It’s really not been the greatest of footballing years for the Republic of Ireland.
Admittedly, 2020 has not been a great year for anyone, really – but the record books will show this as an especially bad time for the Boys in Green.
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International football has finally come to a close for another calendar year, although this season was very truncated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Euro 2020 was pushed back to next summer, and when international football got under way in 2020 – in the late month of September – Ireland had Nations League matches, Euro qualifying play-offs, and friendlies to play.
Across the three international breaks in September, October and November, Stephen Kenny’s side played eight matches; but how many did they win?
Well, none.
Yes, that is correct; they lost four and drew the other four of their matches played in 2020.
And one of those draws actually went to penalties, with Ireland losing their Euro play-off to Slovakia on spot-kicks!
This is the first time since 1971 Ireland have gone an entire calendar year without winning a single match.
Now you are going to ask ‘why?’. Just why have Ireland endured such a tough year of results?
Well, the answer to that is simple: they don’t score goals.
Zero wins is a bad enough record, but it’s even worse that the Boys in Green have scored only ONCE in their eight matches this calendar year.
And that goal came all the way back in their first fixture of 2020 – against Bulgaria on September 3!
And it was scored by a defender!
Yes, that is correct. Shane Duffy, a no-nonsense centre-back, is Ireland’s top scorer in 2020… with ONE goal.
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Ireland don’t have the Euros to look forward to next year, but one does hope things improve for the Boys in Green in 2021.
Well, things surely can’t get any worse, can they?
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