Under-21 Euro 2023 Qualifying |
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t_rAndy
Robbie Keane Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 26161 |
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We are not going to qualify for WC. U21 have big games. Best leave him where he is and build on last month with the current players. There is a much of a muchness at this stage between kilkenny and Knight on current form for example but Knight has been around senior team so stick with him and let kilkenny help the u21. |
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Fozz
Liam Brady Joined: 08 Oct 2019 Location: Dublin Status: Offline Points: 2239 |
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Am glad someone pulled the facts out to dispel nonsense that he has been making himself unavailable. The reality is he has never really had a run of games at senior level. Even in his breakout club season, he was a bit-part mostly substitute player. This whole calendar year has been start stop with more stopping than starting. There is no evidence to suggest he is anything but committed but simply being overlooked for better options. If he were to come out with a statement to the contrary, then we should begin to question his loyalties but until then, it's just people projecting their own opinions on the lad. |
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Liam Green
500 Club la la la Joined: 27 Aug 2018 Location: Portumna Status: Offline Points: 611 |
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It would be a similar test for Gavin playing against an extremely strong Italian u21 team or the Luxembourg senior team I would imagine.
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greenshoots
Kevin Kilbane Joined: 08 Jun 2021 Location: Limerick Status: Offline Points: 439 |
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Judging from previous teamsheets, we could be looking at 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formation? Maher O Connor McGuinness O Brien Bagan Tierney Covenry Kilkenny Smallbone Ferry Ferguson |
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Hotlips_Hoolahan
Jack Charlton Joined: 04 Aug 2020 Status: Offline Points: 6615 |
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According to Jim Crawford, Obafemi made himself unavailable for selection for the U21s as he was focused on a PL breakthrough. There was no mention of injuries being the reason behind him pulling out. |
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Fozz
Liam Brady Joined: 08 Oct 2019 Location: Dublin Status: Offline Points: 2239 |
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Fair enough, although I'd question his fitness for that last window. Now if he has made himself unavailavble for this window (I'd argue he is fit enough to show if Smallbone and a few others are) then you have a case. Be interesting to see if this is raised in the next JC interview. |
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Left foot
Ray Houghton Joined: 16 Aug 2019 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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There's still enough talent in that squad to cause any team problems. Noss, kilkenny, Coventry, Smallbone, ebosele to name a few. Crawford should be doing well with what's available.
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Howdo
500 Club la la la Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 741 |
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Luca Connell has really fallen of the radar
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You Tell Me
Jack Charlton Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Status: Offline Points: 6773 |
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Lack of fire power up front is the big problem with this squad. It's missing our five best eligible forwards at this level - very hard to fill that gap with a playing pool of our size, which is why we're seeing Ferguson in there when he has just turned 17.
I think the squad would fit a 3-5-2 (or 3-4-2-1 like the seniors) much better than the 4-3-3 but it's clear enough from the squad picked that he's planning on sticking with a back 4. Something like: Maher McEntee McGuinness O'Brien Ebosele Coventry Kilkenny Bagan Smallbone Ferguson Kayode would work better I think. But he'll probably go with something like: Maher O'Connor McEntee McGuinness Bagan Kilkenny Coventry Noss Wright Kayode Ferry
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You Tell Me
Jack Charlton Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Status: Offline Points: 6773 |
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Jamie Bowden is another one that has fallen away badly. But their competition in central midfield are playing in the Championship (Kilkenny and Coventry), the Eredivisie (Johansson starting to break through there) and Noss is making the bench in the bundesliga from time to time. Playing Scottish League 1 isn't going to cut it against those lads.
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Hotlips_Hoolahan
Jack Charlton Joined: 04 Aug 2020 Status: Offline Points: 6615 |
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'74-'75 was his only good song anyway.
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kevin100
Ray Houghton Joined: 01 Jul 2020 Location: Mallow Status: Offline Points: 3342 |
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I see what lads are saying about all our eligible players missing. From what I count if we had senior players up to scratch we have been missing 8 of our best U21 first 11 and potentially 12/13 of our best 23 U21 squad throughout the campaign.
