over and over again and expecting different results, at least the guy can plead that he was out of his head on gear, what’s the judicial systems excuse?
Would ya cop on. All public buildings have cleaning and or cleaning contractors. Please reply when u know what u are talking about. I would rather have nurses teachers etc employed to do the job they are paid to do rather than clean the building they work from. I wonder how many apple or metronic employees have to clean the building they work in? None I’d guess and rightly so.
Jesus you’re not too bright are you. The Gardai and nurses deal with intoxicated people every night of the week. It’s part of the job description. Apple don;t and nor do public companies. There is no parallel.
I’m not to bright . U can’t even answer what I have stated. There are cleaners employed to do the job of cleaning. Nurses nurse, teachers teach and gardai police. Do you get ta concept or will I have to spell it out slower for you. The point about apple etc was that public and private bodies have a similar policy when it comes to cleaning the buildings they work in. Try understand stop making a fool of your self
You’ll find there is a hospital orderly to do that job most of the time a nurses aid and what have you. In some cases I suppose a nurse has to deal with a person who is incontent etc. My point is that cleaners are employed to clean public buildings but for some reason alesis thinks the gardai should have to clean the garda stations. I wonder does he have an axe to grind the fool
naoibh b- few would suggest that the gardai should have to clean the garda stations. However many would think that one of them could have gloved up, picked up the turd and wiped the floor with disinfectant instead of calling the cleaners in specifically to carry out that one small five minute task. If a child did it in a classroom I am pretty certain that a teacher would clean it up rather than calling in the cleaners to pick it up for them.
I find it hard to equate the innocent mistake of a child with that of a prisoner deliberately doing that in ta corner of an interview room. Accordingly I would find it hard to think a garda should have to clean up after its just not the same. Would you do it? Even it you would I feel you shouldn’t have to. I think the gardai were fully entitled to call in the cleaners on this occasion. Not easy for them either btw
naoibh b if the choice was clean it up in 5 minutes myself or call the cleaners specifically to do it at a cost to the taxpayer, then yes I would clean it up myself. Maybe if I worked in the public sector I’d feel differently about using resources
Naoibh we don’t have orderlies or nurses aids in Ireland. We have healthcare assistants and porters. And it stills stands, the nurses still clean up the bodily fluids.
165 previous convictions, I know that most of these boyos normally say that they “couldn`t give a shit” – but this fella obviously could.
sort of Karma that he will be slopping out his own cell for the next 16 months, ah well, they say practice makes perfect.
Fionn…165 previous’s ….. He deserved a lot more,the ignorant filthy pig…. People moaning over DOB continually,is just boring at this stage … Fair play to him for making billions…we all would if we could !!!
We all would?? Maybe you! But I’m of the opinion that the inequality of wealth is at the core of humanity’s problems.
Especially wealth amassed by fraudulent and corrupt behaviour!
If the tribunals findings were followed up on then we could find a situation whereby DOBS investments since this time each amount to an illegal transaction!
One rule for the powerful, anyone espousing differently is either a fool or a knave!
I’m a realist who dosent spend his time moaning and whining at every opportunity . Life’s too short ..stop moaning and grow up..there will always be very rich, rich,middle class ,working class and poor …that’s life …communism never worked …ask half of Eastern Europe !!!
The man is obviously critically mentally unstable. I think 16 months in prison was a bit harsh. He needs rehab and counselling as prison won’t help him or us he needs someone of good influence to help him turn his life around. I’ve seen bigger criminals get away with a lot less than 16 months for bigger crimes.
Then he should have gotten help a long time ago. He is mentally unstable and Jail time will increase that instability tenfold doing both him and society no favor as he will be out robbing again in no time. He needs someone of good influence to turn his life around. He’s fallen from the ladder and just needs counselling and to be sent to a mental hospital until he gets better.
Agree Stephen. The dude is obviously destroyed because of his addiction & the answer is put him on a methadone programme & lock him up. There is nowhere else to put him only back into the prison system where he learns more ways to scam for his habit & has endless amounts of it. The system is stuffed full of addicts and people with mental problems that are considered criminals. They might have committed a criminal act but have serious underlying issues that can be managed & fixed with the right attitude & skills. In prisons they are used by proper criminals for holding gear, phones whatever in cells. Ireland is going the same route as the US prison system which is clogged with people that will never get out of the it because they throw them altogether & don’t deal with the core problem. We need more facility’s for the mentally challenged. More facilities for drug addicts & properly trained staff in them. Crime is not our problem,yet. Addiction is
Stephen do you really think that the approach that you have mentioned was not tried in the past? He’s a recidivist and has to take some level of responsibility himself.
Isn’t it ironic? You can scam the nation of billions, bribe Ministers to secure a lucrative licence, Evade Tax, silence debate on important public issues, ——But, make a nuisance in a cop shop – and you’e banged up..
More Prisons Please
The legal lobby don’t want more prisons as their customers are repeat offenders. Somebody with numerous convictions can potentially make solicitors, Junior council and Senior Council a huge amount of money. They also make money from the damage caused in insurance claims. Of course the judges and their families are all involved in the business so the status quo is maintained. It’s a huge business and if offenders were imprisoned it would seriously effect their business. People’ lives are put in danger to allow criminals continue to prosper and the legal profession to thrive. The moral in the Gardai is shot to pieces with repeat offenders constantly getting off cries. Shame on our government.
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