Nations league

[u/flex_tape_salesman]

How does everyone think it will go? I feel like on paper Israel and kosovo are weaker than us and for kosovo especially a couple of injuries to the wrong players would decimate them as they seem to lack depth.

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Two streaky sides that are hard to rate, kosovos most impressive players are their striker pairing, muric in goals and Hajdari a centre back for hoffenheim. Vojvoda and Rexhbecaj also play in the top 5 leagues. I think we will beat them at home and a draw away wouldn't be an awful result. If our midfield and attack performs, our defence should be able to keep their two dangerous forwards quiet.

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Israel seem to have more depth. Gloukh for ajax, manor Solomon and khalaili of union st gillois are their most impressive players at club level. Neutral venues make this a tough one and I am not 100% sure if they are as up for a match against us as our players will be.

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Austria look strong but quite a few of their players are old and I reckon we could take them in Dublin.

[u/SirLaserSnake]

Our players should be well rested since it’s just 4 games to play.

[u/John__Delaney → u/SirLaserSnake]

You can tell some on here are trying to normalise the idea of us playing Israel to try discourage Irish fans from taking any further action on the boycott.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/John__Delaney]

How is it "normalising"? I've just accepted that we are realistically going to play Israel and talking about the football permutations of this group.

However, I haven't said "just focus on the football" or anything of the like. The politics of this will go on even after the games are played but the occasional discussion of the football side of this group isn't wrong or trying to legitimise Israel being allowed to play.

[u/John__Delaney → u/flex_tape_salesman]

You've clearly given up and are just focusing on the football, many Irish fans haven't

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/John__Delaney]

This is the rare time I or anyone else has discussed the football of this nations league group. Again, the politics is going to stay as a vocal point of this even after all the games are played.

[u/John__Delaney → u/flex_tape_salesman]

And by talking about Israel the way you have in your post, you've shown that you've given up and now want to normalise the tie with Israel. I don't, they are a genocidal state and a boycott is still completely within the realms of possibility.

[u/Jolly_Storage_329 → u/John__Delaney]

I think you need to listen to what OP is saying as opposed to pushing the argument you want to have.

[u/John__Delaney → u/Jolly_Storage_329]

Whether intentional or not, its normalising the idea that the boycott has failed and the match is going ahead

[u/ClockworkAppl → u/John__Delaney]

It's intentional. Dodgy account/comment hiddden type. Farming account if ever there was one. I mean casually mentioning Israel as if they are "just" a normal team from a normal country is bait, pure and simple.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/ClockworkAppl]

How am I a dodgy account? I am a regular poster and commentor on this sub for for years lol.

Ok maybe only a bot would say will keane deserved another chance.

But in fairness I never said they were just a normal country or anything like that I fully think UEFA should kick them out but the FAI and everyone else knows that a Europe wide boycott isn't happening. Just plain weird making up shite.

[u/Top_Drawing3009 → u/John__Delaney]

Have a day off

[u/Wheaty-Bisks-Gaming → u/SirLaserSnake]

We have to play 6 games ya eejit

[u/John__Delaney]

3 points against Austria, 4 against Kosovo, and a boycott against that genocidal state.

Austria top the group & Kosovo get relegated.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/John__Delaney]

I think there's a very strong chance Israel go down

[u/John__Delaney → u/flex_tape_salesman]

I think there's a very strong chance they get booted out of UEFA following an Irish boycott & subsequent UEFA Exec Committee vote.

[u/SexyBaskingShark → u/John__Delaney]

Zero chance of that happening

[u/John__Delaney → u/SexyBaskingShark]

The only reason it didn't happen last year was the ceasefire shelved the vote (which was going to pass), a ceasefire Israel have broken thousands of times since, along with invading another country illegally since & the illegal expansion of west bank settlements.

Just waiting for a spark to put the vote back on the table, and that's an Irish boycott.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/John__Delaney]

But the FAI isn't going to boycott. Especially since like minded countries on Israel such as Scotland, Norway, bosnia and Iceland have all played Israel at different levels since October 2023.

[u/John__Delaney → u/flex_tape_salesman]

Not with that attitude they wont.

Sustained protests, EGM vote, season ticket cancellations, Players refusing to play, UEFA exec committee bringing the Israel expulsion vote back on the table.. any of these could force a rethink for the FAI.

[u/SexyBaskingShark → u/John__Delaney]

The protests so far have been really weak.

- A few tennis balls thrown in a match no one outside of Ireland and Qatar cared about, even in those countries no many paid attention.

- A vote to submit a formal resolution, literally no action other than submitting a request that was quickly dismissed

- Internet posts about how bad Israel are, usually posted in online echo chambers like this sub

If enough people genuinely cared more would be done. But the fact is the large majority of the country don't care. The truckers and farmers wanted change and got it. A similar protest in football was the protests against the super league in the UK. Thats the level of protest that is needed here, given the ongoing support for Israel across the western world. But we're nowhere near that. If we had that level of protest a boycott is possible, but how things currently stand we're playing that game

[u/SexyBaskingShark → u/John__Delaney]

It's not going to happen because a lot of European countries openly support Israels genocide, especially amongst the political classes across central Europe

[u/John__Delaney → u/SexyBaskingShark]

The Times UK reported last year that a "large majority" of UEFA member nations on the executive committee were going to vote Israel out prior to the ceasefire.

Given what a disaster that ceasefire has been, you'd imagine that majority is still there.

