This ref is an embarrassment, every single bit of contact is a free kick.... you know the Norway players will just go down with every opportunity as this ref will give them the free.
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This ref is an embarrassment, every single bit of contact is a free kick.... you know the Norway players will just go down with every opportunity as this ref will give them the free.
very frustrating.
It was going to take a miracle once Norway took the lead. All they had to do was fall over and they'd get a free kick given the ref, it would be next to impossible to get any sort of momentum.
Bizarre subs from the management lost that,Phillips seemed more interested in trying to kick people and fighting with the ref than trying to affect the game,Kenny missed a glorious chance to make it 3-1 aswell,hopefully they won’t regret that one…..
Goes and takes our best performing player off early in the first half.Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Didn't deserve to lose that game and a real tough loss to take.
Before the group the aim was win against Latvia,San Marino,Turkey with 6 points from 6. 4 points v Norway and then a free hit versus Italy. Now I think we can make up for this result if we can secure a point against Italy.
Turkey also play Norway so that could be crucial, Turkey need to win to realistically qualify from the group and if they do it damages Norway and puts us back in the driving seat for 2nd imo.
Crawford cost us that game, infuriating
100%, made that change way too early.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
I would put the penalty in the bought variety, Norwegian player actually grabs hold of the Irish player first.
Way more annoyed losing that one because at 2-1 we're fairly comfortable.
Weird one. Thought the pressing was excellent, Emakhu, Armstrong, Roughan and Leavy in particular. That was a real positive. Threw away 3 points.
Changes were bizarre. The moment we went up, I was calling for Healy and Leavy to be pulled for Phillips and Murphy. Leavy wasn’t quite at his normal level and Healy tired really early, you could see it, once we scored, they started to press the midfield with more intensity and Healy looked leggy.
Mad to take off Emakhu. He was so bright and lively and was still causing defenders problems.
Penalty was very harsh - Norway player makes the first grab and then Healy is blocked off by another. Then the lad feels the light tug and goes down when he knows the ball isn’t going near him.
As for the late changes at 3-2 down, don’t understand why he didn’t take off O’Riordan and go to 4 at the back. You had Okoflex and Springett on the bench who were very good last month. Okoflex beats players with ease and knows where the goal is, Springett is pacey and has a real spark to him.
Biggest positive is that Norway look very beatable back in Dublin
Commentator mentioned the pitch being in bad condition. Every time the 21s play there, it's in rag order. They're arguing that it helps us vs the italians - not entirely sure that's true.
Grehan and Phillips the only two changes to the starting XI and they replace O'Riordan and Leavy. O'Riordan isn't on the bench so likely an injury there. No Okoflex on the bench but Gilsenan is fit again and on the bench.
It’s a shame Turners Cross is so poor at the minute,perfect venue for these games but I don’t think the pitch is helping either team….
Nice goal from Phillips and we take the lead after being second best all game so far. Good cross from Armstrong (he’s been generally wasteful again), assist from Curtis ;) and decent finish from the on rushing Phillips.
Turkey 2-0 up against Norway.
Bosun Lawal just booked for passing the ball !
for the second game in a row we conceded a stupid penalty when ahead. frustrating.
The worrying part is it's quite clear this ref can be conned just like the ref in Norway. Would worry if there is a 50/50 challenge in the Irish box....
Two minutes into the second half and 2-1 up now. Good ball into the box from Grehan too. Usually it's us conceding early in the second half. Also finished 2-0 to Turkey so that's a good result for us.
Emakhu has been excellent. So have Lawal and Phillips.
Lawal is wasted playing CB. All the talk about converting a CB into a midfielder and we've got Lawal whose a midfielder that Celtic are trying to convert to a CB.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Wouldn't mind seeing Garcia get a call up for the friendlies next year. U21s only have one qualifier against San Marino next March and he's playing regularly at LB for his club. A position which we're short of options at.
That’s sickening…
Brutal… not sure if Kenny was the right sub from Crawford with 10 to go. Switched the momentum back to Italy. And he’s so lightweight. Surely another midfielder or defender would have been the right move there?
That was heart breaking to concede with literally the last kick or head of the ball. Kicked off a bit after the final whistle with Sinclair Armstrong upset with something that was said or done.
Johnny Kenny must be the best trainer in both Crawford and Bradley's eye's as I've never saw him as anything but a lightweight little boy in games he's played,in stark contrast to Armstrong who looks likes a man playing kids football.
Can decide if Crawford is a good manger,a bad manager or just unlucky. His subs tonight and on Saturday had a negative effect imo.
I was reading on the coybig forum that Armstrong is only worth 900k and Gonto for Italy is worth 18 million…how does that make any sense ?
