Sean Maguire F Carlisle United b.1994

[pineapple stu]

Just as well other sides won't think of that

[bennocelt]

Just as well other sides won't think of that

one thing thinking about it, another actually doing it effectively, as Larnica did

[pineapple stu]

Just as well there's no-one as good as Larnaka in the English second flight. Or at international level.

[bennocelt]

Just as well there's no-one as good as Larnaka in the English second flight. Or at international level.

steady on, he hasn't moved or got any caps yet............

[nigel-harps1954]

Another goal in his last LOI appearance for Cork. 20 for the season in the league is some return.

[DeLorean]

Maguire discussed on Soccer Republic last night. - https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/soccer-republic-extras-30004171/10752427/

What a goal he got at the weekend.

[DeLorean]

Maguire off the mark and Kevin Long also scored! Burnley lead 2-1.

Goal here - https://twitter.com/CKey9/status/889941665439461376

[seanfhear]

Call him up Martin.......

[Olé Olé]

Absolute cracker. The finish at the end was just gorgeous to top it all off.

[Diggs246]

yep, apart from the super finish , it was his confidence to hold the ball and not pass to a team mate, that makes it great

[nigel-harps1954]

Magic plane refuelling.

[mark12345]

From Seanie's second start for Preston on Friday (5-1 winners against Tamworth in which Daryl Horgan scored).

"Maguire, making his first start for PNE after his debut against Burnley as a substitute, was a livewire throughout up front and offered lots of promise for the campaign ahead."

[pineapple stu]

Leads the line on his debut at home against Sheffield Wednesday. Maybe OwlsFan can give us a bit of a view after?

Daryl Horgan on the bench; Andy Boyle not in the squad (is he injured?)

[DeLorean]

Only starter is Maguire who is down for an assist for the opening goal of the match. Aboy Seani.

Smart assist it was too - https://twitter.com/Channel5Sport/status/898951422217134080

[Olé Olé]

That is some going not to aim for the Target but to set up a teammate. Very intelligent and selfless.

[seanfhear]

That is some going not to aim for the Target but to set up a teammate. Very intelligent and selfless.Good vision , well executed , very good team play .

[CraftyToePoke]

Is off the mark for his new club.

[DannyInvincible]

Good stuff.

In the latest LOI Weekly podcast, Dan McDonnell said that, seeing as we only had three strikers in the most recent international squad for the Georgia and Serbia games and all three of them ended up on the pitch in a last-ditch panic in both matches, O'Neill paid the price for not looking at Maguire earlier and bedding him in months ago so that he'd be more familiar with what was required of him in the Ireland team. Had O'Neill looked at him earlier when he had the chance, Maguire might well have been ready for the last couple of matches.

Link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-914121770/loi-weekly-episode-29

[mark12345]

Good stuff.

In the latest LOI Weekly podcast, Dan McDonnell said that, seeing as we only had three strikers in the most recent international squad for the Georgia and Serbia games and all three of them ended up on the pitch in a last-ditch panic in both matches, O'Neill paid the price for not looking at Maguire earlier and bedding him in months ago so that he'd be more familiar with what was required of him in the Ireland team. Had O'Neill looked at him earlier when he had the chance, Maguire might well have been ready for the last couple of matches.

Link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-914121770/loi-weekly-episode-29

Couldn't agree more. Maguire has only just made the move to England. But he and another one or two strikers from lower levels should have been bedded in before now. Put it this way. Would any Irish fan out there put his life savings on Long, Walters, Murphy finding the net against Serbia if we were to play them again next week?

[samhaydenjr]

Good stuff.

In the latest LOI Weekly podcast, Dan McDonnell said that, seeing as we only had three strikers in the most recent international squad for the Georgia and Serbia games and all three of them ended up on the pitch in a last-ditch panic in both matches, O'Neill paid the price for not looking at Maguire earlier and bedding him in months ago so that he'd be more familiar with what was required of him in the Ireland team. Had O'Neill looked at him earlier when he had the chance, Maguire might well have been ready for the last couple of matches.

