Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria - Sunday, 23rd March 2025 - UEFA Nations League

[Nesta99]

Im not absolving the player, Im asking how a player is let get so out of condition by his club, albeit that we assessing from a distance. Yes it could be work ethic, maybe why he has been let move on loan, on his way out of a club, but that doesnt bar the question of how he is being managed and/or motivated, if his interest is poor then there could be additional concerns etc. I suggested that his body type may make it difficult for him to stay in condition, especially post injury, not getting 1st class games. No green tinted specs, its a discussion forum, we can discuss without the indignant tantrum! Issues with s+c departments are certainly not new, how many new managers are appointed and start with getting teams to their standard of fit. Excess soft tissue injuries also raise questions in the relevant departments. He played most of an internation football match, was trying to make an impact to the detriment of his overall performance out on the wing at times, dropping deep, expending energy for a big chap, he scored in the latter stages getting back on the end of a 1-2 so...

Do you think Hallgrimsson would play a grossly unfit player when there are other options, risk an unfit player to additional injury?

[SkStu]

There’s probably a bit of both in the situation to be honest. Ferguson has jowls. That’s on him.

[liamoo11]

Im not absolving the player, Im asking how a player is let get so out of condition by his club, albeit that we assessing from a distance. Yes it could be work ethic, maybe why he has been let move on loan, on his way out of a club, but that doesnt bar the question of how he is being managed and/or motivated, if his interest is poor then there could be additional concerns etc. I suggested that his body type may make it difficult for him to stay in condition, especially post injury, not getting 1st class games. No green tinted specs, its a discussion forum, we can discuss without the indignant tantrum! Issues with s+c departments are certainly not new, how many new managers are appointed and start with getting teams to their standard of fit. Excess soft tissue injuries also raise questions in the relevant departments. He played most of an internation football match, was trying to make an impact to the detriment of his overall performance out on the wing at times, dropping deep, expending energy for a big chap, he scored in the latter stages getting back on the end of a 1-2 so...

Do you think Hallgrimsson would play a grossly unfit player when there are other options, risk an unfit player to additional injury?

S + c can just guide you you have to want to do the pool running, the anti gravity treadmills running and the bike work when you are coming back from injury and can't be on the grass. The difference in physical conditioning between parrott and ferguson was mammoth

[Jolly Red Giant]

For the first time in a long time these players looked like they were playing as a team (something that never happened under Kenny). That is a positive and HH deserves credit for it.

We still have a problem with central midfield - the players we have are just not good enough and we do need to try Collins (or Omobamidele) in midfield to see if it makes a difference.

Ferguson's goal shows the quality he possesses and he needs to be in the team - his position is as a 9 - Parrott can player behind him and has played quite a bit in the 10 role in the past. Ferguson's problems are two-fold - an injury that clearly has been worse that previously suggested and a manager that doesn't want to use him. The one thing I will guarantee is that Ferguson does not lack commitment - its not in his character.

Both O'Brien and Azaz look like they are going to develop into quality players. I was very impressed by O'Brien.

If we can sort out the midfield we have a potentially strong squad that could do some damage.

[CraftyToePoke]

Im not absolving the player, Im asking how a player is let get so out of condition by his club, albeit that we assessing from a distance. Yes it could be work ethic, maybe why he has been let move on loan, on his way out of a club, but that doesnt bar the question of how he is being managed and/or motivated, if his interest is poor then there could be additional concerns etc. I suggested that his body type may make it difficult for him to stay in condition, especially post injury, not getting 1st class games. No green tinted specs, its a discussion forum, we can discuss without the indignant tantrum! Issues with s+c departments are certainly not new, how many new managers are appointed and start with getting teams to their standard of fit. Excess soft tissue injuries also raise questions in the relevant departments. He played most of an internation football match, was trying to make an impact to the detriment of his overall performance out on the wing at times, dropping deep, expending energy for a big chap, he scored in the latter stages getting back on the end of a 1-2 so...

Do you think Hallgrimsson would play a grossly unfit player when there are other options, risk an unfit player to additional injury?

There wasn't an indignant tantrum anywhere other than how you misunderstood the tone in which that post was written.
West Ham S&C crew recently enough guided a paper thin squad into Europe and once there they won a European trophy. I don't think they are the focus here, or even in the conversation.

[Eirambler]

I actually had a look at YBIG match thread yesterday evening after the game and it was just a constant flow of "this is as bad as anything under Kenny" right up to Fergusons goal.... I really didnt see it like that at all. We were good yesterday, far from perfect and there are big flaws, but it was good

To be fair, it I was looking for a bad take on the Irish football team, that's the first place I would go. Well...there and also to the comments under FAI social media posts.

