Gibraltar V Republic of Ireland - Saturday, 23rd March 2019 - Euro 2020 Qualifier

Republic of Ireland Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Kieran O'Hara (Macclesfield Town*), Mark Travers (Bournemouth)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Cyrus Christie (Fulham), Richard Keogh (Derby County), John Egan (Sheffield United), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Kevin Long (Burnley), Jimmy Dunne (Sunderland*), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Derrick Williams (Blackburn Rovers), Stephen Ward (Burnley)

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Sunderland), Alan Judge (Ipswich Town), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Harry Arter (Cardiff City*), Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa), David Meyler (Coventry City*), Shaun Williams (Millwall), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Daryl Horgan (Hibernian)

Forwards: Shane Long (Southampton), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Scott Hogan (Sheffield United*), Aiden O'Brien (Millwall), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United), James Collins (Luton Town), Padraig Amond (Newport County)

A lot more League One and Two than I would like.

That forward line is depressing.

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Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

That forward line is depressing.

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I don't see that some of those guys offer more than the likes of Parrott or Idah. Are League 1 & 2 really a better standard than Premier League 2?

I gather Parrott is injured and has been ruled out of selection for the u21s. No idea about Idah.

Have to imagine at least one of them will be named in the under 21 squad, and if not there they'll have to be in the under 19 squad for the elite qualifiers starting on the 20th

Onloy thing I'd say about Parrott, is that he could suffer physically just now.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

Onloy thing I'd say about Parrott, is that he could suffer physically just now.

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He might. It's a risk.

But then Again. He might not. There is only one way to find out.

Sadly I'm old enough to remember the last time Mick was faced with this situation. Aldo and Cass had gobe and there was talk of call ups for guys like Sean Devine or Lee Trundle who were scoring goals down the divisions. In the end Mick didn't go down that path and instead gave caps to kids like David Connolly, Keith O'Neill and Robbie Keane.

If ever there was a game when on paper it looked like a young forward might get kicked out of it it was April 22nd 1998. Argentina came to the old Lansdowne Road a 17 year old Robbie Keane made his home debut up front alongside Quinner. Argentina had Nelson Vivas, Roberto Sensini and Roberto Ayala in defence, none of whom were likely to allow themselves to be embarrassed because they went easy on some punk kid.

Robbie tortured them. Ortega was unplayable and the Argies beat us 2-0, but the next day the guy people were talking about was a scrawny teenager who looked like he was going home to finish his homework after the match.

OK, not much to get excited about there. It seems we're going be going game to game for a while. I think L2, and even L1, should be no-go areas unless there is an outstanding young prospect ripping it up. Still: are Collins and Amond capable of scoring against Gibraltar? I think so. Is Dunne good enough to help shut them out? Yes. Like his first stint I think there'll be a utilitarian approach (Dave Savage, Liam Daish!) until Mick can integrate three or four good prospects and ease out older or lower standard players. I'd hope that by the end of the year we'll see three or four players (Obafemi, Crowley, Bamford, and a wild card) with four or five caps apiece.

Robbie's highlights
https://youtu.be/WHjr4arcEp8

Interview with him and Mick after the game
https://youtu.be/qNp--iX8FWQ

Randolph

Coleman Duffy Stevens
Doherty Browne Arter Brady
Maguire McGoldrick O'Dowda

Plenty of attacking intent there, I would say.

The Defence and Midfield are reasonable ok, its a shame Obafemi is out as he is something different upfront to what we've had for a while, a bit of pace

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

I don't see that some of those guys offer more than the likes of Parrott or Idah. Are League 1 & 2 really a better standard than Premier League 2?

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The difference is they're playing senior football. They're playing in front of crowds, and they're playing competitively.

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

He might. It's a risk.

But then Again. He might not. There is only one way to find out.