Link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-914121770/loi-weekly-episode-29

When, exactly would he have been bedded in? Against Iceland in March, when the LOI season was only a month old and there wasn't serious talk of a move to England? Or against Mexico or Uruguay, when he was scoring a hat-trick for Cork City in a vital LOI game against Dundalk? And we actually would have had four strikers in the squad for the games against Georgia and Serbia but McGoldrick had to pull out as his wife suffered complications giving birth: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/martin-oneill-reveals-the-very-serious-situation-which-caused-david-mcgoldrick-to-miss-georgia-game-36091755.html


Couldn't agree more. Maguire has only just made the move to England. But he and another one or two strikers from lower levels should have been bedded in before now. Put it this way. Would any Irish fan out there put his life savings on Long, Walters, Murphy finding the net against Serbia if we were to play them again next week?

Should Steve Staunton have bedded in Roy O'Donovan before he moved to Sunderland? Should Giovanni Trappatoni have bedded in Dave Mooney and John O'Flynn in 2008 just before they moved across the water? And I still think Long, Walters and Murphy would currently have a better chance of scoring against Serbia than Joe Mason, Aiden O'Brien, Billy Clarke or Paddy Madden. The most realistic striking alternative to this trio in the months leading up to the last five qualifiers was David McGoldrick and he got a game against Mexico.

Now the dynamic may well change over the coming months, but barring Maguire going on an absolute scoring rampage over the next few weeks, our strikers for the games against Moldova and Wales should still be Premier League Duo Long and Walters and experienced Championship duo Murphy (3 goals this season) and McGoldrick (also 3 goals this season) with a possibility of last season's Championship striking sensation Hogan (3 goals as well) getting a run-out against Moldova. Maguire (1 goal this season) may have to wait a little longer but should get his chance.

With all that said, our forward squad places at the start of the Euro 2020 campaign is currently most likely to be taken by Long, McGoldrick, Hogan and Maguire. Cillian Sheridan probably has a reasonable shot of breaking into that group, while Adam Rooney would probabaly have a slightly lesser shot. Outside options would be Will Keane, Joe Mason and Aiden O'Brien while Aaron Connolly, Reece Grego-Cox and Gerry McDonagh would have a very slight, but non-zero, chance of making it.

[DannyInvincible]

Video of Maguire's headed goal yesterday against Barnsley: https://streamable.com/vccyv

Video of a chance near the end as well: https://streamable.com/zj4so

He nearly won the game for Preston except for a good save from the Barnsley keeper.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

He only has one so far, but he's unlucky not to have more. Randolph denied him against Middlesbrough as well. He came close in other games.

I love the one he almost scored at the death against Barnsley. Great technique. He meant that.

https://www.balls.ie/football/watch-sean-maguire-goal-preston-barnsley-373256

[DannyInvincible]

When, exactly would he have been bedded in? Against Iceland in March, when the LOI season was only a month old and there wasn't serious talk of a move to England? Or against Mexico or Uruguay, when he was scoring a hat-trick for Cork City in a vital LOI game against Dundalk? And we actually would have had four strikers in the squad for the games against Georgia and Serbia but McGoldrick had to pull out as his wife suffered complications giving birth: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/martin-oneill-reveals-the-very-serious-situation-which-caused-david-mcgoldrick-to-miss-georgia-game-36091755.html

A training squad was assembled at Fota Island at the end of May. That's only down the road from Cork city. That would have been a perfect opportunity for O'Neill to have had a closer look at Maguire. From what I recall, not all the players involved in that camp headed to the US for the friendly, so it wouldn't have to have been seen as a snub or an indignity or whatever against the player either if Maguire had then returned to Cork instead of flying to New York. As you point out, Maguire did have a game - indeed, a very crucial one for Cork - against fellow title-chasers Dundalk on the 2nd of June - the same date as Ireland-Mexico game in New York - but that wasn't the reason given by O'Neill as to why he didn't call Maguire up (http://foot.ie/threads/186367-Sean-Maguire?p=1923452&viewfull=1#post1923452) when he was asked about it.

