Festy Ebosele D Istanbul Basaksehir b.2002

[JR89]

Two sub appearances in the last couple of weekends against Verona and Torino put Festy within one Serie A appearance of Robbie's number (albeit with few minutes played) - if an upper-mid-table Serie A team considers him a good impact sub option, at what point should we view him in a similar manner?

I'd say a good impact sub would be making more of an impact than 40mins in five appearances.

[Stuttgart88]

I actually think he should have been called up a year ago when he was doing well at Derby.

[pineapple stu]

He was called up a year ago wasn't he?

Fairly sure he was either on the bench or named in the squad but missed out on the matchday 23

Agree with JR89 that 40 minutes across the season to date doesn't constitute an impact sub

[third policeman]

It indicates a young player at decent club playing in a top European league, who is making progress. We'd all love to be in a position where we are only picking established players, playing every week at top clubs in the best leagues, but we don't have those players. If Festy had stayed at Derby he'd be playing every week alongside Knight, who is a regular starter for us. It was highly unlikely that he was heading straight into the first team at Udinese, but how many of our older players who are in the squad would even be making the bench at a Seria A club?

[SkStu]

Its hard to tell if hes better, the same or worse than he was this time last year. It would be nice to see him get a few more minutes. But for a regular competitive game squad who would you call him to replace at this stage and why?

[pineapple stu]

how many of our older players who are in the squad would even be making the bench at a Seria A club?
Given the size of Serie A benches - 12 named in many cases - I think a lot of our squad would be able to make it there.

40 minutes over a season does not constitute "playing in a top European league" in any meaningful sense.

[Razors left peg]

but how many of our older players who are in the squad would even be making the bench at a Seria A club?


Festys problem is that his main rival for the right back position is a player who was on the bench in La Liga this weekend

[third policeman]

Given the size of Serie A benches - 12 named in many cases - I think a lot of our squad would be able to make it there.

So why are they toiling away playing in the Championship, League 1 or SPL then?

[tommy_c12000]

I would definitely call Festy up, need to help his development along. Massive ceiling although struggles technically, can be trained.

Has he really made progress with Udinese? Yesterday looks like the Argentinian right wing back must have been injured? And Festy’s fellow Nigerian was selected ahead of him. At least it meant Festy got a bit more than usual with 20 minutes. But if I’m assessing this right, he is potentially their 3rd choice right wing back currently?

[JR89]

but how many of our older players who are in the squad would even be making the bench at a Seria A club?

By that logic James Abankwah should get a call up to the seniors rather than the U19s next month.

[Eirambler]

So why are they toiling away playing in the Championship, League 1 or SPL then?

Probably because they don't actually want to sit on the bench for a Serie A club.

[Razors left peg]

By that logic James Abankwah should get a call up to the seniors rather than the U19s next month.

He should be in the u21s

[Jd2793]

I would definitely call Festy up, need to help his development along. Massive ceiling although struggles technically, can be trained.

Has he really made progress with Udinese? Yesterday looks like the Argentinian right wing back must have been injured? And Festy’s fellow Nigerian was selected ahead of him. At least it meant Festy got a bit more than usual with 20 minutes. But if I’m assessing this right, he is potentially their 3rd choice right wing back currently?

10 days in a training camp wont do a whole pile for him tbh

[Eirambler]

He should be in the u21s

Based on his standout displays for Udinese?

[JR89]

Based on his standout displays for Udinese?

Regularly makes the bench of a Serie A team like Festy.

His U19s campaign will be finished by the time the U21s kick off so will move up either way by the summer. Bar Festy, if he decides he wants to play U21s then there's no one else to play RB.

[Stuttgart88]

He was called up a year ago wasn't he?

Fairly sure he was either on the bench or named in the squad but missed out on the matchday 23


Yeah he was called up but should have been in the match day squad and used. He was causing havoc (sometimes at both ends!) anytime he played for Derby at that time, a really disruptive player. I think it was an opportunity missed.

[tetsujin1979]

Was named on the bench against Ukraine
1534588569515442180

[Eirambler]

It was a missed opportunity. He called him up but then didn't put him on the bench in the home game against Scotland. When Obafemi went off and we were 3-0 up it would have been an ideal time to bring him on for experience and also keep up the tempo we were playing with at that point. But of course, having left him off the bench, Kenny then couldn't do that. So the opportunity was lost.

[tetsujin1979]

Missed that he was a sub in the away game against Ukraine too
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[Diggs246]

Let him have a run v Latvia
We might need him to come on v France!
So at least he will have international exposure first.

Ive a repeating nightmare that hourihane is in the squad and gets game time again

[nigel-harps1954]

I think Ebosele has a fairly high ceiling. Potentially an important player for us over the next decade, but it's madness to suggest he should be near the squad now when he's played a total of 40 minutes in Serie A in nearly 7 months.

