Under-19 Squad

[Razors left peg]

Given the link between Fleetwood and Waterford I can see him moving there once he turns 18. Get half a season playing PD here before moving to Fleetwood in the summer.

I think theres very little chance of that happening if bigger clubs legitimately want him

[liamoo11]

Doesn't turn 18 until next June according to the independent so he can't go to the UK until then
The fact that Sam curtis is only 6 months younger than him just shows how impressive it is how many senior appearances in top flight football Curtis has racked up

[tetsujin1979]

17 year old Patrick Casey was named as a sub against Reading on Tuesday in the EFL Trophy, but didn't make it off the bench
1732459894463414404

[CSAD]

Given the link between Fleetwood and Waterford I can see him moving there once he turns 18. Get half a season playing PD here before moving to Fleetwood in the summer.

Yeah like he’s going to turn down Man City or Arsenal , if these links are true, to sign for Fleetwood LOL!

[Demesne Lad]

Rory Finneran played for the first hour of Blackburn Rovers U-21s win (4-1) v Sparta Praha U-21s on Thursday night. Tom Bloxham was an unused sub.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/january/25/report--rovers-under-21s-4-1-ac-sparta-praha-under-21s/

[tetsujin1979]

Caden McLoughlin training with the Villarreal first team
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2u4TWqLjiX/

[JR89]

1752784276611907693

Fallon said there was interest from Arsenal but it's Fallon

[Olé Olé]

Why Como? Assume they're offering a route to the first team? I thought this lad had a wealth of interest and the names touted, even if partially true, were not Como

[Eirambler]

If an Irish player is going to move to Italy, I'd much rather see them go to Como than wasting their time at the likes of Milan or Roma.

[Olé Olé]

Yes, I agree. But he doesn't have to go to Italy.

[Eirambler]

Well he can't go to the UK for another year, which is where the other reported interest was from. I don't blame him for wanting to move to a better setup sooner than that.

[Demesne Lad]

Goalkeeper Conor Clark (QPR) has gone on a month's loan to Woodley in the Combined Counties League Division One. (https://www.qpr.co.uk/news 23 Feb.)

He scored QPR U-18s' fifth goal from play when they beat Millwall U-18s in December.

(1) Video | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1104631077609835)

[tetsujin1979]

Squad announced for a double header against Slovakia
https://www.fai.ie/latest/mu19-mohan-names-squad-slovakia-double-header/

Goalkeepers: Louis Brady (West Bromwich Albion), Conor Walsh (Finn Harps, on loan from Sligo Rovers), Andrew Wogan (Drogheda United)*

Defenders: Stanley Ashbee (Hull City), Killian Cailloce (Bohemians), Adam Deans (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Jake Grante (Crystal Palace), Cory O’Sullivan (Shamrock Rovers), John O’Sullivan (Shamrock Rovers), Lewis Temple (Shelbourne), Freddie Turley (Bray Wanderers, on loan from Shamrock Rovers)

Midfielders: Romeo Akachukwu (Waterford), Darius Lipsuic (Stoke City), Daniel McGrath (Lommel SK), James McManus (Bohemians), Naj Razi (Como), Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh (Southampton)

Forwards: Rhys Brennan (Bohemians), Ryan Kelly (Shamrock Rovers), Sean Moore (West Ham United), Sean Patton (Derry City), Franco Umeh (Crystal Palace)

*Alex Wogan will join up with the squad after the Under-21s' qualifier with San Marino

International Friendly Fixtures (kick-offs Irish time)
Saturday, March 23 | Slovakia MU19 v Ireland MU19, MOL Academy, Dunajská Streda, Slovakia, 2pm
Tuesday, March 26 | Slovakia MU19 v Ireland MU19, MOL Academy, Dunajská Streda Slovakia, 10.30am

[Razors left peg]

Trent Kone Doherty hasnt been in an Ireland squad for a while now. Is he injured again? Are the North offering him senior caps?

[tetsujin1979]

Scored for Liverpool U21s last weekend, so it's unlikely that he's injured.
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/u21s-match-report-liverpool-beat-man-city-goals-kone-doherty-and-williams

[Razors left peg]

Scored for Liverpool U21s last weekend, so it's unlikely that he's injured.
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/u21s-match-report-liverpool-beat-man-city-goals-kone-doherty-and-williams

A bit worrying that he hasn't been involved much lately so

[JR89]

Trent Kone Doherty hasnt been in an Ireland squad for a while now. Is he injured again? Are the North offering him senior caps?

Liverpool aren't obligated to release him. Not the first time either and not sure if they've held back others this window but they've done it before where they've refused to release any player they're not obligated to release.

