Pukki's finished. Ridiculous he's still included. Call up <obscure 21s international with three games in Slovakia> instead!
Pukki's finished. Ridiculous he's still included. Call up <obscure 21s international with three games in Slovakia> instead!
Cue 'Teemu turns back time with terrific treble'.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
You have to go down to the 19s to find the a promising striker. The goal machine that is 18 year old David Ezeh - basically their Mason Melia. 18 years old, tall, powerful and fast - and a finisher. 16 underage goals to his name for Finland. Played 64 games professional games between the 3rd and 1st tier of Finnish football before moving to a Polish team during the summer. Has yet to play in Poland thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Hopefully either this window, or the next one with the Finland home game, is the one where we finally start to see some kind of turnaround. I saw a tweet a few minutes ago about Georgian football and how they're now in the Top 20 in Europe in the ELO rankings. But the tweet posted a list of the top 30 - and we weren't even in that. I looked it up and it turns out we're 31st, but when you look at who is below us there's really only one or two more teams we could realistically fall behind before we're down with the out and out minnows. Iceland and Israel are below us, but after that you're pretty much into microstates and teams that aren't even affiliated to FIFA.
So there isn't much further we can fall at this point, because there realistically isn't much left below us. Finland are one place above us, so hopefully we could start by overtaking them.
Now there's an optimist!
It's an unpleasant statistic, but I'd be slightly wary of it. I'm very familiar with elo because it's the primary ranking in another sport I play. It's a very useful tool for comparisons over modest timeframes, but it's not really reliable to compare it across decades. Elo is highly dependent on the pool of teams, so it can have periods of significant inflation or deflation.
I think our current winless streak in competitive games does also go unmatched back to that period, so one thing we can say for sure: the last time we were this **** for this long, Eamonn Dunphy was on the pitch.
Hallgrimsson interview: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024...wnward-spiral/
Jack Taylor hinting he feels this should have happened before now throughout.Quote:
Originally Posted by TaylorJack
By all means demonstrate why Jack, feel free.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024...but-this-week/
Am I the only love sick fool, who thinks we will win tomorrow?
I've temporarily given up thinking we'll win, but equally I don't think Finland are great shakes and we shouldn't be thinking we can't win.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
We have to be winning this. Players need to take ownership and get the job done. Leaving out doherty hopefully has started a culture of accountability that has been sadly lacking.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I watched a Finnish midfielder smack in a free kick for Sparta Prague last week in the Champions League and it got me kinda worried, not many Irish midfielders doing that recently !Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
You can get 6.75/1 on a W D combo tomorrow and Sunday. For those who remain particularly afflicted to an extent they retain only a commuting relationship with our reality. I stuck a quid on that obviously.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
Current Greek international George Baldock found dead today, desperately sad news at only 31 years of age......
That's mad; drowned in his pool only a few weeks after signing for Panathanaikos it seems. Poor ****er.
Wasn't in the squad otherwise you'd imagine there'd have been serious doubts over Sunday's game. (Is there a precedent for that? Can't think of one but probably it has happened) Some of the Greek players may still want a postponement but not sure UEFA would go with it?
There's a few players from Panathinaikos in the Greek squad - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece...#Current_squad
Baldock played in their two play off games in March against Kazakhstan and Georgia.
Only 31, RIP.
We know he's finnish, but the question is whether he's any good at football these days or not!Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I would say we will win tonight and lose on Sunday. Greece will be playing for their mate who passed away. They are also better at football, so i just can't see us getting anything out of that gameQuote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Any predictions for the lineup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Kelleher
Andrew O. OShea Collins Scales
Ogbene Cullen Jason M Mcateer
Sammie Sz
Troy
Brave call given it's 20 years since his last cap :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
Yeah, I think we'll win and I'm really looking forward to the game.
I definitely think I must have some sort of condition or ism at this rate!
Kelleher;Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Festy, Collins, O'Shea, Brady;
Ogbene, Cullen, Molumby, Szmodics;
Parrott, Ferguson.
Bit of a shot in the dark and probably too attacking, this sort of lineup would intrigue me.
Given that Omobamidele isn't playing at all for his club, he probably has no business being in the squad, nevermind starting, but based on the last window I suspect he might well start at right back if HH goes 4-4-2. I think Festy has a strong claim to start ahead of him though - he has been playing well recently and is used to playing the right side of defence.