Instead, O'Neill oddly claimed on the day of the Uruguay game that he would be open to bringing Maguire into a training squad (despite having had the perfect opportunity to do so only a week earlier but having declined to take it) and erected a total straw-man (obviously in order to deflect from actually having to explain himself) when he claimed that Maguire would be too inexperienced to "start" against Austria, as if anyone had even been calling for that. Of course Maguire would have been too inexperienced to throw in against Austria in a World Cup qualifier for his international debut, especially with our first-choice options available, but it was disingenuous of O'Neill to try and use that to excuse his failure to do his homework on Maguire and/or his reluctance to call Maguire into the training squad a week earlier simply to get a better look at the lad.

That fixture-clash shouldn't have been O'Neill's concern regardless. O'Neill is Ireland boss; not Cork boss. He's supposed to look out for and prioritise the international team's interests. If O'Neill was bothered or had been properly entertaining Maguire's form, he could still have sent Maguire an invite to join the international squad for that fortnight. Maguire would have at least had a choice to make then.

As it happened, O'Neill attended the game between Cork and Dundalk in Oriel Park as he'd just arrived back in Ireland from New York, the squad having flown back straight after the Mexico game. He was obviously already aware of Maguire's form (how could he have missed it?) and was there to have an arguably-overdue look at the player (seemingly because it was convenient for him whilst he was with his squad back in Dublin*, Dundalk being only an hour up the M1).

Better late than never, I suppose, but, in spite of Maguire's phenomenal 2017 form - consistently scoring game after game over the course of the previous three months - this was the first time O'Neill had made an effort to see Maguire play in person since he would have witnessed Maguire play (and score) in the FAI Cup final (which O'Neill was probably obliged to attend by the FAI for PR reasons anyway) in November of 2016. Judging by O'Neill's words on the day of the Uruguay game (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/maguire-on-move-but-austria-tie-is-too-early-35785705.html), perhaps this was the first time at all since the previous November that O'Neill had seen what Maguire was doing; consider that plenty of video footage should also have been available to O'Neill if he'd been assertive enough to request it or seek it out. Maguire's case is really just another example of O'Neill not being proactive enough. Anyway, Maguire scored an impressive hat-trick (http://foot.ie/threads/186367-Sean-Maguire?p=1923298&viewfull=1#post1923298) in that game in Dundalk, but O'Neill actually missed the third goal because he'd departed the ground prematurely, in the 83rd minute. :rolleyes:

Maguire could have been given an opportunity against Uruguay on the 4th of June. Some of the players who played against Mexico in New York were able to participate in the Uruguay game - Randolph, Duffy, Christie, McClean, Hoolahan and Long all played in both games (and, furthermore, had a long-distance flight to endure in between) - so there's no reason why Maguire couldn't have been given a run-out despite similarly having played two days earlier, even if it was for a bit of the second half. He's a fit lad and evidently keeps himself in peak condition.

In fact, O'Neill could even have called Maguire in to train with the squad during the week after the Uruguay game (if he was reluctant to give him playing time in that friendly for whatever reason) as Maguire would have been free then (Cork had no game the following weekend with the LOI taking a mid-season break) and the squad obviously remained together in preparation for the Austria game the following weekend. Even if Maguire wouldn't have featured in the Austria game, there was still an opportunity there again to have brought him in to work with the other players for a couple of days. After all, O'Neill had said he was open to doing just that on the day of the Uruguay fixture.

I don't feel McGoldrick's withdrawal excuses O'Neill. In my opinion, it actually does the opposite; it perfectly exposes O'Neill's failing. It's the very reason why he should have been looking closer at other options like Maguire or Sheridan in advance of this; in order to increase our pool of options up front and to enhance our potential strength in depth in case an injury crisis was ever to arise or in case we simply needed to try something tactically different against sticky opposition. When you only have about three or four strikers from whom to choose (because you haven't devoted the proper time to seeking out other possible options**), the likelihood of an injury or two evolving into a full-blown injury crisis is significantly heightened. It also limits any ability to adapt or change things during a game. Injuries and withdrawals are something for which all managers need to prepare anyway. If the potential back-up is there calling out for the manager's attention but the manager hasn't bothered his arse to do his homework on it (meaning he can't utilise it when it might be needed or prove helpful), that's the manager's fault.