[Predator]

Regarding the CM conundrum, I'd be keen to see Joe Hodge brought into the squad and given a game in June. Of all the candidates, he stands out to me as the one with the most ability and was recently the captain of the U21 team. If he can stay fit, he has the potential to be a PL regular.

[Stuttgart88]

I posted in a chat recently (a month ago?) that Ferguson is actually starting to look leaner than he had done a year ago! He has an adolescent puppy fat look to him and always has imho.

He was clearly huffing and puffing on Sunday, no doubt about that, but wrt his appearance it has often crossed my mind that he might still be growing. My own son is the same age and goes through spells of fattening up and then before you know it he’s lean again, just a bit bigger. It’s how some kids grow.

[Razors left peg]

Regarding the CM conundrum, I'd be keen to see Joe Hodge brought into the squad and given a game in June. Of all the candidates, he stands out to me as the one with the most ability and was recently the captain of the U21 team. If he can stay fit, he has the potential to be a PL regular.

Hes not even a standout player in L1 and hardly ever plays because of injuries. Hodge needs to prove that he can be a long term professional footballer first before he'd even be a consideration

[Diggs246]

Yep, we have Taylor and the option of pushing Collins up to midfield.

Knight needs to be benched anyway

[SkStu]

Hes not even a standout player in L1 and hardly ever plays because of injuries. Hodge needs to prove that he can be a long term professional footballer first before he'd even be a consideration

Also, he's another midget midfielder.

[rebelmusic]

Also, he's another midget midfielder.

Sorry to be piling on but yeah Hodge has a long way to go. I'd be bringing back Alan Browne before considering Hodge. Taylor and Lawal are our only immediate Box to Box hopefuls really though.

Taylor is more than proven at championship level and I expect he'll get another full season as a starter next year unless Ipswich pull a rabbit out of a wolf. He's been a late bloomer and hasn't looked out of place in the PL. He was more of an attacking midfielder last season but he's been coming off the bench with a general mix of either protecting leads or chasing a goal so his education this season has been great for him imo. Granted Ipswich have been horrendous at protecting leads.

His defensive play has improved a lot though and I'd expect Ipswich to be challenging for promotion next season.

I'm going to hazard a guess that HH viewed his first major challenge as stopping the constant losing, which he's arguably done so maybe he'll take the risk of not having two DMs in the future. We can hope anyway

[MeathDrog]

Is Killian Phillips worth a look? If we're limited technically in the middle which Cullen and Knight clearly are, might as well have a bit of size in that position. Phillips is 6'3.

[Razors left peg]

Is Killian Phillips worth a look? If we're limited technically in the middle which Cullen and Knight clearly are, might as well have a bit of size in that position. Phillips is 6'3.

I thought he might have had an outside shot of making this squad.... to me hes probably a taller less good version of Knight so he wouldnt excite me massively, but he might be worth looking at in the summer

[osarusan]

Does a good job for St Mirren breaking up play against SPL teams. Very physical, very energetic, but not really a creative player. Is that something we are missing?


Now, maybe he was a more attacking player at previous clubs, but whether he has that in his locker or not, he doesn't really get to display it for St Mirren.

[Eirambler]

Phillips is a taller Molumby really, and not as good at this point in time. He'll certainly run from box to box, but he might not have the ball with him while he's doing it.

[Joxerbrowne]

Phillips has been doing very well for St Mirren. Some really good goals aswel, deffo worth a look in the friendlys.

[third policeman]

Regarding the CM conundrum, I'd be keen to see Joe Hodge brought into the squad and given a game in June. Of all the candidates, he stands out to me as the one with the most ability and was recently the captain of the U21 team. If he can stay fit, he has the potential to be a PL regular.

Looks a long way short of being a PL player at the present moment. I'd be more interested in an approach to Dewsbury Hall. Not getting much of a look in at Chelsea but he did look like a PL player when he was a PL player at Leicester. He must realise that he's a long way away from an England call up, and he's a definite upgrade on pretty much everyone we have.

[Eirambler]

Is he definitely eligible?

[third policeman]

Is he definitely eligible?

According to a Gavin Coomey piece on The 42 this time last year.

[CraftyToePoke]

According to a Gavin Coomey piece on The 42 this time last year.

Yeah. I posted it on here at the time.
I think I read elsewhere that the door has been held open for KDH for a number of years, but he's shown no sign of wanting to play for us, so its not for lack of an approach. Maybe it will change but even with no other realistic option he doesn't seem interested.

[Razors left peg]

Wasnt there something when the latest squad was announced about them working on some new recruits or am I remembering a previous squad? With Cirkin in the English set up now you'd wonder who else they would be working on.

Edit: I just seen that Cirkin had withdrawn from the England squad with a hamstring injury so maybe all hope not lost there?
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c15qyxvjpk3o

[Eirambler]

Louie Barry was rumoured recently. Might see him in June. Another forward to throw on the pile if it happens.