[Olé Olé]

A bit worrying that he hasn't been involved much lately so

Yeah, himself, Kevin Zefi, Justin Ferizaj and Cathal Heffernan are all declaring for Northern Ireland.

[JR89]

Also if TKD had any interest in NI he'd already be playing with them knowing they fast track players.

[tetsujin1979]

Lineup against Slovakia announced
Stream available on YouTube below
1771529835443331115

[EalingGreen]

Are the North offering [Trent Kone Doherty] senior caps?No.

Nor NI either.

[EalingGreen]

Also if TKD had any interest in NI he'd already be playing with them knowing they fast track players.A myth.

NI have long known that you cannot fast-track players (to try to tie them down), since that will not work - think eg James McClean, 7 U-21 caps while a LOI player, and a call-up to the senior squad for a competitive game which would have tied him and which he accepted, before a last minute move to Niall Quinn's Sunderland diverted him.

And since then the loosening of the criteria to tie a player down have also made any such attempts ever harder - think eg Declan Rice (Jack Grealish?) reverting last-minute to England.

Fact is, NI have such a limited player pool that we usually have to cap players very early in their career, frequently before they're properly ready for senior football. A good example was last night away to Romania, when the starting XI didn't have a single player over 30, an average age of 23 yrs 5 mths, with five of them still being eligible for the U-21's.

And of those five youngsters, only Conor Bradley would have been of interest to ROI, he's never had any interest in switching, and indeed is such a prospect that picking him at 18 for NI before he had broken into the Liverpool was by no means premature. (Was MOTM last night, btw)

EDIT: Conor was still 17 - just - when he made his NI debut, for the last few minutes in a friendly away to Malta btw.

[SkStu]

Fact is, NI have such a limited player pool that we usually have to cap players very early in their career, frequently before they're properly ready for senior football.

That’s pretty much the definition of fast-tracking to be fair…

[EalingGreen]

That’s pretty much the definition of fast-tracking to be fair…Like 'JR89', I meant "fast-tracking" in the context of tying them down from playing for ROI - it doesn't happen since it cannot work.

And even by the usual definition of "fast-tracking" i.e. giving a young prospect earlier exposure than he might objectively merit with an eye to the future, Bradley is/was far too good to be ignored a minute longer by NI, same as eg Norman Whiteside, another 17 y.o. who made his debut for NI in a World Cup Finals tournament.

Or would you say that England "fast-tracked" eg the 17 y.o. Jude Bellingham when he got his first cap, or Brazil, if they should pick 17.y.o. Endrick tonight at Wembley?

Simple fact is, if you're good enough, you're old enough - and all those players are/were so good that not picking them would actually have been holding them back unnaturally - the opposite of "fast-tracking".

[JR89]

Like 'JR89', I meant "fast-tracking" in the context of tying them down from playing for ROI - it doesn't happen since it cannot work.

Don't try and put words in my mouth Terri because I meant exactly what Stu pointed out.

[EalingGreen]

Don't try and put words in my mouth Terri because I meant exactly what Stu pointed out.It appeared to me that you were implying that NI give out caps to youngsters to keep them from opting for ROI, rather than because they were the best available to us. (TKD wouldn't apply on that latter score, yet at any rate)

If I inferred incorrectly, then just say so and I'll gladly withdraw it.

[SkStu]

If I inferred incorrectly, then just say so and I'll gladly withdraw it.

I think he did just say so.

[tetsujin1979]

Second friendly against Slovakia is about to kick off
U3LJBhK1-9g

[JR89]

Goalkeepers: Marcus Gill (Celtic), Cian O’Shea (Stockport Town, on loan from Stockport County)

Defenders: Stanley Ashbee (Hull City), Jake Grante (Crystal Palace), Kaylem Harnett (Wexford FC), Harry McGlinchey (Chelsea), Cathal McCarthy (UCD), Cory O’Sullivan (Shamrock Rovers), Declan Osagie (Bohemians), Freddie Turley (Derby County)

Midfielders: Romeo Akachukwu (Southampton), Jacob Devaney (Manchester United) Ryan Kelly (Shamrock Rovers), Danny McGrath (Lommel SK), Cathal O’Sullivan (Cork City), John O’Sullivan (Bray Wanderers, on loan from Shamrock Rovers), Aaron Ochoa Moloney (Malaga)

Forwards: Cian Dillon (Shamrock Rovers) Aaron McLaughlin (Finn Harps), Mason Melia (St.Patrick’s Athletic), Ike Orazi (Stade de Reimes), Sean Patton (Derry City), Naj Razi (FC Como)

Jacob Devaney called up to the U19s. Is this his first Irish squad?

Didn't recognise the name Harry McGlinchey but he was playing with our U17s back in February. He's a left back

[Eirambler]

Has Finneran ditched us already?!

