Irish Football Fans

Myself and Mark Kennedy have finally calmed down after the results against Portugal and Hungary long enough to catch our breath and record our thoughts on the two World Cup qualifiers. What did we think of the performances on the nights in Aviva Stadium and the Puskas Arena, and what is it like to still be in contention for a seat at the big table with six months to go to the tournament? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the Republic of Ireland Mens National Team's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Armenia - did we deserve anything from the defensive performance, or did spending 90 minutes not trying to create a goalscoring opportunity mean Hallgrímsson's side came away from Lisbon with exactly what they deserved? Armenia came to Dublin looking to finally leave Aviva Stadium with three points, but the team seem to have lucked into a new tactic at home - getting an opposition player sent off!The Mens Under-17 side kicked off their qualification campaign for the 2026 UEFA Under-17 Championship in Austria, facing the hosts, the Faroe Islands, and Kosovo, and came away with a 100% record without conceding a goal - what did we think of the performance of the team under interim coach Paul Osam and can this side emulate the 2025 squad and qualify for the 2026 Under-17 World Cup?Finally, Carla Ward has named her squad for the Womens' National Team Nations League promotion play off against Belgium. Without their first choice goalkeeper, and following another retirement, can the team win promotion to League A next year, and what bearing does the result of the tie have on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss the upcoming games across all four men's teams age groups.With the senior team flying out to Lisbon before facing Armenia at home, we ask should revenge be the primary motivation for players, or should the three points on offer be enough to drive them to a positive result?The U21s have opened their qualifying group with two wins from two games. With England all but certain to top the group, a win in their next qualifier against Slovakia will go a long way to guaranteeing second spot for Jim Crawford's team. With the U17 team that qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup preparing for their appearance at the finals in a months' time, we look at the current U17 squad ahead of their qualifying round group fixtures against hosts Kosovo, the Faroe Islands, and Austria.Finally, the U19s face Albania in two friendlies as part of their preparation for their 2026 UEFA Under-19 Championship qualifying group in November.A lot to look forward to in the next few days for fans of Irish football! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's taken myself, Mark, and Philip this long to calm down enough after the two qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia to be able to record our thoughts on the games. After taking one point from the opening fixtures of the qualifying campaign, is it already over? Did any players come out of the games well? And what affect will our next fixture, the hardest fixture of the qualifiers away against Portugal in Lisbon, have on the home crowd for the return game against Armenia three days later? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss the squad selected by Heimir Hallgrímsson to face Hungary and Armenia in the opening two fixtures of the qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. How do we think the team is going to line out in Aviva stadium, and what players in the Hungarian side will Irish fans have to watch out for? Jim Crawford has selected the U21 squad to face Moldova and Andorra. Does opening the campaign for the 2027 UEFA U21 Championship against two minnows give the manager some scope for experimentation in the squad? With senior experience and fresh faces at this level, how do we think the team will do over their opening two fixtures, ahead of their first real challenge against Slovakia in October? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myself, Mark Kennedy, and Philip Flanagan are back after a summer rest to discuss what fans of Irish football can look forward to in the coming months as the new season kicks off across Europe - what transfers have caught our eye, is there a manager already in trouble, and who will be looking to make an impact for the national side as the qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins?(note this was recorded before Heimir Hallgrímsson named his squad to face Hungary and Armenia) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myself, Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football discuss the last two games of the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League for the Women's National Team. How has Carla Ward changed the side, what is her approach to the game, and what do we think will happen when her team face Belgium in the promotion play off in October?The inclusion of uncapped players in Heimir Hallgrímsson's squad for two friendlies at the end of the European season added interest to what are usually nondescript affairs. We discuss the impact of adding new blood to the team had over the two games, and what players might have done enough to earn a place in the squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers kicking off in September? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss the final two games of the Republic of Ireland Women's Team's Nations League campaign - with six points on offer from the games against Turkiye and Slovenia, can Carla Ward's team earn promotion to League A, or will we face the play offs in October?The final two friendlies for the mens team represent the last chance for experimentation by Heimir Hallgrímsson before the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers start in September. With four new faces in the squad, how do we think the team will line out against Senegal and Luxembourg, and what challenges will the two sides pose for the Boys in Green?Finally, with the group stage draw completed for the Under 17 World Cup being held in November, we take a look at the sides Colin O'Brien's team will face in Qatar and evaluate our chances of progressing into the knock out stagesNote - this episode was recorded before the updated mens squad was announced, so contains some discussion on where we expected Sammie Szmodics to play in the two friendlies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to review the Republic of Ireland senior men's team's play off against Bulgaria, we've picked up one bad habit under the new manager, but also seem to know how to recover from it. With the women's team needing to bounce back from two underwhelming performances, and one particularly bad result, in their opening games of the Nations League, and facing a Greek side looking to get their first points on the board for their campaign, how do we think it'll go over the two games for Carla Ward's side?Finally, the U19 and U17 qualifying campaigns reached their climaxes, with a disappointing result for the U19s in Germany, but the U17s will play in their first World Cup in Qatar this November. What did we think of the performances from both sides, and who do we think is going to worth looking our for at the end of the year?