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Under-21 Euro 2023 Qualifying

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Fozz View Drop Down
Liam Brady
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fozz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 12:20pm
I don't fancy us to have as strong a campaign as last time out.

The players we have lost were key to that campaign - Connolly, Idah, Parrott, Ronan, O'Shea.
While we still look very strong at centre-half, we have nobody as yet who looks like they can replace any of the the others.
And that's not even mentioning the 'keepers...
I am basing this on the three games in Summer and also the Wales match before that.

Being hopeful, as you said, we have a few lads looking good in pre-season and if they carry that form into the qualifiers, then the likes of Johansson, Noss and Kilkenny could be big players at this level.

Coventry has ample experience here but looked poor in the Summer games.
Noss looked poor there also.
Johansson looked good, as did the likes of Wright and Ebosele (another lad with a strong pre-season in the bag).  

Up top, we look very weak and you can see why we'd love either Troy back at this level or Odubeko to come in, or Obafemi to step up to this stage and perform, as Kayode looks a bit hit & miss to me.
Afolabi is a similar level but either could surprise.

This is a big test for Jim Crawford.  
SK got two wins out of Sweden last time (and a point off Italy) which seems a big ask this time around.




Edited by Fozz - 04 Aug 2021 at 12:21pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Left foot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 1:19pm
Really looking forward to seeing the next bunch of u21s xoming through 
.
We should maybe look to fasttrack a few players, some of which are already playing u23s with their clubs, players like -

Evan Ferguson, Dawson Devoy, Hodge, Andrew Moran etc
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fozz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 1:54pm
Doubt we'll see Hodge as his injury seems to be a lingering one.

Finn-Benoa should be there though.

Ferguson is interesting as we're light on quality up top (barring some mad turnaround from Odubeko, or Parrott droping back down) so I'd say he's close enough to a call-up.

The squad is likely to mirror the Summer camp barring injuries or a shock callup to the seniors.
We didn't play especially well then so need to see improvement from those lads.



Edited by Fozz - 04 Aug 2021 at 1:54pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CillDara Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 2:06pm
Not expecting the 21s to perform as well this time around as a lot of theor star players are now with the seniors or overage. While we were gifted with options up top previously, we seem a little light now, although I do think Kayode or Afolabi could lead the line well if they are playing regularly at club level. Goalkeeper another area we have gone from brilliant options to struggling a little.

We still have a lot of quality in midfield and at centre back but other areas not looking as good. I'd agree with above poster that the best hope they would have is if some players from the younger age groups were called up ahead of schedule or some of the players with the seniors dropped back down, but I'd say the latter is unlikely.

If we had a full strength team to pick from and everyone willing to play then you could field a very impressive team all the same.

Maher? 
Ebosele Collins McGuinness Flynn
Johansen Coventry
Kilkenny Noss Watson
Kayode

Lacking natural wingers maybe, haven't seen much of Ferry, Wright looked OK in some of the friendlies. You'd forget Smallbone is eligible still too when he's back from his injury. 


Edited by CillDara - 04 Aug 2021 at 2:06pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Left foot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 2:16pm
I wouldn't put emphasis on how better or worse the u21s are at the moment.its a bit misleading as you could say that the team could still have 

Bazunu, omobamidele, knight, idah, parrott, connolly, smallbone and obafemi.

Most of whom have been promoted to the seniors. If anything is a damning indictment on how bad the senior team has been rather than a less skillful u21 team.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kevin100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 2:23pm
Originally posted by Fozz Fozz wrote:

Doubt we'll see Hodge as his injury seems to be a lingering one.

Finn-Benoa should be there though.

Ferguson is interesting as we're light on quality up top (barring some mad turnaround from Odubeko, or Parrott droping back down) so I'd say he's close enough to a call-up.

The squad is likely to mirror the Summer camp barring injuries or a shock callup to the seniors.
We didn't play especially well then so need to see improvement from those lads.

 

Kavanagh Cannon Kenny Ferguson etc we do have some decent young options up front I suspect you will see them progress into the 21s. Cannon has already been called up Im sure.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote You Tell Me Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 4:18pm
As others have said we most likely haven't a hope of qualifying for this. We were really outclassed by Denmark at this level during the summer, it's not that we don't have players of sufficient quality at this age group, it's just that most of the best ones are already with the seniors and any others that kick on in the next year will be quickly called up as well. 

We're likely to be missing 10 to 15 of our best players for every game we play. We just don't have the depth to compete when we're missing that many.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote You Tell Me Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 2021 at 11:02pm
Squad announcement tomorrow for this. Six under 21 eligible players in the senior squad (Bazunu, Collins, Omobamidele, Parrott, Connolly and Idah - and Knight would have been a seventh had he been fit) will weaken our Under 21s a lot this time around. But it should be interesting to follow them all the same to get a look at others that may break through.

In defence we know Bagan will be called up for the first time and hopefully Mark McGuinness will be fit - that's two first team players from the Championship. Then there's Festy Ebosele as well - he may compete with Lee O'Connor for the right back spot or he might be played further forward. I'm a bit disappointed Omobamidele is with the seniors as I doubt he'll see much game time, Collins will probably be ahead of him for a first cap if there's one going, whereas he would have been a great option for the 21s. Anselmo Garcia or Bosun Lawal may come in instead and there's also Oisin McEntee who is a very Shane Duffy like centre back.

Midfield should have Conor Coventry, Gavin Kilkenny and Ryan Johansson. Louie Watson from Derby is another option, again he has been playing a bit of Championship football this season. Conor Noß should be in there also so that part of the team looks OK.

Further forward Andy Moran and Dawson Devoy are attacking midfield/forward options with Smallbone still out but it will also be interesting to see if Finn-Benoa is involved. Would be good to see him in an Irish jersey.

