“Right from the off, our captain and our left back weren’t right at it.”
By Séamus Brady
Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Hungary may have kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive, but former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr had strong words for the team’s defensive display – especially in the opening 15 minutes when they conceded twice.
Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side looked disorganised early on, allowing Hungary to take a two-goal lead and were lucky to not fall further behind before halftime. While Ireland fought back in the second half, with Adam Idah’s late goal snatching a draw, the defensive issues of the first half remain a major concern moving forward.
Kerr was particularly critical of Matt Doherty’s performance at left back, calling the decision to start him there as a mistake.
“I don’t know why he picked Matt Doherty last night to play left back. I certainly wouldn’t have played him.” he said, “He showed a lack of urgency, right from the off… There’s always been a lack of urgency in his game that frustrates me and has frustrated me for years… That was a selection issue [Hallgrimsson] got wrong.”
Also in the firing line for Kerr’s criticism was Ireland captain Nathan Collins.
“He shapes up to boot the ball forward up the pitch, tries a fancy one and puts it into touch past Manning, and we never recovered.”
“Right from the off, our captain and our left back weren’t right at it.”
Despite the poor start, Ireland fought back bravely in the second half to earn what could be a vital point in the qualifying campaign. There are changes expected for the upcoming clash against Armenia, with Ryan Manning and Liam Scales as options for the left back slot, while Jake O’Brien is likely to keep his spot on the right after an impressive display.