(note this was recorded before the women's team's first game against Greece) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest of our series of speaking to fan podcasts from clubs around the world with an Irish player, myself and Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick are delighted to welcome Adam Pace of Brisbane Football Review to the show to discuss the sporting culture in Brisbane, the history of Brisbane Roar, and their current Irish players. We go into the similarities between the A-League and the League of Ireland, and what solutions have been approached by both competitions to resolve the issues that both competitions face.You can follow the Brisbane Football Review on X(formerly known as Twitter) at https://x.com/BNEFootball or facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneFootballReviewListen in to their podcast on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/2BZDi6mW2d7DLuBDyCi7yP?si=f1b7cae18d5f47df or Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/brisbane-football-review/id1162536685 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the squad announced by Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson to face Bulgaria in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League Relegation Play Off and give our predictions on how the two legged tie will finish. Carla Ward's first two games in charge of the Womens Team ended in a home win and an away loss, but how did we rate the performance under the new manager, and what do they mean for the upcoming games against Greece?Finally, with the U21s due to play two friendlies in Spain as part of their build up for the 2027 U21 European Championships qualifying campaign, how do we think the current squad compares to previous U21 sides? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to look through the moves for Republic of Ireland players that caught our eye during the January 2025 transfer window, and with Carla Ward's first squad as manager of the Womens' National Team, we preview her first two games against Turkey and Slovenia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the highs and lows of Irish international football in 2024, and make some predictions for 2025. Do you agree with our selection? What do you think will happen in the next 12 months? Let us know! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to review the final two games of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League campaign. Was the post in with a chance of winning the Player of the Match against Finland, and were there any positives from the second half collapse against England?With the Women's team preparing for their UEFA Women's Euro 2025 play off against Wales, we examine both squads and encourage fans to attend the second leg in Aviva Stadium, not least because of a prediction I stand by!Finally, we give a brief mention to the Mens' U19 side after their first qualifying round for next year's Championship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myself and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football are delighted to be joined by John Nicholson of football365 to discuss a wide range of topics, from Lee Carsley's time in charge of England, the waning power of the press, the poppy controversy, and more! (Note this was recorded before England and Ireland's games against Greece and Finland, respectively) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to preview the final 2024/25 UEFA Nations League games for the Republic of Ireland National Men's Team against Finland and England. What do we think of the squad selected by Heimir Hallgrímsson, will the performances against Finland and Greece affect the expectations of Ireland fans, and how do we think the Boys in Green will fare over the two games?Following the National Women's Team defeat of Georgia in the first round of the play off for UEFA Women's Euro 2025, what can Eileen Gleeson's team expect in the second round against Wales.Finally, we review the U17 Mens Team's performance in the Qualifying Round for the 2025 UEFA Under 17 Championship and explain how a rare, possible unique, set of circumstances led to them qualifying with three yellow cardsAlso, I make a prediction for the attendance in the final home game of 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the Republic of Ireland's two Nations League games in October. What did we make of the changes to the side and how the players reacted to going behind, and what does it mean for the final two League B games in November?Going into their final two qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA U21 Championship, the Under 21 side knew what was needed, but still fell short of qualification. What players from the squad can look forward to promotion to the senior side, and what does another campaign that finished in disappointment mean for coach Jim Crawford?Also, Sideshow Bob's rakes and I do a live countdown math problem! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to preview the Republic of Ireland's two Nations League games against Finland and Greece. With only one competitive win against the former, and having never beaten Greece, what will the changes to the squad made by Heimir Hallgrímsson make in what is effectively his first game in complete charge of the team?As the U21s face into their final two qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA U21 Championships against Norway and Italy, can Jim Crawford's team reach the finals for the first time? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're delighted to be joined by Landon Cotham and Jeremiah Bentley of Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer to discuss Austin FC - the club, the stadium, the fan culture, how important Jon Gallagher is to the team, on and off the pitch, and what to expect from Peter Grogan after the former Bray Wanderers midfielder signed for Los Verdes in August Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the opening two games of the Republic of Ireland's 2024/25 UEFA Nations League campaign against England and Greece. The results, and performances, have led us to believe that, while things are bad, they can still get worse, and the honeymoon period for the new manager has already ended. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.