This feels utterly pointless but I suppose there should be a new thread considering the Hungary game is only 2 weeks away.
Do we know when the squad is named? Do we know if most of the players will even bother turning up? Do we even care?
This feels utterly pointless but I suppose there should be a new thread considering the Hungary game is only 2 weeks away.
Do we know when the squad is named? Do we know if most of the players will even bother turning up? Do we even care?
1) I'd assume could be the start of next week. A Monday or Tuesday with lads joining up on the Wednesday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
2) Hopefully there's a few lads that pull out. Might actually force O'Shea to give lads like Azaz a proper run out and O'Brien to make his debut.
3) Nope. The most boring international games are June friendlies. Especially when you didn't qualify for the tournament.
I'll check out the starting XI and see if it's worth watching. Hungary and Portugal won't care just hoping nobody gets injured and O'Shea will treat it like a WC playoff game while the players are day dreaming of going on holidays.
It does have a bit of a feel of those summer US tours. Leagues in England will be finished for almost a month by the time the games come around. The game in Portugal in particular could be ugly if we've a B team and they've players pushing for inclusion in the Euro opener a week later (like when they beat us 5-1 in the US in 2014).Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Yeah, you can hope guys like O'Brien, Sammy and Azaz are involved, but if it is a repeat of the 2014 Portugal game, then you'd have to say there could be limited benefit even then.
Parrott will be involved in the relegation playoff and if Excelsior make it to the playoff final he won't be able to join up with the squad until June 3rd so likely misses the Hungary match.
Currently leading ADO Ten Haag 2-0 in the first leg, Parrott with an assist on the first goalQuote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Second leg on Saturday
Theres one thing and one thing only I want to see from these games.... does John O'Shea understand that not all football teams have to line up with 5 at the back. Sounds like a very basic thing, but his inability to change the shape in the other 2 games is what killed my hope that he could be a decent manager.
Im not convinced at this point that he wont be in the job against England in September so I hope hes at least learned something from March. I hope he hasnt come out of a 20 year playing career and all the coaching courses he has done to decide theres only 1 formation his teams will ever play.
I dont think Im asking for much.
Squad named tomorrow. Would be nice to see a few different faces after March but I won't be holding my breath. Presumably we'll finally see Kasey McAteer in a squad if nothing else. If McAteer, O'Brien and Azaz got decent minutes over these two games it would at least mean the games had some value.
Kasey would be brilliant but unfortunately I've zero confidence in will be in the squad.
I'd like to see Azaz as a 10 with Sammie as the 9
Many are hungary for some portegese food, but not these matches
"Chiedozie Ogbene and Nathan Collins ruled out"
https://www.the42.ie/ogbene-collins-...=twitter_short
Meanwhile, Michael O'Neill is actually a fan of these end-of-season breaks, but only for the opportunity to work with the players for 10 days - i.e. get his ideas across, integrate players into the squad etc. In this respect, the matches get in the way of his work, but he has to accept it for financial reasons (NI playing Spain on 08 Jun and Andorra on 11Jun).
And so he should be. There's a week between our two games which would have been a great opportunity for some prep work ahead of the Nations League. Sadly thrown away by Canham's ineptness.
Collins and Ogbene being out should open a clear route to game time for O'Brien and McAteer anyway. You would think.
So who are ruled out?Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
Bazunu
Collins
Egan
Molumby
Ogbene
Ferguson
Could be others I don't know about...
You'd expect the keepers to be:
Kelleher
Travers
O'Leary
Full-backs:
Doherty
Coleman
Manning
Brady
Centre halves:
O'Shea
Scales
Omobamidele
O'Brien
(Probably one other slot if he's playing 5 at the back - Duffy seems the most likely, McNally would seem the other logical choice unless someone like Bosun or Anselmo were being moved up. McGuinness and Lenihan also presumably out through injury. Outside shots would go to Clarke-Salter, Dunne, Cashin or McLoughlin or maybe a LOI player)
Centre mids:
Cullen
Smallbone
(Any suggestions? Hodge? Connell? Coventry? Kilkenny? Hodge hasn't played since the start of April. The other 3 are playing league 1)
Attacking mids: (Much more options here)
Azaz
Knight
Browne (could rule himself out, like Manning did last summer when his contract was expired)
McGrath
(the next pool probably includes Taylor, Sykes, Moran - Connor Ronan won't get a call-up but I'd love to see him get a look. Jack Taylor is definitely worth a look imo)
Wingers:
Johnston
McAteer (?)
Ebosele
O'Dowda
(I'd personally like to see Harness over Ebosele and O'Dowda. Also ring the Neil Ferrugia is finally fit klaxon)
Strikers:
Szmodics
Idah
Parrott (misses game 1)
Keane
Obafemi (wouldn't be surprised if O'Shea ignores him, considering he didn't give him minutes in the last camp)
You are. How did you rate Stephen Kenny after two games?Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
<MOD EDIT - Personal insult removed>
Attack the post, not the post. Last warning Snapshot
That tracker page saying two players from the U21s will be called up to train for the first time.
Is there any real proof or hope of McAteer being called up?
He was only missing from the last squad because he was injured. So again it just depends whether he's fit or not.
Thats encouraging tbf
I'm more hopeful so
We absolutely need a guy like this.
If we can some how get Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall( if he even qualifies) than we would be in good shape
Hasn't scored since January and played about 15minutes since March. Great stuff, now officialy crap enough to make the Ireland squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
That's unexpected!Quote:
Originally Posted by joey B
Stevens recalled is a bit of a surprise too, though he's done ok at Stoke (when not injured) and earned a new contract. Ebosele or Manning not included though. Maybe giving them a rest at the end of their seasons given they only ended a few days ago.
Not sure Obafemi should really be included given how his Milleall loan went, but maybe he'll see it as a shop window. Not sure we have much better though to pad out the squad.
Don't get the need for Harrington to be included? Fleetwood reserve keeper?
No McAteer/Dewsbury-Hall/Harness/Taylor/left-field inclusion like that.