If he were a left back, I could possibly see something in it, given it is probably our only real immediate 'problem' area on the pitch, but there's a whole host of players actually playing football ahead of him currently.

Coming up to an important qualifying campaign, it's not the time to be giving players a run on the pitch for either experience, or just for the sake of it.

[Diggs246]

He's already, as stated been part of competitive squads
So I'm not barking mad!

[SkStu]

Agree with all of the above, Nigel. He has potential and I hope it all works out for him at Udinese but even when he put in a few monster performances for Derby he was definitely an unpolished diamond with some obvious flaws in his game (defensive positioning was suspect at times and he had a tendency to wait for the ball to come to him). I did see him play off the left for Derby (he'd sometimes switch flanks during games) but it actually exposed some of his flaws so he is a predominantly right-sided option.

Its way too early to be talking about a senior call up as an expectation or a given - as I said earlier in the thread, we cant really tell if he has progressed and had some of those habits ironed out of his game with Udinese. And who does he replace? (its not Hourihane FWIW - that should be someone who plays midfield)

Really hoping he makes the breakthrough in Serie A though and gets to be a regular in the squad and a powerful option for us.

[Exgrad]

Anyone any idea what position he played in his sub appearances so far? a lot seem to think of him as a right back / right wing back, but any time i saw him play for Derby he was playing as a winger / attacking forward.

[SkStu]

He's definitely more of a right wing back from what i have seen from him and he sometimes would get pushed up forward into a more traditional right wing position (I can remember at least two games where he switched to the left - once temporary and the other for the rest of the game). I recall comments from Kenny where he said he saw him as a right winger who can play RWB.

I don't know anything about his Udinese appearances though and where he was played.

[Razors left peg]

Based on his standout displays for Udinese?

Based on playing senior football and excelling in LOI before a move to a top European League where he is on the bench every week.

He has bypassed u19 level in my opinion

[JR89]

Based on playing senior football and excelling in LOI before a move to a top European League where he is on the bench every week.

He has bypassed u19 level in my opinion

And the U21s won't play a competitive match this year till September so has plenty of time to play both U19s and U21s this year. His U19s campaign could end in March and if they make the finals that's not till July and wont clash with any training camps the U21s have in the summer.

[nigel-harps1954]

He's already, as stated been part of competitive squads
So I'm not barking mad!

That's when he was actually playing football though

[elatedscum]

And the U21s won't play a competitive match this year till September so has plenty of time to play both U19s and U21s this year. His U19s campaign could end in March and if they make the finals that's not till July and wont clash with any training camps the U21s have in the summer.

yeah - i'd keep all the 2004 and 2005 kids (except Ferguson) with the 19s until the 19s campaign has ended. Could then possibly look at moving up some of the likes of Abankwah, Curtis, McJannett, Coleman, Ferizaj - right back and centre midfield are the obvious areas where the squad could use players.

[Razors left peg]

And the U21s won't play a competitive match this year till September so has plenty of time to play both U19s and U21s this year. His U19s campaign could end in March and if they make the finals that's not till July and wont clash with any training camps the U21s have in the summer.

Fair enough, my point was more that he's moved on from u19 level, but if there's no 21s games then he obviously should be with the 19s

[JR89]

yeah - i'd keep all the 2004 and 2005 kids (except Ferguson) with the 19s until the 19s campaign has ended. Could then possibly look at moving up some of the likes of Abankwah, Curtis, McJannett, Coleman, Ferizaj - right back and centre midfield are the obvious areas where the squad could use players.

Yeah bar Festy and Killian Phillips (assuming Hodge is with seniors) I can't really think of other RBs and even CMs are of short supply. Though CB is kinda the same cause there's no one from last year's U21s underage and the only 03 CBs I believe are Bosun Lawal and Garcia McNulty.

Abankwah was the RB for the 03 U19s and Curtis is the current RB though could see Curtis flipping between U21s and U19s next season unless Abankwah is gonna be used as a CB for the U21s.

Henry Francis at Arsenal partnered McJannet for the 03 campaign and St Pat's have a couple of 03 CMs but how have they being developing. There's Finn Benoa but he hasn't been involved since a couple of U19s friendlies in 2021.

Two 05 players I'm hoping get fast tracked as Vata and Ferizaj. Anytime I've watched that age group they've been the two that have impressed me the most.


Fair enough, my point was more that he's moved on from u19 level, but if there's no 21s games then he obviously should be with the 19s

They've got a friendly against Iceland in March but wouldn't be disrupting the U19s because of one game next month. Gonna have plenty of time in June to look at whoever he wants from the 04 and 05 age group.

It's why I also think a training camp should have been called in November to get lads in early when none of the underage groups were clashing.

