Liam Kitching. 24yr old left footed CB that also played LB when breaking into senior football. Got the assist for Coventry's goal against Wolves.
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Liam Kitching. 24yr old left footed CB that also played LB when breaking into senior football. Got the assist for Coventry's goal against Wolves.
Gavin Cooney in The42 confirmed Kiernan Dewsbury Hall is eligible today. No England underage representation. 25. 10 goals & 12 assists this season at Leicester. Probably already been approached, been mentioned here & there a few times in recent years.
https://www.the42.ie/ireland-midfiel...28992-Mar2024/
I was going to say he's a good move and a good season away from England caps.
I saw him mentioned as a target for Brighton, Brentford and even Arsenal in January.
I would say that the reason for the Arsenal link (if anything in it) is the same reason he might not make the England squad too easily.
From what I have seen, he's an out and out 8. He's not a 6 or wide forward player or 10. Arsenal set up with two 8s a lot. However, England don't. He would actually have an awful lot to do to get in there. He'd need a move to Arsenal or another top half side and good run.
That one was not on my radar at all. Good to know and hopefully goes somewhere and worth watching.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Good article on it (and him) here
https://www.balls.ie/football/tomas-...ootball-553795
There's also a Thiago Dowd mentioned :D makes me think of 90's GAA footballer Tommy
McGlynn made his debut for the US National team earlier this year. It was a friendly, so he is still eligible, but I doubt he's interested in declaring.
Christopher Seamus Michael Conn-Clarke, 22, from Antrim has just signed for Peterborough United. Has underage previous up to 21s with our northern brothers. Scored 23 goals & 12 assists in the National League last season. Plays as a 10 or as a striker.
Grand total of 1 goal in 15 games for Waterford last season in the LOI First Division. Wasn't great. Surprised he got this move.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
£350k the fee being reported. Does seem like one good season alright with not a lot before that.Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
He's Peterboroughs third double barrelled Clarke in recent years, Clarke Harris, Mason Clark & now this boyo. So maybe they just wanted that really strange trio Nigel. For quiz purposes or some madness like that.
If he gets a run of games in League 1 the north will cap him this side of Christmas. He's from a nationalist background but the best we could offer him is to ask him to sit tight, play better and get a move to the Championship, at which point he might get a game for us in a couple of years time.
We're never going to compete for these lower league lads because we can't just start capping them in the Nations League the way they do, nor should we even try. It's the same as Eoin Toal. If someone (like Sykes) is particularly keen to play for us and genuinely believes that they're good enough to make it with us they'll wait it out. But the reality is that most will take the handy caps on offer with the north.
Name me one youngster from a Nationalist area whom we've capped even once in any Nations League game, as some form of inducement towards us, or as a ruse to keep them from heading towards the south.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
To make it easier, you can find all our NL games, with line-ups, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northe...%80%93present)
P.S. You probably don't want to waste too much time looking :wink:
While I wouldn't be much of a northern watcher myself ( the odd quick Google to check which new & creative ways unionism has found to keep its heel pushed down hard on the self destruct button aside ) I did take a wee peep at your squad there and found Oxford / Kilmarnock / St Mirren / Fleetwood / Leyton Orient / Stevenage / Larne as well as a few unattached players.
So if this Conn Clarke has a pulse come September you'll be eyeing him up at the dance, ye wee hures. Aye. Etc.
If he starts any way decent at L1 we should be making a phone call & telling him we're watching & to sit tight a while. Do well for a year & see where he's at. Thing is you need a manager ideally for elaborate maneuvers like that.
Maybe, but that's just a reflection of where we're at, playing pool-wise.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Which is very different from Eirambler's claim that NI give out "handy" caps to young Nationalists in NL games, solely in order to keep them from the clutches of the FAI etc.
Which is why he will prove unable to cite even a single example from the three series of NL games I provided for him.