*I assume O'Neill normally lives in England. Anyone know?
**O'Neill spoke in a press conference back in March about potentially heading over to Poland to watch Cillian Sheridan play (http://foot.ie/threads/225025-Next-Ireland-manager?p=1934676&viewfull=1#post1934676) after Sheridan's impressive form was raised to him. Did O'Neill ever bother hopping on a flight to do it? No.

[Charlie Darwin]

Maguire was on holiday during the summer LOI break.

[Olé Olé]

Watched the goal again there. Anyone notice how beautiful his movement was when he laid the ball off down the wing and looked for it again but when it didn't come he ghosted his way into the box for that header? Lovely.
https://youtu.be/6bQ6TVVK84Q

Don't think he's playing up front either. The fans' forum posters say he should be given a short at centre forward as I think Hugill is playing as the main and only out and out striker (4-2-3-1 I think).

[seanfhear]

Watched the goal again there. Anyone notice how beautiful his movement was when he laid the ball off down the wing and looked for it again but when it didn't come he ghosted his way into the box for that header? Lovely.
https://youtu.be/6bQ6TVVK84Q

Don't think he's playing up front either. The fans' forum posters say he should be given a short at centre forward as I think Hugill is playing as the main and only out and out striker (4-2-3-1 I think).He has started well but giving him a short........now that would be going to far and a bit of Irish stereotyping.....wait until he gets a hat trick or something like that....

[DannyInvincible]

Maguire was on holiday during the summer LOI break.

If O'Neill had offered Maguire an invite to join the squad, Maguire may well have postponed or cancelled his holiday. Who knows?

It wouldn't be that unusual. Rob Elliot missed his own stag-do in Las Vegas in order to join up with the squad in 2014 (http://www.the42.ie/rob-elliot-ireland-squad-newcastle-united-stags-1474274-May2014/) and Kevin Long missed his brother's wedding (http://www.the42.ie/kevin-long-ireland-call-up-wedding-3392560-May2017/) to join up in May/June just passed.

[liamoo11]

He only has one so far, but he's unlucky not to have more. Randolph denied him against Middlesbrough as well. He came close in other games.

I love the one he almost scored at the death against Barnsley. Great technique. He meant that.

https://www.balls.ie/football/watch-sean-maguire-goal-preston-barnsley-373256
ah come on that's horrible technique he has miskicked it into the ground. Granted they can go in get deflected bounce over the keeper etc but it's not good technique by any standards. Making Maguire out to be the second coming of pat Morley does no one any favours

[IsMiseSean]

Just after watching the Championship goals review on Sky. They mentioned Roy Keane was in attendance.

[tetsujin1979]

Keane was at the Burnley game today too, according to the commentary on Newstalk

[DannyInvincible]

Some Preston fans writing about the Barnsley game in the Lancashire Evening Post were delighted with Maguire's "MOTM" performance: https://www.balls.ie/football/sean-maguire-preston-irish-diego-costa-373298


Our goal came from Sean Maguire, a player who has been dubbed the Irish Diego Costa by a small section of our fans and he showed he also had the predatory strikers instinct similar to that of the Chelsea forward when he finished off a fine move and headed us in front midway through the first half. The Irishman was awarded the man of the match by the sponsors a view I shared as he was a constant pest to the Barnsley defence throughout the game.

Heh, they call him "the Irish Diego Costa". :D


The absence of Johnson and Pearson in the engine room was probably the deciding factor in North End only claiming a point. Nevertheless there were many positives from the game, not least of which was the first league goal for Sean Maguire in a North End shirt and I genuinely believe there is so much more to come from the man from Cork.


Preston took the lead in the 23rd minute after some good build-up play on the left wing by Tom Barkhuizen led to a cross that was neatly headed into the bottom right hand corner by Sean Maguire. It was just reward for his first goal in English football, with him being a shade unlucky in previous matches.

[tetsujin1979]

All quotes taken from the Lancashire post here: http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/lancashire-post-pne-fans-panel-verdicts-1-8746064

[nigel-harps1954]

Tim Mercer might want to check back on that stat about his first goal in English football.

[samhaydenjr]

Tim Mercer might want to check back on that stat about his first goal in English football.

