Best U-21's ever?

I think we have an U-21 team capable of qualifying for the EC and doing really well. I don't know if this is first choice but give or take a couple:

__________________Henderson__________________

Kelly______McCarthy________Fitzgerald______Capper

McGeady_____Whelan_____Potter/Flood_____Kearney

______________Elliott_______Doyle_______________

Others that certainly in with a chance of making the team:

Paisley
Kohlmann
McStay
Keegan
Brennan
McShane
Bradley
Foley-Sheridan
Yeates
Thornton
Fahey
Tabb (10 goals for Brentford last season)
Zayed
Daly

Henderson, Kelly, Capper, McGeady, Whelan, Kearney, Doyle and Elliot are all first team players for their clubs while McCarthy is the captain of the Man City reserves and both Flood and Potter have made their senior debut's.

There certainly is a hell of a lot of talent coming through. I think Potter, McCarthy, McGeady and Kelly have the best chance of being really top class players but there is a strenght in depth about the U-21's that has never been seen before.

I agree. I think our U21 squad is looking really handy. There was also a guy called Bell who looked very skillful during the U20 World Cup.

The Swiss and French have good recent history at underage level so it'll be a very good indication of how good the side really is.

For the first time I can remember it's pretty much the whole team that looks good, not just a frew individuals. Remember though that the U21s with Miller, Thompson, Barrett, Reid and a few others got some pretty crap results not too long ago.

Don Givens seems to be on top of the job, not like the muppets who looked after the U21s previously.

Such exciting reading. Out of the starting 11 suggested by Eirebhoy, Capper is the only one i can't see going on to play top flight football. Football is not that simple and it's unlikely all will but the potential is there. In previous times there was always a couple you could see achieving things and the rest you knew would be average pros. Add the likes of Yeates, Thornton, etc and you would struggle to find a stronger u21 team in world football.

It's been a long time coming too, until recently our U-21's had a woeful record. With the mass retirements at the end of Charlton's reign and the beginning of Mick's, a lot of the top U-19's had to make the step up to senior level without passing through the U-21's - AFAIK Robbie Keane and Damien Duff have no U-21 caps - so it's taken a few years for the quality in the youth teams to filter through to the current U-21 setup.

I agree with Bowsy that Capper is probably the only one who won't go onto top class football, but the rest of the 11 should go on to represent Ireland. I'd probably have Thornton in ahead of Whelan too, more first team experience and at a higher level.

From the subs, I think Kohlmann, McStay, Keegan, Brennan, McShane, Foley-Sheridan, Yeates and Daly are top bets to play for the seniors one day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I'd probably have Thornton in ahead of Whelan too, more first team experience and at a higher level.

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I've seen Whelan play just once but he seems to be able to play the holding midfield role very well. Would Thornton be able to play that role?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I've seen Whelan play just once but he seems to be able to play the holding midfield role very well. Would Thornton be able to play that role?

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Admittedly, probably not. But I would expect Potter to play that role. Which means dropping Flood from that 11. Hmmm, quite the enjoyable headache Don Givens has!

line-up for tonight against the Bulgarians

Henderson (Notts County)
McStay (Leeds Utd) McCarthy (Man City), Fitzgerald (B'burn Rvs), Capper (Scarborough)
McGeady (Celtic), Potter (L'pool), Whelan (Sheffield Wed), Kearney (Cork City)
Doyle (Cork City), Elliott (Sunderland)

Delighted to see the two CCFC boys start on merit in what is a very strong squad.

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Originally Posted by tiktok

Delighted to see the two CCFC boys start on merit in what is a very strong squad.

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I'm afraid "seeing" them in the squad is as far as I get.
Do Sky Sports not show the friendlies?
I'd have gone up to this game if I was in Dublin.
Might get to see the goals on Sky Sports News.

Ireland are winning 1-0 after 10 minutes.

www.soccerstand.com

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I think we have an U-21 team capable of qualifying for the EC and doing really well. I don't know if this is first choice but give or take a couple:

__________________Henderson__________________

Kelly______McCarthy________Fitzgerald______Capper

McGeady_____Whelan_____Potter/Flood_____Kearney

______________Elliott_______Doyle_______________

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Jaysus, I didn't know I was that well up on the U-21's. That is the exact team picked for the Cyprus match, Potter gets the bow instead of Flood. :)

Eirebhoy - are you Don Givens?

Watched a small bit of Hull vs Bradford on Sky the other night (sad, I know) and Jonathan Walters played for Hull. Looked decent and is one of the few underage lads we have who's a proper size. He's miles bigger than Kearney or Tabb for example.

I'm surprised he's not in the squad (not necessarily the team) as I'd have thought he's got something to offer.

I'm glad Kerr is resisting the temptation to call up the likes of McGeady. I really think this U21 side can go on to do well and more than half this side has the potential to form the nucleus of the senior side a few years from now. There'll be those that just don't make it but there'll also be late developers or even younger guys who emerge onto the senior scene.

Continuity and success at U21 level can only be advantageous for the senior side going forward.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I agree with Bowsy that Capper is probably the only one who won't go onto top class football, but the rest of the 11 should go on to represent Ireland.

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can u honestly see kerr picking kearney and doyle

and before anyone starts this not a dig at kerr

but can you honestly