CCC has been capped by us at U-17 level (when he was at Linfield), U-19's (Glentoran) and U-21's (Fleetwood), so he's been on our radar for a few years now.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
He was highly rated back then, but seemed to lose his way for a bit, before making a (relatively) spectacular "comeback" at Altrincham, whose fans absolutely loved him:
http://altyfans.co.uk/index.php?PHPS...topic=26883.45
Or see what this non-league blogger had to say when selecting him for his National League Team of the Season:
"The final player on this list is one that has dazzled all season with play-off side Altrincham, and that is wide player Chris Conn-Clarke.
Conn-Clarke was one tipped in the summer as having the potential to be one of the standout signings, if not the standout signing, and he has more than lived up to that as being the jewel of a Robins attacking crown that has shone bright all season long.
The Northern Irishman finished the campaign with 22 goals in 46 appearances and helped himself to a further (recorded, at least) six goal involvements with assists, and so has contributed to nearly 2/3rd of The Robins entire output in the final third this year.
A mesmeric player with balletic dribbling and the man for the big occasion be it intelligence to set up his team mates or the ability to go it alone, he has been a joy to watch."
https://offtheline599656488.wordpres...eason-2023-24/
My guess is that Posh will make a Lge One player out of him, which should put him on the fringes (no more) of NI squads, especially should we suffer injuries etc in his position. Whether he goes beyond that, who knows, but based on Posh's record, I'm cautiously optimistic.
Either way, Michael O'Neill's pronouncements and selections have consistently demonstrated that he will NOT give player caps just to keep him away from the FAI.
Do your worst - though you don't want to upset James McClean, who probably wouldn't appreciate the competition. :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Actually I never said that at all. What I said was:Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
"We're never going to compete for these lower league lads because we can't just start capping them in the Nations League the way they do"
The stuff about giving caps to Nationalists solely to keep them away from the clutches of the FAI is your own addition/invention. I wasn't saying that at all. What I was saying is that your squad is fundamentally crap, so lads like Conn-Clarke can get capped easier, so they usually just take the caps rather than waiting around for an FAI call that may never come. As happened with Toal.
There's a simple answer. A United team
How much better would a United team be ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Just for fun ~ Which of the North's players would improve our team and squad ?
Squad wise, Conor Bradley, Jamal Lewis and Shea Charles...Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
You'd have Price, Hume and McCausland with the 21s I think
Bradley. Maybe Shea Charles with time. And maybe you could argue for one of their CBs but that a position where we have strength in depth. Don't think the North produces that many (good) players tbh.
Not convinced Charles would make our squad as things stand unless we had a few out injured. The full backs would though - Bradley because he looks to have a high ceiling and Lewis because we have next to nothing at left back. After that they have a couple of defenders and not a lot else, but we have loads of defenders (other than left backs) so they probably wouldn't get picked any more often than someone like Darragh Lenihan does.
The more important question though is that, given that is the case, why have we not been outperforming them in the last couple of years? And I think we all know the answer to that one.
When you pointed out that CCC is "from a nationalist background" [sic], the implication was clear, otherwise why distinguish capping him from capping comparable-standard players from eg a Unionist background, or from GB?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
And to return to my original question, who exactly are these young lads from a Nationalist background to whom we have given "handy" caps in NL games? Come on, name them. One, even.
Lads, play nice or go home.
Not really. Most recently:Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Nations League:
Ireland 3rd in League B with 7 points
Northern Ireland 3rd in League C with 5 points
Euros qualification:
Northern Ireland: 5th in a group with Denmark, Slovenia, Finland, Kazakstan and San Marino
Ireland: 4th in a group with France, Netherlands, Greece, Gibraltar
Northern Ireland's results are more akin to The Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Malta etc. etc.
Yeah, the last four years haven't been great for them, losing to the likes of Kosovo and Kazakhstan.
Who do you mean by "we"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
That assumes that I and other NI fans are up for it. While the (ahem) simple fact is, we don't want to combine with ROI any more than we want to cmbine in a UK team (the only option which FIFA would countenance as things stand btw).