The Latvia results gave Ireland a chance but most probably it's the play offs now with a decent chance to be seeded.
The weak link in this u21 format is that the competition is dragged out, the finals are so far ahead of the starting point, if a player is good enough aged 21/22/23 he's already graduated to the senior squad even before the group stages/ play offs have concluded.
Hes a bad manager that has good players. He may be a decent coach because we do play good football at times, but his decision making is terrible. He picks the wrong teams constantly and his subs are as bad as Stephen Kennys.Quote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
Today was heartbreaking, but we have a couple of super young players up front. Armstrong could be like a Heskey for us. So powerful and quick, if he develops his game a bit he could be a fantastic player. I really like Emakhu, have done since I first seen him for Shamrock Rovers. Such a clever player and is pacey too. It wont be long before both are regulars in the senior squad I think.
Goalkeepers:
Tiernan Brooks (Rochdale, on loan from Notts County),
Josh Keeley (Barnet, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur),
Andrew Wogan (Drogheda United)
Defenders:
Tayo Adaramola (RWD Molenbeek, on loan from Crystal Palace),
Sam Curtis (Sheffield United),
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (PEC Zwolle),
Sean Grehan (Carlisle United, on loan from Crystal Palace),
Bosun Lawal (Fleetwood Town, on loan from Celtic),
Alex Murphy (Newcastle United),
Connor O’Riordan (Blackburn Rovers),
Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)
Midfielders:
Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic),
Zak Gilsenan (Blackburn Rovers),
Matt Healy ( Royal Francs Borains),
Joe Hodge (Queen’s Park Rangers, on loan from Wolves),
Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers),
Killian Phillips (Aberdeen, on loan from Crystal Palace),
Rocco Vata (Celtic)
Forwards:
Sinclair Armstrong (Queen’s Park Rangers),
Calum Kavanagh (Bradford City, on loan from Middlesbrough),
Mark O’Mahony (Brighton & Hove Albion),
Ollie O’Neill (Leyton Orient),
Armstrong Oko-Flex (FC Zürich),
Tony Springett (Northampton Town, on loan from Norwich City)
Joe Hodge and Andy Moran will join up with the seniors after the San Marino game. Disappointed not to see others being called up after the San Marino.
Also if Lawal actually gets named at CB Crawford should be handed his P45 there and then.
Umeh probably should have been in squad
Hodge and Lawal would be a serious engine room.Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Emakhu and Goodrham excluded or unavailable due to injury or other? Be surprised if either or both were excluded. Strong squad but there is room in that list of forwards for both.
Yeah both players are workhorses but can actually play a bit of ball. Emakhu is surely injured as I think he was our best performing player back in November. We beat Norway imo if he's not taken off early as both strikers were causing the Norway defence issues with their pressing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Would have preferred to see Crawford call up someone that's gonna be involved in 2027 U21s championship like Franco Umeh for example. Think the experience of being in camp benefits one of the younger players rather than Duffy.
Just thought this was an interesting point to highlight the lack of an u20 squad. With the u19s being knocked out in the qualifiers in November, it means there’s no games for the 2005 group till they reach 21s which will probably be September 2025, so 18 months from now and 22 months in total. And if the same thing were to happen to the 2006 kids next year, then they’d be left with 34 months without a game (qualification for the 2029 u21s). The 2004 kids are gonna have a 30 month wait.
Obviously there’ll always be players pushed up and this camp has 4 players (Wogan, Curtis, Vata, O’Mahony) along with 2 2004 players (Alex Murphy, Grehan). But sometimes we have the choice of moving a player up early at the expense of a more experienced player. Last campaign, we perhaps moved up guys like Darragh Burns, Ollie O’Neill, Armstrong Okoflex at the expense of Jack Moylan and Promise Omochere etc.
In this instance, I’ve never really seen Dylan Duffy look like a player and beyond Dara Costelloe who seems the obvious choice, you’re then looking at having someone like Umeh, Zefi, Kone Doherty, Sean Moore, O’Brien-Whitmarsh etc involved. Haven’t really kept tracks on how Glory Nzingo is doing at Swansea or Dara McGuinness at Stoke - but you’d imagine one of those 7 lads would be ahead of Duffy, especially against weak opponents.
You're expecting Jim Crawford to have a level of cop on there that hes never shown. He was linked with the Bohs job last week and I was praying that would happenQuote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Saw a headline this morning saying Ireland Under 21 coach set to be appointed Bohemians manager and momentarily got excited. Sadly, as ever with Irish football these days, my hopes turned out to be misplaced.
Crawford still sees Lawal as a centre back then. In fairness to Crawford, he'd be ideal for a youth development role at Celtic if a job ever comes up...