[JR89]

Has Finneran ditched us already?!

Clubs aren't obligated to release players for U19 friendlies I believe. Even if they fall within an official FIFA window.

[JR89]

Also checking Transfermarkt he's yet to appear for Newcastle's U21s so likely injured too along with Jaden Umeh whose in neither squad.

[tetsujin1979]

Might be injured. He had to go off at half time against Millwall last week for Newcastle's U18 side, and didn't play in their game against Blackburn at the weekend
https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/newcastle-united-under-18s-1-millwall-under-18s-1

[elatedscum]

Good to see a first call up for Jacob Devaney. First time hearing about the keeper Cian O’Shea but Nicky Colgan is the goalkeeping coach for Stockport
County.

McGlinchy is a good footballer, very capable left back. I think Corey would still be ahead of him for this age group but he’s playing an age up.

It’s interesting that none of what you’d have considered the obvious wide players for that 2006 group are involved:

Trent Kone Doherty (just back from injury, so possibly Liverpool haven’t released him - not sure about the rest)
Shaun Wade
Nikson Okosun
Luke Kehir

Have a soft spot for Anto Dodd who isn’t involved. I think it is often an unusual age group because you get lads breaking into their senior teams who were maybe never involved at underage level but someone like Cathal McCarthy starts to break in at the centre half for UCD and suddenly everyone takes notice (Jonny Kenny at Sligo was a good example of this), then you’ve got lads at the more established teams who could struggle a bit more to break in, just in terms of squad depth (Dodd and Bartley at Pats, for example have Forrester, Lennon, Palmer, Bolger, Leavy, and Kavanagh ahead of them). Then you’ve got lads moving across to foreign academies who you wouldn’t expect to play senior football yet (Romeo, Naj Razi, Danny McGrath, Freddie Turley) - and there’s players coming from outside academies to replace them (Ryan Kelly was at Crumlin Utd last season I think) and then the second and third gen lads who start to break into teams in England either first team for lower clubs (O’Shea now, John Clarke at Reading a typical example of this) or u21s at prem academies (Devaney this time round, Tom Cannon a good example of this) who we want to involve, and you’ve got no u18s, so you’ve probably got double the player pool at each age group and half the opportunities

Would start as many as 7 of the 2007 group starting based on that squad:

Gill 2007 (both keepers are 2007)

Harnett (2007)
Grante
Turley
O’Sullivan

Devaney (2007)
Romeo
Ochoa Moloney (2007)

Orazi (2007)
Melia (2007)
Cathal O’Sullivan (2007)

And there’s plenty of good u18 players not included either due to injury or squad crunch (Matthew Moore, Niall McAndrew, Luke O’Donnell).

[Olé Olé]

I see in Stockport County's press release that Cian O'Shea played for England schoolboys. No doubt Colgan played his part but his name is a give away. Only 16.

Cian seems to be a popular name among the Irish in England. Cian Coleman, Cian Hayes and now Cian O'Shea with the first two definitely being second or third generation.

[tetsujin1979]

You play schoolboy football where you go to school, nationality doesn't come into it. Ryan Giggs had schoolboy caps for England

[Razors left peg]

Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh not in this squad or U21s. Considering he made is Southampton debut this week he's a fairly big exclusion?

[Eirambler]

He's overage. Most of the 2005s will have to wait a year now and then try to break into the Under 21 team. This is the period, in the second year of each Under 21 campaign, where you have 22 year old lads still playing Under 21 and where not having an Under 20 side hurts us.

[Razors left peg]

He's overage. Most of the 2005s will have to wait a year now and then try to break into the Under 21 team. This is the period, in the second year of each Under 21 campaign, where you have 22 year old lads still playing Under 21 and where not having an Under 20 side hurts us.

It's also where Crawford focusing on a core group of players to try win games rather than looking at overall development hurts us

[ColourfulPeanut]

Being born in an odd year is a serious disadvantage at this stage of the cycle. You're too old for U19s and likely far too young for U21s so you're stuck in no man's land until the next U21 campaign.

Someone born at the start of an even year gets so much more time than a person born near the end of an odd year. We're crying out for an U20 team.

[Olé Olé]

You play schoolboy football where you go to school, nationality doesn't come into it. Ryan Giggs had schoolboy caps for England

What's your point?

[The Fly]

Good to see a first call up for Jacob Devaney.

Yep, the more the merrier (particularly when it comes to midfielders).

He’s the captain of United’s under-18 side, and a defensive midfielder.

[elatedscum]

Being born in an odd year is a serious disadvantage at this stage of the cycle. You're too old for U19s and likely far too young for U21s so you're stuck in no man's land until the next U21 campaign.