Either way, you might be happy to lose your* team, but we don't want that, nor should we have to. As for being "more competitive", so what? I support my team win, lose or draw.
Or what is so difficult to understand about such (ahem) simple concepts? You know, belonging, affiliation, tradition, history etc, the things which go towards making a fan.
* - Unless, of course, you see this proposed team as merely being a further continuation of your old team, with a few extra Prods added.
What's rugby got to do with any of this other, perhaps, than to remind everyone that Ulster Rugby never broke away from the all-Ireland governing body? Unlike your people with Football.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Meanwhile, I'll probably get censored for the sin of sticking up for my own team, even though it was someone else who brought up the hoary old subject of a "united" [sic] team. Again.
Will you feel more comfortable with it once we have a United Country called Ireland? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
I've been hearing that since 1966 (50th anniversary and all that). It's now more boring than anything else, esp since it is invariably brought up by someone on your side of the house, and after your results have been crap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Besides which, there's always this:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...me-in-29-years
Note the date. And the result. :wink:
Once again, no. The "implication" you have taken from it is woefully incorrect I'm afraid. The reference to his background was simply to note that he might be a player who may hold some interest in playing for us, as there has rarely been much interest in playing for Ireland from players of a unionist background.Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
With all due respect I'd suggest that, in future, you might be better served by responding to what posters have actually written, as opposed to whatever bizarre assumptions or conclusions you may have jumped to based on your own biases. Once again, my point wasn't that the north are going around capping lower league players in some race to keep them away from the FAI, it was that the north are doing it because their squad is crap.
You picked out CCC and Eoin Toal (for their Nationalist background), but never even considered the likes of Ethan Galbraith, Trai Hume, Ross McCausland or Dion Charles, playing at a similar standard. (Charles plays in the same team as Toal, btw).Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
I mean, when you cannot even bring yourself to type "NI", when that is accurate, respectful and quicker etc, it shows what you really think.
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Dog+Whistle+statements
Ah now, there there EGQuote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
Don't cry so easy like that, they'll only do it more, the nasty Mexicans. It won't matter soon enough what it used to be called anyway, so don't be so troubled by this & try to enjoy whats left.
Cool we'll throw a few token training games to Unionist FC once the country is united if keeps ye happy. It'll be their prize for winning the LOI 3rd divisionQuote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
The odd 21s match in Belfast.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
As a symbol.
Can’t see Casement being ready in time for it tbhQuote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Wow!Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
You truly were triggered weren’t you?!
You could just respectfully disagree but you’ve kind of gone nuclear here. Paranoid I would say.
It’s just a suggestion. I understand you not wanting it.
For me it makes sense. For you it doesn’t. That’s fine.
Thought you were better than name-calling.
‘We’ of course refers to the people who live on this island who have ‘Ireland’ in the title of the team
You're just howling at the moon at this point EG. Any player eligible to play for Ireland is welcome to declare for us, but presumably you of all posters on this forum will understand why CCC and Toal might hold more of an interest in doing so than players like Galbraith and McCausland. They'd be just as welcome and would have been picked if they had been good enough and willing to wait (which again, they're currently not). But they most likely wouldn't want to, and we wouldn't expect them to stand for a flag and anthem if they don't believe in it. If only the same was the case in the north...Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
Anyway, getting back on point, you've made a wildly false assumption that I was accusing the IFA of capping players to keep them from the FAI and completely failed to back it up afterwards. Not your greatest moment in truth. So we'll move on.
The question of Northern Irish players is off topic, contentious, and derailing the thread. Futher such posts will be removed and may come with infractions.
Amen to that!Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
No need to throw the powder keg of religion into thisQuote:
Originally Posted by Demesne Lad
It's a potentially eligibility players thread but can't discuss anything about a large chunk of potentially eligible players?
Why not sanction EG? he can post/ reply any topic except about NI players. I have full confidence that he can restrain himself (perhaps with the help of a straight jacket) and make this ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.