People groan about Robbie Brady, but I think he's in the team on merit and his set-piece deliveries are probably the best in the squad.
It wouldn't be a huge surprise, but I could see HH opting for 3-5-2 based on who he has chosen in the panel. In that case this XI might be interesting:
Kelleher
O'Shea, Collins, Scales
Ogbene, Molumby, Cullen, Brady
Szmodics
Parrott, Ferguson
Our best three CBs on paper have to be O'Shea, Collins and Scales. There's balance to that combination and they're all currently performing at a high level. McGuinness is toiling at the bottom end of the Championship with Luton, but he's been called up for a closer look and he could potentially come in for Scales. I'd be curious to see what a front three of Ferguson with Parrott and Szmodics just behind on either side would look like. They are all good enough technically to create problems for defences, but I have a feeling there might only be room for two (or even one) of them.
O’Dowda doesn’t make the squad…
What I would do:
Kelleher
O’Shea
Collins
Scales
Brady
Cullen
Molumby
Ogbene
Knight
Szmodics
Parrott
What I’d guess he might do:
Kelleher
Omobamidele
O’Shea
Collins
Brady
Cullen
Molumby
Ogbene
Knight
Szmodzics
Ferguson
O'Dowda withdrew injured a few days ago. Interesting that we didn't call up another left-sided option to replace him. Manning was there but overlooked (and in fairness has only played what - one game all season?) But not a great look for any sort of solution to our problems there.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Hadn’t seen that. Weird, made total sense not to call up Manning when the squad was announced but once he started against Arsenal, that changed. Would have been smart and easy to call him up to replace O’Dowda but feels like we’re still making strange decisions like only calling up 4 midfielders last camp. I still think choosing a camp when Coleman is injured to drop Doherty isn’t smart when we’re left with a choice of 2 centre halves or a wing back to play right back and recently we were calling up 28 man squads, so there’s no real limit to what we can choose.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I'd be fairly sure that Doherty's omission was a statement along the lines of coasting along won't be tolerated, despite whatever media spin may have been put on it. As such would have looked a bit weak to back down on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Even if we we had to pick full backs from the LOI I wouldn't bring Doherty back. Absolutely the correct decision and a ballsy one by Heimir.
This would be my predicted team as well. Scales might challenge Brady and Parrott might challenge Szmodics for starting spots.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
I wouldn't be surprised if he gives one or two people a chance that we're not expecting. He's in a sweet spot to get a couple of lads to play their hearts out for him in the long term by showing them some trust so I think we might see Taylor or Azaz or someone somewhere noone is expecting.
With the demands of the two positions becoming ever more similar, I know we are all used to fullbacks playing in midfield by now (Lahm, incl. inverted etc) but one of the interesting things that i have seen a little bit of recently is midfielders playing full back (in a back 4) to some degree of success - usually in a pinch, which i think applies to us in both FB positions. Garner at Everton is one. Do we have any candidates for that type of switch (recognizing Brady may already count)?Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Well have we not kind of tried that with Browne and O'Dowda to limited success (and Browne wasn't even called up this time)?
Knight. Played there for Derby. Suitable skillset too maybe. Makes as much sense as putting Omobamidele there in his condition. Expect Omobamidele to play though.
Brady and Browne crossed my mind, yeah (Browne was deployed as more of a wing back iirc) and, just for clarity, I was referring to central mids. Knight is a great call. No one jumps out similarly on the left...Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
We're not exactly flush with centre mids to be playing them at full back.
Browne did it for Kenny. Meyler did it for O'Neill. I think Knight might have played there once under Kenny and maybe Sykes off the bench...
He has spent time on the bench, Knight, for us despite that.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
I'd look at him there if we're having to look at Omobamidele there. Cullen / Taylor / Molumby / Smallbone when back, he can probably be spared if needed if it worked.
Team announced:
Kelleher
O’Shea
Collins
Scales
Brady
Knight
Cullen
Azaz
Ogbene
Ferguson
Szmodics
https://x.com/IrelandFootball/status...30193483461115
Is this 4 at the back with O'Shea right back and Brady left back?
Or 5 at the back with Ogbene or Knight right wing back and Brady left wing back?
Seems like:
Kelleher
Ogbene O'Shea Collins Scales Brady
Cullen Knight
Ogbene Szmodics Azaz
Ferguson