2023 UEFA Under-21 Championship

[JR89]

But he did call him up for a competitive game, and the lad said na thanks I fancy playing for England.

Or at least tried to call him up. Not sure if he was named in a squad and pulled out like Grealish. Not sure how to edit as my posts get deleted whenever I try.

[third policeman]

Not capping Rice in a competitive game was only a mistake in retrospect, at no point were there any calls for him to be promoted to the senior team.

Well with the benefit of a retrospective view, we need to be a bit more canny in tying dual national players down one way or another.

[Olé Olé]

Not capping Rice in a competitive game was only a mistake in retrospect, at no point were there any calls for him to be promoted to the senior team.

I agree. See below. I'm referring more to the broader narrative that has been kicked around in the media. There are plenty of articles decrying MON's failure to cap him.


But he did call him up for a competitive game, and the lad said na thanks I fancy playing for England.

You're being willfully obtuse here and I don't know why. There were opportunities prior to the Wales game. The benefit of hindsight is probably making them look a little more like opportunities than they really were at the time.

I'm not trying to make the point "F*ck MON, he was a crap manager and he lost us Deccie Rice"- it was a loose bit of hypothesizing on the Okoflex case.

[ColourfulPeanut]

I'm pretty sure Okoflex isn't eligible for England unlike that article states and never will be.

His move to Scotland put an end to that I think. Still though, it's madness he wasn't on the bench for both games.

[third policeman]

I'm pretty sure Okoflex isn't eligible for England unlike that article states and never will be.

His move to Scotland put an end to that I think. Still though, it's madness he wasn't on the bench for both games.

That’s an interesting point about Scotland, but is it correct? Isn’t there weird thing concerning UK residency that allows someone who has lived in the country for the relevant period to play for any of their home nations? The combined period of time spent in different parts of the UK could make him eligible to play for England and presumably the other ‘nations’ as well. Isn’t this how Taylor ended up playing for Northern Ireland?

[ColourfulPeanut]

That’s an interesting point about Scotland, but is it correct? Isn’t there weird thing concerning UK residency that allows someone who has lived in the country for the relevant period to play for any of their home nations? The combined period of time spent in different parts of the UK could make him eligible to play for England and presumably the other ‘nations’ as well. Isn’t this how Taylor ended up playing for Northern Ireland?
That was how Taylor qualified but there's agreement between the nations now that has closed that loophole. I don't know the timelines for Oko-Flex but he needed to be educated in England for 5 years before turning 18. By going to Scotland, the clock stopped on that time. He signed for Celtic in 2018 at the age of 16 and came back when he was over 18. So he needed to have been educated in England for 5 years prior 2018. When did he move over?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_eligibility_rules#The_education_clause
The introduction of the new clause allows a player to gain eligibility for a British national team if he receives five years of education in the territory of the relevant association:
d) He has engaged in a minimum of five years education under the age of 18 within the territory of the relevant association.
— Home nations agreement

[JR89]

That’s an interesting point about Scotland, but is it correct? Isn’t there weird thing concerning UK residency that allows someone who has lived in the country for the relevant period to play for any of their home nations? The combined period of time spent in different parts of the UK could make him eligible to play for England and presumably the other ‘nations’ as well. Isn’t this how Taylor ended up playing for Northern Ireland?

That rule has changed. Only way Okoflex can do similar now is if he applies for citizenship when he's eligible. You need to have a link to the home nation that you want to play for and he broke his link when he moved to Scotland from England.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_eligibility_rules#:~:text=If%20the%20home%20n ations'%20associations,two%20years%20(providing%20 they%20have

[liamoo11]

Lee o connor seemed to play defensive midfield in the last 2 tranmere games.

[JR89]

Lee o connor seemed to play defensive midfield in the last 2 tranmere games.

He played there a few times for them last season and played well. Played CB in a back three for the last two league games too.

[TonyD]

Well with the benefit of a retrospective view, we need to be a bit more canny in tying dual national players down one way or another.

Nope. If they are not that committed then good luck to them. I’d rather they walked away.

[liamoo11]

He played there a few times for them last season and played well. Played CB in a back three for the last two league games too.

Thanks. Is the right side of a back three his best chance of playing at a high level? Played centre half most of his youth career at utd but always right back all the way up with us.

[JR89]

Thanks. Is the right side of a back three his best chance of playing at a high level? Played centre half most of his youth career at utd but always right back all the way up with us.

Could very well be. I've seen some say he's not good enough to make it as a RB long term, and I'm not sure about that but do think he has a better chance of making it at a higher level playing in a different position.

When Keith Hill was talking about him playing as the holding midfielder said that Lee O'Connor has the football intelligence to play most positions. With more teams switching to a three at back I think he could be better suited at RCB or as a 6 in midfield.

