YER HAVING A LAUGH

Defeat to minnows in Armenian capital marks a new low and surely end of World Cup dream

- BY MARK McCADDEN

WHAT'S the Armenian for 'Can we play you every week'?

Ireland's World Cup hopes are dead and buried, just two games in, an all-too-familiar feeling in recent years.

Looking at some of the social media commentary as last night's game progressed, many asked why we should expect to beat this Armenian side.

Not only are they ranked 105th in the world, 45 places below Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side, but their recent record has been appalling.

The Faroe Islands took four points from them in the most recent Nations League campaign, while Georgia chalked up a 9-1 aggregate win in their relegation playoff earlier this year.

Their last clean sheet came over three years ago - against Ireland!

In their last 22 competitive matches they won just three - all of them against Latvia, who are 137th in the FIFA rankings.

And manager Yegishe Melikyan is their seventh, including two caretakers, since the start of 2020.

It is a new low, a new record in the era of FIFA rankings, as Ireland had never lost to a side so low in the table before.

Luxembourg were 98th when they pulled off a Covid snatch-and-grab in 2021.

Armenia looked like world-beaters at times, particularly after their second goal, which summed up the Irish display.

Between players not closing down in midfield and defenders too slow to react, the hosts could barely believe their luck.