We’re not Brasil we’re Tuaisceart Éireann

Territorial wrote: Roberto Baggio wrote: I don’t think they were missing anyone from the team that went to Bosnia and won Bara made 5 changes last night to the 11 which started in Bosnia, also moved Dallas from RB to MF. Of the 5 new picks, Conor McLaughlin has only played 2 games in 2020, Michael McGovern just the one(?), Gavin Whyte and Jordan Jones have been in-and-out at Cardiff and Rangers and Kyle Lafferty (Reggiana) - well who knows what he's been up to this last 6 months! And the 6 who were retained were likely knackered from Thursday's 2 hours of football, shoot-out and travel etc. I expect that certainly 9, maybe 10 and possibly even all 11 of the Bosnia starters will also start against Slovakia (injury/fitness permitting). And it should be a tight game, with NI possibly marginal favourites?

Mule Skriniar and Lazy Lobotka might make all the difference. Who knows? Dzeko and Pjanic didn't for Bosnia.

Re youngsters who might break through, Dale Taylor at Nottingham Forest is another possibility. Leeds tried to sign him but he liked the set-up at Forest. Impossible to know yet if any of the names mentioned previously will ever cut it though I have heard a lot about Charlie Allen, who played for the Linfield first team at age sixteen. I recall seeing Neil Lennon and Michael Hughes playing at a similar age for Glenavon and Carrick Rangers respectively and they went on to successful top flight careers but much more common are the young prodigies who do not make the grade, e.g. Alex O'Hanlon at Liverpool, who once had a long line of some of the world's best clubs fighting for his signature as a youngster.

Territorial wrote: because there is so much continuity and longevity amongst our senior players, we only need one or two youngsters to step up to international football each season to keep the team ticking over

Fair points Terri. I think it would be a mistake to map 2016 on to 2020. The average age of our squad back then was distorted by McAuley and Hughes having such freakishly long careers. If Magennis (or Ferguson, Boyce, McGinn etc.) are still playing regularly after 35 it'll likely be in the Irish League or a similar standard in England or Scotland. They'll be nowhere near the standard needed for internationals.

Edited by Floreat Ultonia - 21 Oct 2020 at 1:22pm

Interestingly despite their growing Covid numbers, 1000 fans have been allowed attend the match. Making a good atmosphere in fairness to them 

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Roberto Baggio wrote: Territorial wrote: Roberto Baggio wrote: I don’t think they were missing anyone from the team that went to Bosnia and won Bara made 5 changes last night to the 11 which started in Bosnia, also moved Dallas from RB to MF. Of the 5 new picks, Conor McLaughlin has only played 2 games in 2020, Michael McGovern just the one(?), Gavin Whyte and Jordan Jones have been in-and-out at Cardiff and Rangers and Kyle Lafferty (Reggiana) - well who knows what he's been up to this last 6 months! And the 6 who were retained were likely knackered from Thursday's 2 hours of football, shoot-out and travel etc. I expect that certainly 9, maybe 10 and possibly even all 11 of the Bosnia starters will also start against Slovakia (injury/fitness permitting). And it should be a tight game, with NI possibly marginal favourites? Yeah I knew the team that played Austria last night had plenty of changes What you’ve quoted me on was me answering Brendan on whether NI have anyone to come back into the team from the team that played Bosnia to the one that’ll play Slovakia, as he’s sure the two players Slovakia were missing against us are going to win the game for them