National Forum

Non-Gaa Forum

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To WanPintWin:  "They're very consistent now, but even in their recent good runs, they've had a fair bit of fortune with the draw and some results.
They've generally lost whenever they came up against a good team.
On their run in WC 2018, they lost twice to Belgium and then to Croatia. In Euro 2020 (2021), they ended up on the much softer side of the draw again, got Ukraine in the quarters, Denmark in the semi-final and a soft penalty to win that. In WC 2022, they were put out by France in the quarters. In the last Euros they were very fortunate to get past Slovakia in the round of 16, edged past the Swiss on penalties and probably played their best match in beating the Dutch after extra-time. Spain were too good for them in the final.
They are generally beating the teams they should be beating, and that can get you a long way in tournament football."
Since 1990 they have a brutal World cup record. Every time they've played a big team in a knock out game they've lost. They made that semi final in 2018 purely because they got a very soft side of the draw. And sure as Keano said they were on about the final then before they had even won the semi :D

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 484 - 19/11/2025 18:40:14    2645344

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "Isn't that their entire history in a sentence? Even going back to before they had a vote? They very rarely stood together against the English."
I suppose our own history is similar, it was always the few who stood and fought the invaders,
though if we had a chance to do it at the ballot box I have no doubt there'd be a massive vote in favour of reuniting Ireland.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3573 - 19/11/2025 19:14:44    2645348

Link

Replying To FullOfPorter:  "Those from an Irish Catholic background were always traditionally Labour in Scotland. And although the SNP got a broader more friendly appeal in the recent past, I think there was a strong anti Catholic element to them years ago when they were a more marginal party. That meant a lot of Catholics of Irish background did not trust them and by extension maybe didn't trust what an independent Scotland would be like ruled by the SNP. The SNP have changed a lot but old fears die hard."
I can see that, they would be a minority in a protestant Scotland, still though I'd rather take my chances in that independent Scotland than be tied to the English forever.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3573 - 19/11/2025 19:51:19    2645353

Link

Replying To GreenandRed:  "Tuchel is doing well with them. He's content to bruise a few egos and leave some,so called, superstars, unhappy on the bench. He doesn't want a team that picks itself and be over-reliant on Bellingham and Kane."
I totally agree. Tuchel is picking the form horses, and that's not necessarily the most famous established ones. He's also capping any player with potential, and that seems to be a very large volume of young English prospects. Trending well it would appear for England currently.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4480 - 19/11/2025 20:52:11    2645360

Link

Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I suppose our own history is similar, it was always the few who stood and fought the invaders,
though if we had a chance to do it at the ballot box I have no doubt there'd be a massive vote in favour of reuniting Ireland."
I think so too. I wouldn't mind having a few bob less if thats what it took.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17573 - 19/11/2025 21:24:22    2645366

Link

Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "I totally agree. Tuchel is picking the form horses, and that's not necessarily the most famous established ones. He's also capping any player with potential, and that seems to be a very large volume of young English prospects. Trending well it would appear for England currently."
I think Lee Carsley did Thomas Tuchel a big favour during his tenure, whether it was intended or not I don't know.
In the Greece match at Wembley, he picked a team in what could only be described as a team my young fella would pick on his Playstation. Crammed in all the big names and it was an inevitable mess. Greece played through them at their ease and left with a deserved win.

Tuchel is a different story. There's no "project" here or building a team for the future. He's in the hotseat for one gig only really, and that's to win the World Cup. The likes of Bellingham doesn't seem to have copped on to that fact yet though. He's a big star yes, and a very good player. But if he doesn't toe the line, Tuchel won't lose one wink of sleep leaving him out and denting his ego.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10139 - 20/11/2025 08:56:05    2645381

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "I think so too. I wouldn't mind having a few bob less if thats what it took."
Which is exactly what happened in our case. We may not have achieved the Eutopia we hoped for, but living standards have certainly improved for the average Irish person all be it not in the most equitable way in recent times.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4034 - 20/11/2025 09:31:20    2645387

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "I think so too. I wouldn't mind having a few bob less if thats what it took."
Good man Viking66, your time spent in Coalisland wasn't wasted on you. Ireland as 1 nation and less material things would be grand.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2481 - 20/11/2025 10:07:07    2645391

Link

Replying To Saynothing:  "Good man Viking66, your time spent in Coalisland wasn't wasted on you. Ireland as 1 nation and less material things would be grand."
Absolutely. A bit of wealth redistribution would pay for it all.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17573 - 20/11/2025 11:15:25    2645402

Link

Replying To Saynothing:  "Good man Viking66, your time spent in Coalisland wasn't wasted on you. Ireland as 1 nation and less material things would be grand."
And many Irish men and women paid for freedom with their lives over the years. A few bob wouldn't kill anyone.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17573 - 20/11/2025 11:16:43    2645403

Link

Republic get Czechs in the qualifier. Czech republic are no big deal. And we can beat them.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2691 - 20/11/2025 13:52:57    2645423

Link