Gallagher as in Jon Gallagher?
Yeah. I'd play Festy as a winger in the current squad, which leaves Doherty at RB/RWB against Netherlands. Might as well give someone else a try against New Zealand (where I'd be playing a back 4), and Danny McNamara or Jon Gallagher seem like two lads who might be good enough if given the opportunity. Not sure about either but they've both probably done well enough in the respective leagues to be given a look.
Alan Browne certainly isn't the heir to the throne
This time of year with the MLS season over it would have been worth it to bring Gallagher and Ronan over. It's NZ and they'll have a lad playing LOI in their squad. Should be the type of game where you hand out a few debut caps to players.
Andy Moran called up to the senior squad. FAI are awaiting on scan results for a number
of players so Moran gets a call up.
Ferguson, Ogbene, and McGrath are the three players awaiting scan results.
It will be an unlucky loss. We nearly got them there, did all we could in the physio room, just a few lapses etc etc ;)
Smallbone and Ebosele ruled out for Saturday. James McClean gets a call up.
its reported that Ferguson, Ogbene and McGrath have passed fitness tests
So we've a match tomorrow...
Presumably Stephen Kenny's last competitive game in charge, and a tough one even if they're a step below France at the moment. They beat Greece 3-0 at home for example (having needed a 93rd minute to win away)
We effectively put ten men behind the ball in Paris and you wonder will the same apply tomorrow. So back to three at the back - Duffy, Scales and Collins? Manning and Doherty on the wings, the usual invisible trio in mid, Idah up front because all he's good for is holding the ball up, and Ferguson alongside to try make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?
For all Kenny's faults, we've never been hammered in a competitive game under him yet (on the scoreboard at least). Hopefully that run can continue for one more match.
Had a look at the squad on wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nether...l_team#Players
It's a young squad, average age is 25, and with very few goals - Gakpo is top scorer with eight, and the average per player is 1.8. It's relatively inexperienced, despite the presence of Blind(103 caps), van Dijk(62) and de Vrij(60) the average number of caps is 20, and none of the goalkeepers have more than eight caps.
That's similar to the Ireland squad, average age is 25, average number of caps is 21, average number of goals is 2.1, McClean has the most caps(102) and most goals(11)
........................Bazunu
Doherty Collins Duffy Scales Manning
..Ogbene Molumby Cullen Knight
......................Ferguson
Ogbene ruled out for tomorrow's game but Ferguson has been passed fit.
Hopefully Robinson can link midfield with ferguson. I have to say not having ogbene playing makes me hopeful that we will actually have Robinson playing centrally and trying to.make a partnership with ferguson not running in dead ends out wide hoping to win free kicks