Joel Bagan D Zulte Waragem (loan from Cardiff) b.2001

Didn't Mark McGuinness play the other night too at CB?

Another goal making it 3 in 3. Surely should be looked at for the squad given it’s a position we have a dearth of talent in.

Appreciate he didn’t look great for the U21’s on his first showing, however was part of a flat back four if I remember rightly. Evidently a modern wing back.

Obvious the U21’s should be playing with three at the back with the amount of centre half’s coming through and strength of our wing backs - travesty that they are not made to adopt the same system, so that they are tailor made for the jump up, as is the case with so many PL academies.

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Originally Posted by MancIrishWolf

Obvious the U21’s should be playing with three at the back with the amount of centre half’s coming through and strength of our wing backs - travesty that they are not made to adopt the same system, so that they are tailor made for the jump up, as is the case with so many PL academies.

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The counter arguments to that are

A) the senior team were playing 4-3-3 when the 21s campaign started. We’ve only switched formation relatively recently and to expect the 21s to drastically alter their shape mid campaign is difficult

B) it’s the system that they’ve played for ireland at 17s, 19s and now 21s

C) with Collins and Omobamidele both moved up while still 21s - the centre-halves left available are pretty weak. McGuinness is the best of them, then you’ve got O’Brien, McEntee and Boyce who have generally made up the squad and Cashin who hasn’t been called up yet but looks to have reached the level. It’s not exactly a great group and you’d probably like to be finding one of four rather than two of four. Meanwhile our wingers, which we have an abundance of, will suffer most: Wright, Ebosele, Ferry, O’Neill, Kerrigan, Moran, Moynan, Gilbert. I know you could play Ebosele at right wing back, move O’Connor into the centre, then you’re basically losing Tyriek Wright and gaining a striker. It’s doable but it could still end up with us playing a weaker 11.

I can see the arguments for it, obviously, but I don’t think it’s automatic that they should have switched straight away

Named on the bench this evening. Good to see him back from injury. Had been out since the end of August after a nasty bang to the head.

Moves to the Belgian second tier for the season.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-joel-27507108

Good that he's getting out and playing games this season.