[Olé Olé]

Squad announced for Sweden on the 29th
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Great to see Cashin and Odubeko in there. I must check how O'Brien has been going at Swindon. I believe McNicholas is on loan from Sligo at Cliftonville?

Quite a good side with lots of League One, Championship and a hint of Premiership exposure there to be picked.

[Eirambler]

O'Brien is doing reasonably well at Swindon - not setting the place alight or anything, but comfortably hold down a first team place.

[JR89]

Good to see it's live on RTE too. Only 21 players named in the squad so could except a couple lads from the U20s to be brought over too.

[Kingdom]

Lee O'Connor and Conor Coventry seem to have been in the 21s squad for an age.

[elatedscum]

Good to see it's live on RTE too. Only 21 players named in the squad so could except a couple lads from the U20s to be brought over too.

I guess it’s just because it’s a one game camp. Obviously could still see a few lads move from the u20s, Okoflex seems a contender. The likes of McEntee, Johansson, Noss, Ferry and Kerrigan all miss out…

[elatedscum]

Lee O'Connor and Conor Coventry seem to have been in the 21s squad for an age.

Coventry looks set to become our highest ever capped u21 by summer time, quite an achievement

[pineapple stu]

I was actually just looking for stats on that actually.

Graham Barrett with 24 is the record holder. Coventry is on 22. Lee O'Connor is on 20.

Not really a great record to have, especially with a smaller country. Though England's record holder is James Milner with 46!

[ifk101]

No Luca Connell? The chap has 371 posts in his thread.

[Eirambler]

I think there's a bit of damning with faint praise with regard to the Under 21 record caps holder. It's usually a player who breaks through at a young age but then doesn't kick on to the senior squad as soon as would have originally been expected. Lee O'Connor is probably a prime candidate in this squad as Coventry may get promoted soon the way he's going at club level.

I don't think most of the players who have missed out can have too many complaints. Noss and Johansson haven't progressed at club level and McEntee isn't that good - he strikes me as a bit of a poor man's Shane Duffy who doesn't really fit the way we want to play the game. Will Ferry must have been close to a pick though, he can possibly feel hard done by.

[elatedscum]

I think there's a bit of damning with faint praise with regard to the Under 21 record caps holder. It's usually a player who breaks through at a young age but then doesn't kick on to the senior squad as soon as would have originally been expected. Lee O'Connor is probably a prime candidate in this squad as Coventry may get promoted soon the way he's going at club level

Apart from the 3 lads mentioned, Shane duffy is the only other person I know to get 20+ caps, Cullen with 19. I guess that’s not the worst top 5- although I could be missing some people

1. Barrett
2. Coventry
3. Duffy
4. O’Connor
5. Cullen

[ifk101]

Dean Delany and Shane Redmond have 21 u21 caps according to wikipedia. Duffy 20 caps.

[liamoo11]

https://www.the42.ie/michael-obafemi-4-5712620-Mar2022/ bit more info on the squad

[Diggs246]

https://www.the42.ie/michael-obafemi-4-5712620-Mar2022/ bit more info on the squad

Am I right in saying that if the u21s were talking to him about a call up, kenny won't be calling him up or am I reading too much in to it?

[liamoo11]

Am I right in saying that if the u21s were talking to him about a call up, kenny won't be calling him up or am I reading too much in to it?

It sounds a bit to me as if the 21s discussions were going back to previous international Windows.

[Kingdom]

Am I right in saying that if the u21s were talking to him about a call up, kenny won't be calling him up or am I reading too much in to it?

That was my first take. Hard to know when only reading the print.

[ifk101]

For anyone interested, Sweden has named their U21 squad and the bulk is pretty much the same as the November game. But Elanga (ManU) has been moved up to the seniors and 16 year old Roony Bardghji is included for the first time (huge hype surrounding this kid).

[tetsujin1979]

In the games in our group last night, Bosnia beat Luxembourg 1-0 last night - https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2031845--bosnia-and-herzegovina-vs-montenegro/ - and Italy drew 1-1 with Montenegro - https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2031849--montenegro-vs-italy/

[JR89]

The U21s will be missing a few lads tomorrow. Ebosele (family issues), Smallbone (illness), and Ferguson (injury) were all confirmed as being out yesterday. Probably why Darragh Burns and Killian Phillips were brought in the other day. Joe Redmond was called up yesterday when that news broke which seemed weird at the time.

Though Kenny Kids tweeting this morning that Crawford has confirmed that he'll also be without Eiran Cashin who misses the game due to paperwork issues. His international clearance hasn't come through in time and Redmond was to replace him.