Ha! Good spot - perhaps he thought "Accrington Stanley...who're they? Exactly". Heck, it's not even his first goal for Preston, as he did score in pre-season against another English team, which would have been part of "English Football"

[Philly]

Another goal for Maguire tonight v. Cardiff, video here: https://twitter.com/PaulDollery/status/907701525753057281

Very composed, nice finish.

[pineapple stu]

Thought the keeper didn't cover himself in glory there! Bit weak at his near post.

But certainly composed work from Maguire alright. Good to see him hit the ground running there. Is that his second goal in six games?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Hogan would be doing well to make the squad at this rate.

Murphy scoring every other week and Maguire has been class for Preston and is just now adding the goals.

[liamoo11]

Alan Browne doesn't get a lot of love on here. Has played slot of football at a fairly young age

[DannyInvincible]

Alan Browne doesn't get a lot of love on here. Has played slot of football at a fairly young age

Browne scored a terrific goal hitting it first time from near the half-way line after the opposition keeper made a hames of a kick up the field. Video of it in his thread here: http://foot.ie/threads/188986-Alan-Browne?p=1935771&viewfull=1#post1935771

[jbyrne]

Another goal for Maguire tonight v. Cardiff, video here: https://twitter.com/PaulDollery/status/907701525753057281

Very composed, nice finish.

against welsh opposition too... could it be a sign?!

[samhaydenjr]

Glad to see Maguire getting another and it does seem that he has hit the ground running at Preston, which is certainly a relief - as to the question of the forward line for the Moldova game...ooh, now it's getting tricky to decide...which is a good thing

[Olé Olé]

http://www.pne-online.net/forum/showthread.php?103874-Sean-Maguire/page27

Eulogized on the PNE fans forum. "singing his name already", "going to become a hero here", "the Irish Aguero", "bloody great", "superb" and a few stating they reckon they'll have a job holding onto him.

Shades of Doyle to Reading the way he's hit the ground running immediately.

[sbgawa]

I wonder do cork have a sell on clause?

[Park_Lane]

Not sure, but doubtful seen as it was a buyout clause that preston paid

[sbgawa]

That would be a pity because if he keeps scoring goals he could be transferred for a lot of bucks

[Pablo Escobar]

I wonder do cork have a sell on clause?

I think there is something there. I'm obviously not 100%, but I remember hearing about one at some point.

[DannyInvincible]

I think there is something there. I'm obviously not 100%, but I remember hearing about one at some point.

Preston only had to meet Maguire's buy-out clause, no? I don't think there was any sell-on clause as part of the deal as Cork had very little bargaining power.

This article would give me the impression there was no sell-on clause: https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/913154/cork-city-stand-to-lose-star-striker-sean-maguire-for-tiny-fee-this-summer-with-preston-north-end-keen-to-do-a-deal/


If he does leave in the summer, losing their biggest star for such a paltry sum [€150,000] will anger fans because of the potential to damage their title bid.

...

A cheap sale would revive memories of how Kevin Doyle and Shane Long were sold to Reading for €117,000 and €40,000 respectively in 2005. Doyle subsequently moved to Wolves for £6.5million with Long joining West Brom for a similar fee. City had a ten per cent sell-on clause for both but Doyle’s was cashed in when the club was in financial difficulty for far less than it would have been worth, and Long had not moved by the time City was liquidated in 2010.

With Maguire, the club will argue it had no choice but to agree to the [buy-out] clause to persuade him to sign a new deal amid UK and Belgian interest and, given he will be available for free in November anyway, it was the best they could hope for.

[harry crumb]

Preston only had to meet Maguire's buy-out clause, no? I don't think there was any sell-on clause as part of the deal as Cork had very little bargaining power.

This article would give me the impression there was no sell-on clause: https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/913154/cork-city-stand-to-lose-star-striker-sean-maguire-for-tiny-fee-this-summer-with-preston-north-end-keen-to-do-a-deal/

City have a generous sell on clause.

[samhaydenjr]

City have a generous sell on clause.

Do tell

[Charlie Darwin]

Maguire is under 24 so the buy-out clause only got him out of his Cork City contract. The training compensation is a separate deal that needs to be concluded and that's where Cork were able to negotiate a delay to keep Maguire until the end of July and any sell-on clause would be part of that.