[backstothewall]

Wasnt there something when the latest squad was announced about them working on some new recruits or am I remembering a previous squad? With Cirkin in the English set up now you'd wonder who else they would be working on.

Edit: I just seen that Cirkin had withdrawn from the England squad with a hamstring injury so maybe all hope not lost there?
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c15qyxvjpk3o

Cirkin would be mad to stay with England. Even if England don't produce another left back for a decade he's already behind Lewis Hall and Lewis Skelly-Murphy who are both younger than him.

Odds are He never gets a senior call up for them. He could plausibly get 100 caps for us.

[Razors left peg]

Cirkin would be mad to stay with England. Even if England don't produce another left back for a decade he's already behind Lewis Hall and Lewis Skelly-Murphy who are both younger than him.

Odds are He never gets a senior call up for them. He could plausibly get 100 caps for us.

True, but it's also hard to play for a country you couldn't give a crap about, and he's never really shown any affinity to Ireland. He'd be a great get for us, but there's only so many times you can ask

[Eirambler]

He probably still has an eye on the Euro Under 21s this summer. Might be a different story after that.

[Predator]

Fascinating to see the negative reaction to the suggestion of Hodge as a CM alternative. I take the point that he is playing intermittently at a lower level than some others, but I've liked what I've seen of him and I was very impressed with him (and the similarly statured Andy Moran) when the U21s beat Iceland in Cork in 2023. That team contained the likes of Bosun Lawal (at CB), Killian Phillips, Sam Curtis, Tom Cannon, and Festy Ebosele (who was, in my view, harshly sent off). Sinclair Armstrong came off the bench and looked decent then too.

Hodge's lack of height isn't a huge issue for me. There was one point of that Iceland game where he started a move and got onto the end of a header from the subsequent cross into the box. He's handled himself well against the likes of Thiago, Fabinho, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek and others in his odd appearances for Wolves. He certainly needs a bit of luck on the injury front and more first-team football, but he definitely has the ability.

[Razors left peg]

Fascinating to see the negative reaction to the suggestion of Hodge as a CM alternative. I take the point that he is playing intermittently at a lower level than some others, but I've liked what I've seen of him and I was very impressed with him (and the similarly statured Andy Moran) when the U21s beat Iceland in Cork in 2023. That team contained the likes of Bosun Lawal (at CB), Killian Phillips, Sam Curtis, Tom Cannon, and Festy Ebosele (who was, in my view, harshly sent off). Sinclair Armstrong came off the bench and looked decent then too.

Hodge's lack of height isn't a huge issue for me. There was one point of that Iceland game where he started a move and got onto the end of a header from the subsequent cross into the box. He's handled himself well against the likes of Thiago, Fabinho, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek and others in his odd appearances for Wolves. He certainly needs a bit of luck on the injury front and more first-team football, but he definitely has the ability.


Even if his lack of height doesnt bother you, does his lack of actual games played in football not bother you? He has only managed 22 games so far this year and has only played 90 minutes 3 times, I think he has only 9 starts. I agree he showed a lot of talent in the u21 games, in fact I thought he was probably the standout player often in that u21 team, but you have to make some sort of impact at club level. Being a bit part player in L1 cannot be of the standard we are looking for at international level.

Luca Connell interests me still. I think hes a good player and might be capable of stepping up in future, but I wouldnt even consider him until we see how he does at Championship level. Hodge could be decent, but he needs to figure out his club career before International football is even on the radar

[Eirambler]

Predator - I think you might be a bit biased in terms of Hodge's links to Derry City maybe? He isn't holding down a consistent starting place at a League 1 team, that's not going to get you in the Ireland squad these days as there's too much depth now, even in midfield.

I liked him at underage too and had a lot of hope for him, but it just doesn't seem to be happening so far for him in senior football. It might be a size thing and he will develop into someone who can play at a higher level in time, but right now I'd worry that he'll end up finding his level in the lower leagues.

[Predator]

I take the points Eirambler and RLP (though there's no Derry City bias there). His injury woes are well documented and I think that's the chief issue when it comes to regular game time rather than ability. I like the type of player he is. He's tigerish, technical and has great vision. I think the fact he's been around the senior squad a few times already is notable too. There is talk of a few more friendlies in June, so if he's fit and we're talking about exploring options, I'd certainly call him up to see what he is made of. He'll probably have a few more games under his belt by then.

[Nesta99]

There wasn't an indignant tantrum anywhere other than how you misunderstood the tone in which that post was written.
West Ham S&C crew recently enough guided a paper thin squad into Europe and once there they won a European trophy. I don't think they are the focus here, or even in the conversation.

Fair enough!

[tetsujin1979]

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