Sadly I'm old enough to remember the last time Mick was faced with this situation. Aldo and Cass had gobe and there was talk of call ups for guys like Sean Devine or Lee Trundle who were scoring goals down the divisions. In the end Mick didn't go down that path and instead gave caps to kids like David Connolly, Keith O'Neill and Robbie Keane.

If ever there was a game when on paper it looked like a young forward might get kicked out of it it was April 22nd 1998. Argentina came to the old Lansdowne Road a 17 year old Robbie Keane made his home debut up front alongside Quinner. Argentina had Nelson Vivas, Roberto Sensini and Roberto Ayala in defence, none of whom were likely to allow themselves to be embarrassed because they went easy on some punk kid.

Robbie tortured them. Ortega was unplayable and the Argies beat us 2-0, but the next day the guy people were talking about was a scrawny teenager who looked like he was going home to finish his homework after the match.

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Im pretty sure Robbie was in the Wolves first team by then

He was - and had scored quite a few of his 11 Championship goals that season at that point

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I wasn't really expecting much else, given our potential recruits are all works in progress. I thought it might be a smaller provisional squad though so we'd get an idea of the way he's thinking, but there are literally no exclusions worth mentioning? Maybe Liam Kelly, at a push, but he's barely making Reading squads.

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I'd agree with that.

I'd be more interested to see what differences there are between Mick's Ireland and Martin's Ireland. We know we don't have much strength in depth these days - but the style of play under O'Neill was surely the biggest bone of contention.

Going to be hard to judge that against Gibraltar, with all respect to them, but still, I think it'll be the first real point of interest, not the new call-ups

Glenn Whelan’s a bit of a surprise is he? Mick must be a bit worried about McCarthy’s lack of games and Ater’s form.
I think if you’re not going to use the game to blood fresh faces then it’s one to play form players in.Might be made for McGeady, O’Dowda and even Amond.

He was in the Wolves team, and if we had someone of that age in that position I'd be suggesting they play. But we don't.

He got his chance because Steve Bull got injured and he grabbed it with both hands. But do you guys think it would have made any difference if he hadn't been in the Wolves team? Hypothetically if Steve Bull hadn't been injured should Mick have played Sean Devine against Argentina or gone with the kid from Wolves Reserves?

Personally I think Robbie was ready at 17. I think he would have played the same game no matter what. Watching it back he had no ringcraft to his game at all at that age. He was getting by based on God given talent and running around like a headless Duracell bunny

The hardest thing for a talented kid that age to get in today's game is a chance to show how good they are. I don't think we have to wait for the modern equivalent of Steve Bull getting injured. The one advantage we have being a small country is that we can give their career a bit of a leg up ourselves.

Say we are well ahead against Gibraltar and we put Idah on at half time. Even if he doesn't do much it'll get a write up in the local paper over there. The club will post about it on their social media. Daniel Farke will be asked if he will get a chance in the team between now and the end of the season. It all just moves him that bit closer to the front of the queue.

We might have to kiss a few frogs before we find our prince but in life you have to give fate a chance to intervene.

Only realising now reading an article on the 42 that Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham didn't make the cut. Surprised with both. Derrick Williams doesn't get a run at Blackburn.

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

Republic of Ireland Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Kieran O'Hara (Macclesfield Town*), Mark Travers (Bournemouth)

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I guess I stand corrected on my earlier "never win anything with kids" attitude, well as far as the keepers are concerned anyway (plus maybe Jimmy Dunne)

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Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

That forward line is depressing.

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Yeah, it's quite frustrating, as it feels like we're close to having an embarrassment of riches - if it wasn't for injury (Obafemi, Robinson, Keane, Maguire during the Nations League), goalscoring droughts of talented strikers (Long, Hogan), starting the paperwork too late (Bamford, Keane), players only finding real form in the second half of their careers (Collins, Amond) and talented youngsters not quite being ready yet (Parrott, Idah, Connolly, Afolabi, McAuley, Cassidy, Roache, Keena, Oko-Flex if he comes on board)

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Only realising now reading an article on the 42 that Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham didn't make the cut. Surprised with both. Derrick Williams doesn't get a run at Blackburn.