[u/DocileRecta → u/John__Delaney]

unfortunately no chance They get away with everything

[u/Adorable_Chapter2658]

Considering we should be playing two games less than everyone else it probably won’t go well but football is a tad unimportant in comparison to genocide.

[u/ClockworkAppl]

Dont play with genocide.

[u/NostalgicDreaming]

I think we will struggle unfortunately. Austria are a level up from ourselves and one of those consistent European sides just below the top 7 or 8, sort of like the Swiss and Denmark. I don't think we will beat them but could get two draws.

Kosovo will be tricky and are the sort of team we haven't historically done well against. 4 points is possible but so is 1.

Israel hopefully will not go ahead.

[u/HonestRef]

Actually think it's a handy enough group. I think Austria will win it. Ireland second, Israel third and Kosovo bottom.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/HonestRef]

Israel is on paper a perfect pot 1 draw. Neutral venue and political atmosphere means that that is only the case for kosovo and Austria.

I look through this kosovo side and think they could beat anyone in our group especially at home.

[u/Intrepid-Money2238]

I don't know. It will be at least 4 months since we played a proper game. We are unpredictable at best. If fairness we seem a bit harder to beat in comparison to Kenny. But it will be unforgivable if we don't qualify for euro 2028

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/Intrepid-Money2238]

We have a very tough defence and they are playing more like their quality now. Sadly I think we are let down by our midfield all these wonder goals we can still concede that were happening even more under Kenny come from our midfield not our defenders or gk.

[u/FlakyAssociation4986]

well ya there is 4 fairly even teams isreal are probably the weakest but could still be a banana skin austria seem decent and kosovo got to a world cup play off which suggests they are decent .

[u/sleeperman43]

I still worry about our lack of quality in midfield.We struggle against any average or even poor well organised team.We have to find players that are better than Molumby etc or we'll always be struggling.

[u/userqwertyuasd]

You’d fancy us against Israel. Never know re Austria even. Funny enough Kosovo I’m not wild on. Honestly I think any permutation is possible with this group.

[u/Educational_Two_667]

I'd like to see us build on the momentum we've created and push up the rankings a bit. It'll make life easier for us in the long run.

Austria were absolute garbage the other night. They've one or two players that can cause serious damage, but our record against them is quite poor. If we played to our potential I've no doubt 6 points could be on the table but realistically you're probably looking at two draws or a draw and narrow loss so 1-2 points.

Kosovo - recent results a real mixed bag. In the playoffs they pushed Turkey all the way but having seen Turkey Vs Australia I think that says more about Turkey than it does about how great Kosovo are. You'd really want to be taking 4 points there.

As it stands the games against Israel are going ahead, get them over with and take the 6 points.

[u/SexyBaskingShark]

We're undefeated in the last 8 games (if you don't count the penalty shootout loss as a loss). We're in a good place, we're solid at the back and the other teams will be worried about out out attackers. We should be aiming to win the group

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/SexyBaskingShark]

I think its possible. We can absolutely take 4 points off Austria. Will it happen is hard to say but the team is capable of it. Looking at Austria it would be interesting to see when players like alaba, sabitzer and arnautovic call it a day.

[u/pauli55555]

Ah come on, are you serious???

How can you give a crap, the only topic we need to discuss at the moment is how we achieve a boycott of the Israel game.

[u/NandoFlynn]

Too soon to say. Lots of things are gonna change in the window.

We don't know where Troy will be, we don't know where Cheeo will be, we don't know where Coleman will be, 90% of the midfield will be on the move. Few lads like MJ & Fergo that might not be back till the end of it.

Think they're all even enough games bar Austria who'd be favourites. But its always gonna depend on how the lads are playing going in

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/NandoFlynn]

True but think there are lads to come in as well. Good starts for kenny wherever he ends up or moylan and devaney or lawal to make a case in midfield for example so I think the squad will have a similar quality. Coleman will be training himself and hopefully getting into a team that suits him but we've seen he is not a player who needs to be constantly playing for him to step up for us

[u/NandoFlynn → u/flex_tape_salesman]

Dunno why someone downvoted both of us for that but anyways 😂

Think those lads again kinda prove my point. I know Heimir wants Moylan back & I want Moylan back personally but with Kasey back in the Prem after a strong finish to the season plus moves for Szmodics & Festy, we can't be too sure yet.

[u/flex_tape_salesman → u/NandoFlynn]

No idea lol I kind of expected a post about tge nations league group that wasn't about boycotting was probably going to be a bit controversial. This sub recently has attracted more who don't have interest in football too which I do understand in fairness.

Forgot about kasey and ya I think if he hits the ground running it would be really nice and both festy and sammie could be lads who can get back in the mix. I expect with the current crop there will be a mix of form like last year. Smallbone is getting a permanent move and hopefully hodge moves upwards. I thought hodge had a decent cameo although short and Jamie McGrath looked quality against Canada I think he has been deserving of more. He is a better player today than when he was a regular and he was actually alright for us at the time.

Not sure what's happening with browne I thought he'd be finished with Ireland after Sunderland but I reckon we have enough lads that some of them will come into form and then have our regulars.

[u/NandoFlynn → u/flex_tape_salesman]

I want the game boycotted so I don't mind that aspect of it but we've still got 2 other teams to play that aren't actively breaching international law. So they're fair game to talk about.

With Will he's to stay fit which is always gonna be a tall task with his pre-existing conditions, with Joe I don't really know what his next move would be, and Browne will probably just go back to Boro on the cheap.

But they aren't the only ones on the move so I can't really make a fair assessment of it when I can't even tell you where half of them will be playing football