Is Armenia Defeat Worst Result In Republic Of Ireland's History?

Macedonia successful 1997, Cyprus successful 2006, Luxembourg successful 2021, Armenia successful 2022 and now Armenia again successful 2025.

When ranking nan Republic of Ireland's astir embarrassing defeats it is difficult to look past nan debacle which unfolded successful their 2-1 conclusion by Armenia successful Yerevan connected Tuesday night.

The consequence against a broadside 105th successful nan Fifa world rankings was each nan much calamitous fixed that it already efficaciously ends nan Republic's hopes of reaching nan 2026 World Cup conscionable 2 games into qualifying.

The abject capacity besides inevitably leads to superior questions astir nan guidance of nan Irish squad nether Heimir Hallgrimsson and speculation astir his future.

The erstwhile Jamaica manager's statement only runs until nan extremity of this World Cup campaign, which is now apt to reason successful November and not astatine adjacent year's tourney finals successful North America, arsenic he and supporters of nan squad had hoped.

Hopes were precocious heading into this run arsenic nan Republic of Ireland looked to scope a first World Cup since 2002 connected nan backmost of enjoying an unbeaten commencement to 2025.

That optimism has quickly evaporated arsenic Hallgrimsson's broadside person only a solitary constituent to show from their first 2 outings successful Group F.

Saturday's 2-2 tie pinch Hungary successful Dublin showed some affirmative and antagonistic elements..

They trailed 2-0 astatine half-time, having paid nan value for 2 protect mistakes, and were indebted to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher for nan truth that their shortage was not greater.

Yet, arsenic seemed to person go their custom, they recovered a measurement to travel back, pinch Adam Idah's precocious equaliser conscionable reward for taking nan crippled to nan Hungarians aft nan break.

That equaliser breathed immoderate early life into their qualification ambitions, but immoderate momentum generated from that good 2nd half show quickly evaporated successful nan searing Yerevan heat.

Hallgrimsson looked to rectify nan mistakes made successful nan first half against Hungary wherever nan Irish midfield was overrun.

Jack Taylor came successful to subordinate Josh Cullen and Jason Knight for nan brushwood pinch Armenia, but that midfield operation lasted conscionable 45 minutes.

Taylor was hooked astatine nan break, pinch nan Republic leader opting to bring connected Adam Idah arsenic a 2nd striker and to alteration style successful an effort to summation nan precocious hand.

Instead of having a beneficial impact, that alteration yet contributed to his side's woes astatine nan different extremity of nan transportation as, pinch conscionable Cullen and Knight, their midfield looked porous and successive agelong balls from Armenian defenders many times trim retired some players.

That half-time alteration near erstwhile Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given unimpressed.

"What struck maine was that earlier nan game, Heimir said really we person to stack midfield a spot much and really we person to get much bodies successful location and really it will beryllium won and mislaid there.

"Then he made a alteration and brought Idah connected and near america really sparse successful midfield and you could spot really easy Armenia were playing done nan lines," he said connected RTE Two.

Killian Phillips, who came connected successful nan 2nd half was nan 4th and last cardinal midfield option, which highlights nan existent dearth of talent disposable successful what has go a problem area for nan squad.

Cullen and Knight are Hallgrimsson's preferred motor room duo, but they deficiency nan pace, physicality and method attributes to really make a difference.

One area successful which nan Republic of Ireland squad looked good stocked was their defence, which they hoped to usage arsenic a level connected which to build victories.

In beforehand of a world-class goalkeeper successful Kelleher they person Premier League value defenders successful Jake O'Brien and Nathan Collins, arsenic good arsenic Dara O'Shea and Ryan Manning, who were some successful nan apical formation past season.

Yet, clip and clip again, they were exposed, arsenic they proved incapable to woody pinch nan beingness threat of Targin Barseghyan and nan gait of nan likes of Lucas Zelarayan, Niyan Tiknizyan and Eduard Spertsyan.

Collins, who is Brentford and Republic of Ireland captain, had different difficult nighttime aft struggling successful nan first half against Hungary.

He was tally ragged by Barseghyan and Zelarayan, gave distant nan punishment for a silly travel connected nan second which Spertsyan converted, and mislaid Ranos successful nan container for nan location side's 2nd goal.

O'Brien and O'Shea were astatine responsibility for nan 2nd extremity too, failing to trim retired Tiknizyan's cross.

They were indebted to Kelleher for thwarting Spertsyan, Tiknizyan and Zelarayan aft each 3 had latched onto balls complete nan apical connected nan left-hand broadside that nan 2 towering defenders had missed.

Former Republic of Ireland defender Stephen Kelly summed up their plight perfectly connected commentary for RTE: "Defensively, Republic of Ireland person been each complete nan place.

"It is ridiculous that we are successful nan position that Caoimhin Kelleher has kept nan people respectable against Armenia."

Although it is still mathematically imaginable for nan Republic to suffice for nan World Cup, nan chances are slim arsenic location is nary room for correction successful their adjacent 4 games.

Two of those games are against Portugal, apical seeds successful nan group, who brushed Armenia speech 5-0 connected Saturday and hit Hungary 3-2 successful Budapest to unafraid maximum points from their first 2 games.

Another is astatine location to Armenia, which arsenic evidenced connected Tuesday, should beryllium different testing assignment, and nan different is against Hungary successful nan cauldron of nan Puskas Arena.

This campaign, arsenic was nan lawsuit pinch nan 2022 World Cup and 2024 Euro qualifying series, seems to beryllium complete earlier it has moreover really sewage going.

After their Armenian humbling, Hallgrimsson's charges will beryllium playing for pridefulness and hoping for a occurrence successful their remaining fixtures.

They person conceded first successful 9 of Hallgrimsson's 12 games astatine nan helm and person kept conscionable 2 cleanable sheets. That is nary springboard connected which to build a winning team.

Those are among nan priorities they will look to hole for what could beryllium nan Icelandic manager's past 4 games successful complaint successful an effort to banish astatine slightest immoderate of nan representation of this latest Yerevan scary show.