Global bookmaker 1xBet talks about our team’s performance in the Nations League group stage.
Сhallenging group and cautious optimism
The draw wasn’t lucky for the Ireland team – our opponents were England, Greece and Finland. Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson correctly pointed out that England is far stronger than the other teams and is not performing at its usual level. The other opponents were also tough. We lost to Greece twice in the Euro 2004 qualifiers, and the group underdogs, Finland, could cause problems due to the experience of its players.
Icelander Heimir Hallgrímsson led his country’s national team to the 2018 World Cup, which caught the attention of the Irish Football Association. Regarding playing style, Ireland resembles Iceland, although no one expects similar success from the Boys in Green. A bit of optimism comes from the progress of several players in the EPL: striker Evan Ferguson has made a strong impression with Brighton, and Nathan Collins has become an important player for Brentford.
Lack of focus and a fair result
A major problem for our team has been the lack of confidence at the start of halves. In the home match against England, we conceded a goal in the 11th minute, and in London, the opponent scored 3 times early in the 2nd half. Liam Scales’ dismissal played a big role, but the team fell apart too easily in a critical situation, which was a big problem. By the way, if you’re wondering what is the problem with 1xBet, the answer is simple: there are no problems. The company has 17 years of experience in the betting industry, holds a license to operate in Ireland, and pays out winnings on time to all players who follow the platform’s rules. 1xBet impeccable reputation is backed by the trust of millions of clients worldwide, as well as partnerships with FC Barcelona, Serie A, and other world-renowned sports brands and organizations.
Both matches against Greece followed the same script: an early goal conceded in the 2nd half, followed by another goal in the game’s final minutes. Losing at Aviva Stadium was especially frustrating – in that clash, we could have earned points to later fight for 2nd place. Even in the away game against Finland, we conceded 1st, but luckily managed to equalize and win. At home, Ireland narrowly defeated Finland thanks to a goal from Ferguson and a save by Caoimhín Kelleher after a penalty kick.
Overall, the Boys in Green disappointed us with their attacking play – the team scored only 3 goals and managed just 5 shots on target in 4 matches against England and Greece. We have good strikers, but against strong opponents, we critically lack creative players to create goal-scoring opportunities. Attacks down the wings and long balls can be effective, but achieving significant success with this tactic is difficult.
Heading towards Bulgaria
Ireland rightly finished 3rd in the group and will play against Bulgaria in March next year to keep its place in League B. The Bulgarians played in League C and finished 2nd in their group, which included Northern Ireland, Belarus, and Luxembourg. Bulgaria didn’t show exceptional performance in the autumn, so relegation to Division C against such an opponent would be a failure.
Do you believe in Ireland’s victory in the two-legged match? If so, watch our team’s games with the reliable bookmaker 1xBet Ireland!
Wexford Weekly
This article was published by a member of the Wexford Weekly team.
Read also:
Remember to submit your news to Wexford Weekly! To advertise on our socials or website, email our team at info@wexfordweekly.com