[samhaydenjr]

Fifteen minutes at the San Siro yesterday to bring him level with Robbie Keane 's appearance record in Serie A. https://www.udinese.it/news/squad/inter-3-1-udinese

[Diggs246]

Fifteen minutes at the San Siro yesterday to bring him level with Robbie Keane 's appearance record in Serie A. https://www.udinese.it/news/squad/inter-3-1-udinese


I dont understand why people dont want him called up
Matt doh isnt playing and he will start, why not have fest on the bench, give him a run v latvia

[liamoo11]

I dont understand why people dont want him called up
Matt doh isnt playing and he will start, why not have fest on the bench, give him a run v latvia

Absolutely let's try and mould him.into an attacking right wing back for us.

[Razors left peg]

Who doesn't want him called up?

For me it's between him and Andy Lyons for the next in line at fullback

[John83]

I'd agree, there's not really any negative sentiment about him, just a lack of urgency about experimenting at right wing-back. If he keeps getting playing time in Serie A, he'll get his chance sooner or later.

[elatedscum]

Danny McNamara has played virtually every game for Millwall who are currently 7th in the championship with 1 or 2 games in hand on all their competitors. If they were even to draw the game in hand, they’d be in 4th place. (started 28/32 games this season, averaging 85 mins per start with one sub appearance in the other 4 games)

You could certainly argue that the top of the championship is better than the bottom of Serie A. He’s just turned 24 as well, so he’s at a good age.

I’d have no issue playing Festy against Latvia but McNamara would be my next in line at right back. After that, it’s any of Lyons, Kioso and Ebosele - perhaps followed by Lee O’Connor as the 5th backup. Until he’s playing there a bit more regularly, I’d question Festy’s defensive chops and see him as a better winger than a wing back.

Conversely, there have definitely been games against weaker opposition where that’s been our issue, that our wing backs haven’t had the pace to attack and really get at teams who sit deep. Ogbene has seemed the obvious option (instead of Browne or Coleman) but Festy certainly feels like a good option in that role.

[Razors left peg]

McNamara is an odd one. Kenny doesn't seem to rate him. I honestly haven't seen him much.

The reason I mentioned Lyons is that I think he has something a bit special. There's a bit of Coleman and Matt Doherty about him, I can see him being a regular in Premiership sooner rather than later

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

From past experience, we know Kenny treats friendly games seriously to try to save his job instead of developing players. So I don't see anyone being tried out. Ebosele getting a call up again or any of the others is kind of irrelevant if that's the case.

[Eirambler]

Kenny consistently picked O'Connor over McNamara at Under 21 level also. Another serious blind spot there alright, it's very strange that he has never called him up considering that he played Alan Browne out of position there last summer after he gave up on Christie. I'd have McNamara well ahead of Festy for the RWB spot as well, for one thing he can actually defend.

Would have no problem with Festy getting a call up, but he'd need to be a wide forward/second striker for us at this point in time.

Lyons isn't exactly standing out in a poor Blackpool team so has plenty to prove in terms of the step up in standard he's currently trying to take on.

[Diggs246]

Who doesn't want him called up?

For me it's between him and Andy Lyons for the next in line at fullback

I don't want to be a grass! But "stu" and Nigel harps!!

[ifk101]

Is CJ Hamilton totally out of the picture now? He got on the pitch ahead of Ebosele for his cap last summer.

[nigel-harps1954]

I don't want to be a grass! But "stu" and Nigel harps!!

Wouldn't say I don't want him called up, I just don't see the benefit of bringing in a player who's not getting game time at club level. If he starts getting games at Udinese, fair enough, but until then, 54 minutes of league action over an entire season doesn't do it for me.

I'd love to see him kick on, I think he has great potential, but he's not doing enough currently to earn his place in the squad.

[tetsujin1979]

Still qualifies for the U21s, can see him in the friendly against Iceland in Cork

[Eirambler]

Is CJ Hamilton totally out of the picture now? He got on the pitch ahead of Ebosele for his cap last summer.

He was an odd cap to begin with, there were others more deserving both then and now.

[Diggs246]

Do people think the wing backs will be McClean and Doherty or Doherty and Coleman?
I would prefer the latter myself

[JR89]

Coleman and McClean for France I can see and Doherty for Latvia with Brady and O'Dowda sharing minutes.

[SkStu]

I don't want to be a grass! But "stu" and Nigel harps!!

I just dont think he is a glaring ommission. We have Coleman and Doherty and are stocked well further up the right. He hasnt pulled up any trees in Serie A yet. I'm not opposed but he is not a lock - who does he replace?

[Diggs246]

Versus Latvia he can come on with 20.mins to go take off matt or Seamus
The problem is it will probably still be 0-0 and Kenny won't risk anything

Our young guys need game time. We missed a good opportunity to give Evan Ferguson a game v malta. He will now start against France world cup finalists.

[SkStu]

I meant who are you replacing in the squad to accommodate Festy? Not just for Latvia but on a permanent basis, assuming that is what you are proposing. Do you retire Coleman or Doherty or do you take out Ogbene or Robinson in favour of Festy's versatility? Its not just as simple as call someone up, they have to take someones place.