Will Ferry and Tyriek Wright will be decent options out wide, hopefully Armstrong Okoflex might be called up also. However the front line will obviously be weakened without the likes of Connolly,  Idah and Parrott (and of course Odubeko). Will be very interesting to see if Michael Obafemi is involved, would be concerned in terms of his future involvement with Ireland if he isn't. Afolabi and Kayode are other possible options and Evan Ferguson might even be called up even though he's an Under 17 really. But it's a big drop off from the players who are eligible for us up front to the ones that will actually be playing I think. Similar situation in goal, the drop off from Bazunu to the other Under 21 goalkeepers is absolutely massive.

Depending on how badly the seniors do the Under 21s might offer some welcome relief in the next few weeks all the same.


Edited by You Tell Me - 26 Aug 2021 at 11:21pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fozz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 2021 at 11:32pm
Agree with most of that.

Rose looks a very good keeeper and Maher is not to bad either so I'd be happy enough there.

U forgot Connell in midfield. We've very strong options there and that's before you add in Finn-Benoa and Moran from the younger cohort.

I'd like to think the team would be built around Johannson who has looked a class above in the few games I've seen him in for Ireland.
Put a solid def-midfielder beside him (Connell? or Coventry) and with someone like Devoy in the CAM, that's a potent combination if the manager can make it work.
Noss is also a good option at 10 but I'd go with Devoy as he has real senior experience under his belt.

Now Kilkenny....can himself and Johannson play in the centre together?
He has to be the first name on the teamsheet so there's tough selection problems for JC.
I'd paint Johansson, Kilkenny and Connell as all deep-lying playmakers so how many of those can you really put out there?
I suppose it depends who we are playing...can always sacrifice the solidity of Coventry for one of those lads against some opponents.

Mad how the seniors are so bereft in the middle of the park while the kids are overflowing with talent.

Further forward, Wright looked the bright spot in one or two of those Summer matches but I felt we really lacked in the centre-forward position.
I am not sure Kayode or Afolabi are up to the level but I'd love to be proven wrong.  JJ is starting L1 matches so has to get the nod.
I think we will see Ferguson in and he's a big lad for 16, he's playing U23's so no reason he can't play and suceed at this level.

It's set up to be an exciting campaign and some of these lads (notably one or two midfielders) will be elevated to the seniors before it ends so they must be aware there's spots up for grabs if they perform and their club form is there too.


Edited by Fozz - 26 Aug 2021 at 11:34pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Howdo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 5:42am
Lewis Richards and Tom Cannon also have a shout

Also, be interesting to see if Jamie Bowden is called up

Edited by Howdo - 27 Aug 2021 at 5:44am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote You Tell Me Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 7:34am
I wouldn't be overly surprised if Connell didn't make the squad actually - he hasn't done anything at a decent level in club football for years now. In terms of central midfielders he'd be behind Coventry, Kilkenny and Johansson for starters. That's before you consider more attacking players like Noß and Finn-Benoa who will also be picked as central midfielders. If they pick a fourth defensive CM he may squeeze in, but probably only because Hodge is still injured.

Bowden would be further down the order again so I can't see him making it - he needs to go well on his loan move and prove himself to get back in to the Ireland setup. It will be interesting to see if there will be a space for Ross Tierney - possible that he might get squeezed out also.

There's great depth in the squad this time around, probably the most ever. The problem is that the standout players who won us games in the last campaign will be missing as they'll be with the seniors and anyone else that breaks through at a high level from this group will get called up as well as the campaign goes on.


Edited by You Tell Me - 27 Aug 2021 at 7:36am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Howdo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:36am
Obafemi not in, Festy not in - is he injured, Okaflex, Lawal, Connell & Afolabi not in either

Others Tom Cannon, Bowden,

Strong squad for those that made it, Finn in for training

Edited by Howdo - 27 Aug 2021 at 11:39am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote King_Kenny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:38am
Ferguson and Moran in. Good call to fast track them. Okoflex’s hat trick for West Ham reserves must have rekindled his England ambitions.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Donegalman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:46am
Originally posted by Howdo Howdo wrote:

Obafemi not in, Festy not in - is he injured, Okaflex, Lawal, Connell & Afolabi not in either

Others Tom Cannon, Bowden,

Strong squad for those that made it, Finn in for training
Festy is injured, hasn’t been in last 2/3 Derby squads. As for the rest do any of them get in the squad on merit? Probably not! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Donegalman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:47am
Originally posted by King_Kenny King_Kenny wrote:

Ferguson and Moran in. Good call to fast track them. Okoflex’s hat trick for West Ham reserves must have rekindled his England ambitions.
Oxoflex, as has been stated on here probably 20 times, doesn’t qualify for England.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djhegzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:48am
cant get listening to Crawford, how come JJP Finn only coming in for training but not in the squad? coming back from injury or what?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Donegalman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:49am
Originally posted by djhegzy djhegzy wrote:

cant get listening to Crawford, how come JJP Finn only coming in for training but not in the squad? coming back from injury or what?
I’d imagine so, think he missed the end of last season and hasn’t been in their first team squad yet either.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Howdo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2021 at 11:50am
Originally posted by Donegalman Donegalman wrote:

Originally posted by Howdo Howdo wrote:

Obafemi not in, Festy not in - is he injured, Okaflex, Lawal, Connell & Afolabi not in either

Others Tom Cannon, Bowden,

Strong squad for those that made it, Finn in for training

Festy is injured, hasn’t been in last 2/3 Derby squads. As for the rest do any of them get in the squad on merit? Probably not! 


I'd say of any of them that would have had a shout would be Okoflex & definitely Lawal, who is already captain of the Celtic B, he hasn't been named in any of the underage squads, given he was in the last U21 squad.
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