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Lenihan out injured until after the international break: https://www.lancs.live/sport/footbal...njury-15904631

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I'd agree with that.

I'd be more interested to see what differences there are between Mick's Ireland and Martin's Ireland. We know we don't have much strength in depth these days - but the style of play under O'Neill was surely the biggest bone of contention.

Going to be hard to judge that against Gibraltar, with all respect to them, but still, I think it'll be the first real point of interest, not the new call-ups

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Oneill's style of football was so out-dated, that regardless of the opposition we couldn't hold the ball. The USA youth team schooled us in Lansdowne.

Question actually - when was the last time we had an English fourth-tier player in a squad? Let's ignore questions as to whether Dutch second tier/LoI/Scottish second is equivalent

I can't think of any, but maybe one of those summer tours?

Good question... I thought maybe Alan O'Brien - he won his 5 caps in 2006 and 2007 having spent 05/06 on loan with L2 Carlisle for part of that period, but he was back at Newcastle a few months before his debut. Would it have counted as he was technically with a higher club anyway? I don't recall anybody in the last 30+ years.

I think that would have counted, but yeah, as you say, his loan spell ended a few months before.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Question actually - when was the last time we had an English fourth-tier player in a squad? Let's ignore questions as to whether Dutch second tier/LoI/Scottish second is equivalent

I can't think of any, but maybe one of those summer tours?

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Callum O'Dowda in May 2016, he was still with Oxford in League Two at the time, and moved to Bristol City in the Championship two months later

hmm, tricky one. was David Forde called up when on loan to portsmouth? i think they were l2 at the time.

No on Forde I think; he joined Portsmouth after the Euros, but I don't think he made a squad again after being dropped after the Belarus friendly?

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

No on Forde I think; he joined Portsmouth after the Euros, but I don't think he made a squad again after being dropped after the Belarus friendly?

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tets answered whilst i was mulling over. you're right on forde i'd say, didn't he get a bad injury around that time and gary rogers made the squad ...

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Callum O'Dowda in May 2016, he was still with Oxford in League Two at the time, and moved to Bristol City in the Championship two months later

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Technically, Oxford were promoted to League One in May 2016 :o

Randolph
Coleman Duffy Egan Doherty
Browne Arter Hourihane
O'Dowda Maguire Robinson/Curtis

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Originally Posted by gally

Randolph
Coleman Duffy Egan Doherty
Browne Arter Hourihane
O'Dowda Maguire Robinson/Curtis

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That's actually a really good team.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

No on Forde I think; he joined Portsmouth after the Euros, but I don't think he made a squad again after being dropped after the Belarus friendly?

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Peter Murphy from Carlisle? Didn't he get a cap on the 07 tour of the USA?

Yes - but they were third tier at the time. Newly-promoted, but just missed the play-offs

(Could be worth a split to another thread actually)

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Question actually - when was the last time we had an English fourth-tier player in a squad? Let's ignore questions as to whether Dutch second tier/LoI/Scottish second is equivalent

I can't think of any, but maybe one of those summer tours?

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It should have been Grealish, if O'Neill had called him up for the US summer tour that year he was on loan he would never have switched

Jack Grealish? Never played fourth tier; he was on loan at Notts County in the third tier.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Jack Grealish? Never played fourth tier; he was on loan at Notts County in the third tier.

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Fair enough, I thought Notts County were in League 2 at the time

Hard to understand how McCarthy and Judge make the squad while Richie Towell, a regular starter in the Championship, doesn't.

I think Gerry Peyton was in the Fourth Division when he went to the World Cup incidentally

Nope; second tier. He was capped as a third-tier player, but not as a fourth-tier player

I thought it might have been Cascarino, but he was with Gillingham in the old division three (ie league one) when he was called up