[elatedscum]

Squad could use a) Noss replacing Smallbone as an option to come off the bench for Tierney b) a winger - one of Kerrigan, Ferry, Okoflex, Moylan, Omochere - replacing Ebosele. Right now Wright and one of Burns or O’Neill starts, both are young for the level and relatively unknown entities and could fall flat. C) one of Johansson or Connell coming in instead of Phillips. Same, don’t think you can ask that many players to step up in a single game and if I was asking anyone, it’d be Mipo.

[JR89]

Hopefully it's a back three and not 4-3-3 like suggested elsewhere.

1508822434333536261

[elatedscum]

Interesting time to go to 3 at the back. Crawford strikes again. 3 points and I’ll shut up

[nigel-harps1954]

Great start and super finish by Tierney.

[Kingdom]

0-1 up - missed the goal. It's snowing.

ross tierney after 12 - literally just missed it thanks to the sh!tty player

[nigel-harps1954]

Good half. Lot of Swedish pressure after our goal but a comfortable performance so far. We look like we could catch them on the break, Odubeko has been fairly quiet so far though, albeit in a fairly isolated role. Coventry and Kilkenny been very good in midfield. McEntee having a stormer at the back and Maher with a couple of very confident high ball claims.

[Kingdom]

lot of pressure from Sweden, without it going anywhere. To give him credit, Maher has been imperious in the air. Last 5 mins of the half we got back on the front foot, great to see.

[elatedscum]

Good first half. I would have been worried about asking the players to change shape without much time with it, given they’ve played a 4 at the back for the whole campaign and for 19s and 17s before it.

I do think the shape is contributing to our inability to keep any possession. Hopefully Kayode’s fresh legs will relieve a little pressure. Sweden have turned the screw a few times and it feels like a goal is coming, but so far, they haven’t really created many chances in the second half despite their dominance

[TonyD]

Ooh, that was a definite pen. Blessed.

[elatedscum]

I think I’d do Burns for Tierney for the last few. Could use some fresh legs and speed to relieve the pressure

[nigel-harps1954]

Superb from Kayode on the flick. Thought Wright made a balls of it but what a result this will be as long as they hold on.

[ifk101]

Worked out for us with the result, but why the insistence on sitting so low?

[Stuttgart88]

Did Wright really make a balls of it? First touch with thigh put the ball ahead of him to run onto, next touch with his left was maybe a bit light but he switched feet v quickly and got a good firm shot away. Keeper did well to save it and it might have gone through his legs if a bit more central. Obviously the fumble back into Wright’s path was a gift.

[Stuttgart88]

Maher looks very comfortable. Makes goalkeeping look easy. Catches high balls well which I also noticed watching Derry v Rovers in a gale at the Brandywell.

[nigel-harps1954]

Did Wright really make a balls of it? First touch with thigh put the ball ahead of him to run onto, next touch with his left was maybe a bit light but he switched feet v quickly and got a good firm shot away. Keeper did well to save it and it might have gone through his legs if a bit more central. Obviously the fumble back into Wright’s path was a gift.

Would like to have seen it from reverse or goal line angle, but it seemed to me like he hesitated on the shot and the ball got under him and he wasn't able to get a decent shot away. Gifted the goal by the keeper, but it didn't really matter in the end. Had good presence of mind to put the rebound in the net.

[tetsujin1979]

Goal is here, first touch is good, but it looks like he takes the shot with the underside of his boot. There's a degree of luck that the shot comes back off the goalkeeper, and he recovers well to score
1508866246833577986

[CSAD]

Goal is here, first touch is good, but it looks like he takes the shot with the underside of his boot. There's a degree of luck that the shot comes back off the goalkeeper, and he recovers well to score
1508866246833577986

Wright really is a player I would love to see go to the continent, feel if he could even go to the Swedish or Danish league and spend a season or two there he would be a much better player for it. The only regret about Elbouzedi going to AIK is he didn’t go a season or 2 earlier so would love it if Wright went.

[ifk101]

Goal is here, first touch is good, but it looks like he takes the shot with the underside of his boot.

It's a plastic pitch. You can see that in the flat bounce after his first touch, looks like he was going to take a second touch because of the unnatural bounce but chose to get a shot away instead.

[Kingdom]

I actually think Tyreke was thinking about lifting it over the keeper after his first touch and decided against it, hence the strange footwork/movement.

[elatedscum]

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/ucd-striker-colm-whelan-puts-summer-move-on-hold-after-suffering-cruciate-ligament-injury-41658714.html

Poor Collie Whelan. Lots of potential there. Hopefully he’s getting the best treatment possible…

I imagine the number 9s included will be Ferguson, Odubeko and Kayode for the 3 games