Squad for Upcoming Games

That's the impression I get from him as well. Always seems like he could be trying harder and kind of breezes through games.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that the performances I'm basing that on were under previous managers. He might be more suited to a team that tries to play a bit of football.

Very interesting, I had forgotten if I knew. Thanks for sharing.

With a view to March I do think it's paramount we blood a new CM. Kilkenny really is the one isn't he Taylor the other. If Cullen god forbid gets a serious injury where do we turn. Hendrick likewise. Browne and Hourihane nothing against them but not it going forward and Molumby is talented but a bit rash. 

Kilkenny is tailor made for the way Kenny wants to play and I'd certainly give him a run in a NL game on top of the March friendlies. Cullen can't play 4 in 10 games. He's been our most in form CM going into this round of games is playing in a team regularly with CM options superior to ours overall and was actually fantastic against a quality Italian midfield Friday night despite playing in a mess of a team.

Also I want to see Will Keane get a game or two. He's definitely an alternative to Idah in that big man up top role and while banging them in at League 1 level is still scoring and is definitely better then that division. 

He wasn't in the squad for last nights game 

https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/1459868722336866308/photo/1

I'm no fan of Horgan but at least he's playing - most of those are not playing above, and their all playing in difference positions to Horgan too.

You do some amount of moaning.

Ideally we'd not have had Idah, Hourihane, Hendrick, Horgan or Kelleher in the squad at all (I'm likely missing one or two others). 

Now, I am not suggesting we drop the likes of Hendrick (or Kelleher...keeper position a bit unique) as he has been excellent for us, but a Hendrick playing weekly for his club would be better again.

As it stands, we have no squad dept to allow us to be so picky, but the hope is that more and more players emerge from the underages.  We all want superstars to emerge, but more realistcially we will get a cohort of players much of a muchness with what we already have, but hopefully then more will be playing regular matches and we can prioritise those in squads.

We're already there when it comes to centre-halves in that our subs are PL players who are getting some matches.  And we don't even bring another PL player in the squad at all in Clark.

But further forward this drops off a cliff and we debate Idah's form for us, or how Hendrick is playing, when neither seem to have a club-career to speak of for now.

Hence the calls for Kilkenny's inclusion after a half-dozen club matches.  It's bonkers really, but that's where we find ourselves.

Ronan playes a few good matches in Scotland - he's immediately in the conversation for a callup.

Connolly scores a brace v Spurs - called up.

Idah was promoted for doing even less at club level.

Parrott too.

None of these lads should be near the 1st team squad, but the bar to get over to get into contention is mightily low, and only more players competing for the spots will raise it.

This was the latest 26 man squad as announced. Jack Taylor and Callum O'Dowda were late call ups for Molumby and Collins respectively, so thats 28 and that doesnt include the injured O'Shea or Aaron Connolly, which takes that number to 30. Other recent call ups include Scales, Clark, Christie, Curtis, S. Long, while there may still be a role for the likes of Brady or Mc Carthy.

Looking at the most recent 26 named, Horgan, Collins and Hourihane look the most vulnerable and there are perhaps too many attacking players in the squad. O'Shea is a lock to come back in and you would hope Connolly works his way back also. There are certain positions where we need to take a look in March given the age profile of the current incumbents and/or the lack of established back ups namely RWB/LWB and CM, but there really  isnt a whole lot of space in the squad for new faces in the short to medium term. We look like there will be strong competition for squad places going forward which is a good thing. I think for anyone to break in to this squad, they will have to be performing regularly at a high level for their club. 

It would also be good to see in particular the senior players who are struggling for game time, i.e. Doherty/Hendrick resolve their club situations in January.

That's almost half a team and is a great base to build on. Obviously there are loads of other younger players who have a good chance as well, but those five for me are already starting to move from potential prospects into top level players.