Someone born at the start of an even year gets so much more time than a person born near the end of an odd year. We're crying out for an U20 team.

Not sure which is worse. The 2004 kids could theoretically go from October 2002 to September 2025 without having a game for their age group.

As it happens, the 21s have used 4 2004 kids (Abankwah, O’Brien, Grehan, McJannett, Murphy) and 4 2005 kids in (Vata, Murphy, Curtis, O’Mahony) this campaign with another 3 of each called up but not capped…

Overall - capped across all campaigns:

17 x 2002
19 x 2003
6 x 2004
4 x 2005

Called up and not capped:

4 x 2002
6 x 2003
3 x 2004
3 x 2005

The vast vast majority of your squad for next campaign won’t be involved in this one. 36 of the 46 will be ineligible and very likely that someone like Rocco Vata will be a senior international by next campaign (like basically Bazunu, Omobamidele, Ebosele, Parrott, Cannon, Ferguson). Then a few will fall off (like Odubeko)

Once again, absolutely no idea what an u20 team would cost but it’s probably I dunno 50 or 100k a year really well spent. We do it with the u15s and u16s without thinking about it.

I think if you’re running 5 underage sides, the cost of an additional team wouldn’t be that much in terms of training facilities, accommodation, coaching staff, medical staff, flights, insurance, training gear. The majority of those things, training facilities and gear are free, accommodation, flights and insurance get cheaper in bulk. It’d be a pretty attractive gig for a lot of young coaches, physios, personal trainers etc.

Maybe that would a good way to attract sponsorship. Go to Tesco/Dunnes/LIDL/Aldi/Supervalu, and say look, we need an u20 team and we can’t afford it. It’ll cost X per year to run and we’ll make a big deal about it - how they’re the Lidl u20s and how essential it is and how Lidl are contributing to the development of young Irish footballers.

Then use that model and do the same for u18s with the BOI/AIB/Revolut. I feel like that’s a deal that rugby and the GAA would easily get over the line.

The greater issue again is really about government funding, organisational structures in underage football, FAI use of funds etc etc - but something like an u20 team does really matter. You can’t allow a three year gap to develop between when an underage player is called up to play for Ireland between age 18 and 21, for player development purposes, self scouting purposes, for committing players - they’re formative years in a young person’s life.

Guys like Justin Ferizaj and Kevin Zefi, being chased by Albania, while basically spending in their case, two years without a game to play.

Next it’ll be the 2006 kids, if they get knocked out in two months from the u19s - this u21 campaign and the next 21s campaign aren’t their campaigns, it’s the 2029 euros that they’ll be qualifying for. So guys like Romeo Akachukwu, Naj Razi, Trent Kone Doherty, Shaun Wade (all dual eligible as it happens) - they’re sitting around doing nothing until probably September 2027 when qualification starts.

[Eirambler]

Absolutely, I don't know why we don't do it (and the one time we did try it made such a half arsed effort at it). Would rather see the money spent on that than the January international idea that HH put forward (not that that was a bad idea, but this would be a better use of limited resources I think).

[elatedscum]

Here’s a theoretical u20 squad that could have been called up this window. Just threw it together off the top of my head, so doesn’t really equate too much for injuries, form etc. but just to have a sense at the players who would be eligible for the next campaign and are sitting around rather than playing international football this week:

1. Andrew Wogan
2. Owen Mason
3. Reece Byrne
4. Connor O’Brien
5. Josh Seary
6. Aaron O’Reilly
7. Cathal Heffernan
8. Harry Nevin
9. John Ryan
10. Jacob Slater
11. John Clarke
12. Ed McJannett
13. Cian Coleman
14. Justin Ferizaj
15. Adam Murphy
16. Harry Vaughan
17. Ronan Maher
18. Jamie Mullins
19. Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh
20. Glory Nzingo
21. Ben Quinn
22. Kevin Zefi
23. Tom Bloxham
24. Luke Pearce
25. Tommy Lonergan
26. Caden McLoughlin

[nigel-harps1954]

Todays game versus France is being streamed on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/B4Slovenia

They seem to be showing all the games from the Slovenia Nations Cup.

[elatedscum]

Luke Kehir seems to have replaced Ike Orazi in the squad judging by the team sheet. Shame, Ike is such an electric football, hope he’s developing well over in France, an absolute joy to watch at u16, u17 level

[tetsujin1979]

lineup here
1831700138357649697

[Razors left peg]

Lost 2-1 to a much physically stronger French team. Played well in parts and it was a decent game.

[Paddy Garcia]

Todays game versus France is being streamed on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/B4Slovenia

They seem to be showing all the games from the Slovenia Nations Cup.

Many thanks for sharing the link.

That was a footballing lesson - we could not have complained if they scored 4.