Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny says he is not worried going into next Sunday’s draw for the group stages of the Euro 2024 Championship. Ireland will be third seeds and there is no doubt we are going to be paired with at least two of the top teams in Europe.
Kenny tends to talk a good game; prior to the start of the Nations League campaign he said we could top our group, which was eventually won by Scotland. We ended up finishing third and but for a VAR call it looked like we could be in real trouble against Armenia, the 92nd ranked team in the world, at the Aviva last week. The Republic appeared to be coasting to a 2-0 win after goals from captain John Egan and Michael Obafemi. But after sloppy defending and a “few minutes of madness” Armenia drew level with two well taken goals. We were on the wrong side of a VAR decision against Scotland in Hampden Park the previous week, but this time VAR ruled in the dying minutes that an Armenian player handled the ball in the penalty area and Robbie Brady kept his nerve to score from the penalty spot. The Armenian players were not happy with the VAR decision, and two were sent off for vigorously protesting.
With Euro 2020 runners-up England and World Cup holders France having slipped out of the top ten based on their Nations League results, Kenny’s team could face a qualification nightmare, although he is not unduly concerned about what may lie ahead.
‘‘England and France are second seeds, but they are better than some of the countries in as first seeds. Some of the teams in the first seeds are not as strong as that. That can balance out. We will see what the draw brings. It’s our absolute objective to qualify for the top two. We will see what the draw brings and take it from there.’’
Under Kenny the Irish team are playing some attractive football, but they just cannot win games. The Euro 2024 campaign gets under way in March next year.
N.I. STILL
IN 3RD TIER
Meanwhile Northern Ireland managed to retain their Nations League third-tier status despite a 3-1 defeat by Greece. With Cyprus losing in Kosovo it meant Northern Ireland avoided having to face a Group C relegation play-off. A goalkeeping error from Bailey Peacock-Farrell gifted Dimitris Pelkas an early Greek goal, but Shayne Lavery equalized three minutes later. Masouras slotted home to restore Greece's advantage and Mantalos blasted in the third. Jonny Evans won his 100th cap for Northern Ireland and wore the captain's armband for the night, but while he spoke afterwards of the pride he felt in leading the side out, there was little during the game for him and his team-mates to savor. After ending a 14-game winless Nations League run with a win over Kosovo in Belfast the previous Saturday, Northern Ireland went into Tuesday’s game in Athens knowing that they would avoid a relegation play-off if they matched or bettered the Cypriots’ result. However, the defeat means Northern Ireland face the prospect of dropping into pot five of the Euro 2024 qualifiers draw on Sunday.
MCALEESE TAPPED
Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has agreed the independent Chairperson of the integration process between the GAA, the Camogie Association and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association. recent statement from the Over the course of this year, all three Gaelic Games Associations separately discussed integration towards a one-association model. Mark Dorman has been confirmed as project manager for the integration process. A timeline on discussions between Chairperson McAleese and the three Associations will be agreed in the coming weeks to advance the project. The Gaelic Players Association’s motion to prioritize integration was passed at GAA Annual Congress earlier this year by an overwhelming majority.
Former President Mary McAleese pictured with her husband Martin McAleese in 2019. [Photo by Rolling News.ie/Sam Boal]
REDS’ KIERNAN IS
OUT FOR MONTHS
Leanne Kiernan has been ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup playoff next week. Liverpool confirmed that the 23-year-old striker is set to miss several months after suffering an ankle injury against Chelsea in a recent League game. Scotland play Austria tomorrow and the winners are home to Vera Pauw’s team on Tuesday next.
LEINSTER LINING UP
CHILE GAME IN NOV.
Leinster are hoping to line up a home friendly against Chile in November. Although the fixture has not yet been confirmed it’s reported that plans are at an advanced stage for the game to be played in Donnybrook. Chile recently created history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time -- Los Condores booked their place at France 2023 following a 52-51 aggregate victory against the USA in the Americas 2 play-off. Chile will play in Pool D next year, along with England, Japan, Argentina and Samoa. In preparation for their debut at the World Cup Chile are eager to line up games in the November international window, with Leinster open to the idea of taking on international opposition. Rugby in Chile is on the rise, with Los Condores coming in for plenty of praise for their expansive approach that helped them upset Canada and USA en route to sealing their World Cup spot. Leinster last faced international opposition when they beat Canada 38-35 in Hamilton three years ago, while the previous occasion they hosted an international in Dublin was against Argentina back in 1999.
COREY GETS
3-YEAR TERM
With the appointment of Vinny Corey as Monaghan senior football manager, Donegal is now the only county yet to appoint a senior manager for 2023. Corey, a former Monaghan captain, replaces Séamus McEnaney, who quit early in the summer. A host of names, like Jason Sherlock, Mark Counihan and Ger Brennan, have been linked to the position since “Banty” stepped down after their qualifier loss to Mayo in June, but it’s the Clontibret man who has been ratified. Corey has been appointed on a three-year term and his backroom team will include his brother Martin, Dermot McArdle and Gabriel Bannigan.
MAYO’S BOYLE
GETS MINORS JOB
Former Mayo footballer Colm Boyle will work as a selector and coach with the Mayo minor football team in 2023. Boyle retired at the end of last year having played 120 times for the green and red after making his debut in 2008. In that time, he won six Connacht titles and a National League, as well as being involved in a squad which reached six All-Ireland finals. A torn ACL kept him off the field in Mayo’s 2020 and 2021 final defeats to Dublin and Tyrone, but the 36-year-old has wasted little time in getting back involved with the county set up and will be part of Sean Deane’s backroom team with the minors next year.
HOW BBC DELIVERED
BAD NEWS TO LAWRO
Mark Lawrenson, the former Liverpool and Irish defender said in a recent Irish edition of the Sunday Times interview that he put his departure from the BBC down to him being a 65-year-old white male. After retiring Lawro worked with the BBC and was a guest on their Saturday morning programme “Football Focus” programme for over 25 years. He revealed that he was dismissed from his role in a matter-of-fact manner back in March. He said: “The Beeb are probably the worst at giving you bad news. It was just, ‘We are going on the road next season with ‘Focus.’ We don’t think it is really something for you.’’’