Only Bagan Kilkenny and possibly Coventry have been playing for them. Yet still I think they have under achieved relative to the squads ability. They have been awful and even against Luxembourg at home the quality of our 2 CMs got us through. I hope he changes the formation up for the next games at that one up top is blatantly not working.
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Eoink21
Liam Brady Joined: 30 Aug 2019 Status: Offline Points: 1202 |
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Yeah, it definitely isn't. Against Montenegro we looked like we had 10 men when we had the ball. That's not good enough. I think it's a result of having two midfield schemers that are happy to sit in Kilkenny and Coventry. Tierney was okay but himself and Gilbert didn't provide much support to Kayode or Ferguson. Ferry was launching in crosses and the striker completely crowded out. I remember it happening at senior level for us too. One game where McClean was left and Brady was right of a front 3 and they absolutely hugged the touchline and then we didn't have the dynamism in midfield either. It might just come down to personnel.
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kevin100
Ray Houghton Joined: 01 Jul 2020 Location: Mallow Status: Offline Points: 3342 |
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It just shows it's great to have so many young players around and we are telling lads like Mcnulty Lawal Finn-Benoa Moran real talented lads to go back to the 19s. All very promising. The Montenegro game we were a different side when we got Whelan and Kayode up top together in a 2. If Coventry scores the penalty we win it I remember thinking bury this and it's there for us. Montenegro were on the ropes at the time. It will take a bit of a miracle to qualify now certainly need to 12 points if not 13 from our last 6 games. Il genuinely choke if I see that formation out again the next game. Switch it up or just get 2 up top. Agreed about the 2 midfielders now they were both exceptional on the ball controlled it against Luxembourg but that's all it was lots of possession but easy to defend against. Let Kilkenny bomb on both lads have a goal in them/are very creative.
Edited by kevin100 - 03 Nov 2021 at 1:50pm |
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Greenie50
Liam Brady Joined: 06 Sep 2021 Status: Offline Points: 1243 |
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That article is from August, & as I mentioned, Obafemi only got his move to Swansea in the last hours of Deadline Day. Getting that deal done was hugely important for his career, if he got stuck at Southampton he wouldn't be playing at all. Don't forget he had a bad injury from January-May, didn't have a pre-season apart from 25mins in a Cup game for S'hampton in August, so he'd barely played in a year. Even his appearances for Swansea (starting right after the September international window) have only been: 13', 27', 90', [injured for a month], 33', 27', 28'. His first priority very clearly should be getting fully fit & staying fit. I see no reason to doubt him at this point.
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Hotlips_Hoolahan
Jack Charlton Joined: 04 Aug 2020 Status: Offline Points: 6615 |
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That's all well and good but the manager of the team has literally said he doesn't want to be picked for the foreseeable future and the reasons given have nothing to do with injuries.
Will Smallbone has been out injured for almost a year, has played barely any football, and he's named in the squad.
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Fozz
Liam Brady Joined: 08 Oct 2019 Location: Dublin Status: Offline Points: 2239 |
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He literally did not say anything of the sort. The article states, and I quote: It should be noted that Ferguson’s promotion was arguably fast-tracked by the agents of Mipo Odubeko (18) at West Ham and Southampton’s Michael Obafemi (21) informing Crawford that the Dublin-born strikers are focused on Premier League breakthroughs this season. Obafemi has made his club move and won't be focussing on PL football for a long time, if ever. I believe JC's word thereafter are more about Odubeko, around which there has been much more furore and who has come out and declined call-ups for sure. Am willing to be corrected, but I've yet to hear JC come out and say that Obafemi has declined a callup. Edited by Fozz - 03 Nov 2021 at 2:43pm |
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You Tell Me
Jack Charlton Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Status: Offline Points: 6773 |
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I can't see him changing the formation based on that squad. He hasn't picked enough recognised centre backs to suggest he's going to go three at the back. If he was he'd have brought in someone like Lawal or Garcia McNulty as centre back cover for the other three. He'd have to play all three centre backs he has picked as things stand and would have no cover on the bench for them.
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