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2-0 up at half time and both goals came after 7 minutes with O'Neill and Carty both scoring.
Emakhu scored 7mins after coming on at half time for a debut goal but FAI have posted on Twitter that game was abandoned after one of the Kuwait players racially abused one of the Irish subs.
Not the only game abandoned this evening. New Zealand vs Qatar also abandoned as New Zealand refused to come out for the second half. New Zealands Michael Boxall was racially abused and players decided against coming back out at half time as no punishment was handed out to the player who abused him.
That's weird. Boxall is half Pacific Islander; in skin colour that can't be too far off the Qatari players? Are they just stupid or were they calling him the equivalent of a thick Paddy *******?
Definitely interesting to know what was said cause the Qatar player in question was black.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Qatar though have taken the he who smelt it dealt it defence. Released a statement saying that their player in question said there was an exchange in words but it was him that was racially abused in that game.
With the u21 euros starting, it reminded me of what a monumental **** up it was not to beat Israel and qualify. The damage was done in the home leg when Crawford played an incredibly conservative team and formation against a very average Israel side.
Looking at the squad we could have had, (you need to remove 3 players), I genuinely think it’s good enough to win the tournament:
Bazunu
Maher
Harrington
L O’Connor
Lyons
Ebosele
Collins
Omobamidele
McGuinness
Cashin
J O’Brien
Bagan
Adaramola
Coventry
Hodge
Kilkenny
Knight
Smallbone
Azaz
Connell
Ferguson
Idah
Parrott
Obafemi
Cannon
Connolly
Would you suggest that any of the players who were unavailable due to senior team duty, would have been better off challenging for an u21 trophy in terms of their development? Genuine question by the way. I've no answer to it. Obviously the senior team needed an injection of talent but it's been a tough few years.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Not really. Whenever they were called up, they were used. Take the playoff window - we called up 6 21s to the seniors (vs Scotland and Armenia) - 1 missed through injury and the other 5 started both games, so no complaints there…Quote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
Reality is, the squad was more that good enough to qualify, as it was. Probably should have been faster to realise the quality of Azaz, Hodge and Cannon, and to not ignore Connell because he wasn’t playing for Celtic etc etc.
And just show confidence to beat Israel at home rather than playing 5 at the back against a bang average side.
Example starting 11:
Bazunu
Lyons
Omobamidele
Collins
Bagan
Coventry
Knight
Smallbone
Parrott
Ferguson
Obafemi
Back up 11:
Maher/Harrington
Ebosele
McGuinness
Cashin
Adaramola
Connell
Hodge
Azaz
Cannon
Connolly
Idah
If we had qualifed we wouldnt have brought our strongest possible squad. There was already talk before the playoff that the players who got us there would "deserve" to play. I remember making the argument at the time that in professional football deserve doesnt come in to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
The full potential squad you listed looks brilliant at that level, and again goes to show that we are going in the right directions with the players coming in and it takes time.
Joel Bagan given a new three-year contract by Cardiff.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66076851
An U-19 who may well come through into the U-21s, John Clarke (Reading) missed the rest of the 2022/23 season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in December. The left-back has however been offered a new contract and has accepted it. Reading FC | Professional contracts signed by nine young players
James Furlong signs a new contract at Brighton through to 2025.
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.co...s-new-contract
U21s will be playing their first two games of the next campaign in Cork. Hopefully the pitch is in good nick.
Cristiano Fitzgerald has been given the squad number 30 at Boavista this season, might see him in the first team soon
His photo on the squad photo looks mildly terrifying (scroll down to the last row of players)
https://boavistafc.pt/futebol/
Jamie Bowden is on trial with fallen giants Deportivo La Coruna, now in Spain's third tier.
https://www.football.london/tottenha...ining-27527644
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/spor...s-for-ireland/
Scotland called up Connor O'Riordan but he's turned them down
Even allowing for the two year age change that squad is an enormous step down from the last group, and indeed from all three of the last Under 21 groups, going right back to Kenny's squad with Kelleher, O'Shea, Molumby etc. it's not as though loads are missing because they have already progressed to the seniors either - just Ferguson missing for that reason.
I suppose things had to regress back to the mean at some point, though it's notable that this is also the first post-Brexit deal Under 21 squad, these are the first group that couldn't go to England at 16 or 17.
Good to see Zefi included. Thought he was gone?
Loads missing from this squad who are eligible. All the current u19s squad are not included, many of which will feature including likes of Melia, Moloney, Akachukwu and Kone-Doherty etc, they will have another year's experience under there belt by the time qualifying comes around also.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Crawford
Well, that makes one of us.
Based on the highlights could have won by a lot more than 3-2. Created lots of chances. Will be very disappointed that they conceded twice from basic set pieces.
https://www.fai.ie/latest/fai-agree-...-jim-crawford/
Crawford signs extension to take team through 2027 qualifiers.
Rewarding failure - sadly this was inevitable. Having already blown three qualification opportunities with standout Under 21 teams it will be interesting to see how he gets on with what appears to be a more average crop this time around.
I predict...excuses.
I had a similar reaction when I saw it. The only thing I can see that has 'improved' is we're not hearing stories of losing players because they had a bad relationship with the U21 manager like we used to.
I know Don Givens is a really low bar for comparison but I do think our underage systems has dramatically improved over the last few years
I heard Kenny had to call up Festy to the seniors at one point to keep him on board, as he had supposedly fallen out with Crawford. Not 100% sure if that is correct or not though.
Zefi starting for Roma's U20s against Torino in the Primavera at the moment. Interestingly Senan Mullen, formerly of Dundalk, is lining out for Torino
I'd like to see:
Wogan, Walsh and Maguire as the keepers
Curtis and O'Brien as the right backs
Grehan, Okagbue, Heffernan and Otegbayo as centre halves (assuming Abankwah's call-up is true)
Murphy and Slater as left backs
Centre midfield is tough: Moorhouse, Mullins and O'Brien-Whitmarsh should make it. Then it's two, three or four of Nzingo, Vaughan, Ferizaj, Lipsiuc, McJannett and Coleman (think I'm excluding Coleman and maybe Nzingo or Lipsiuc?).
Wingers: Umeh, Zefi and Moore. Assuming Vata is a senior, let's make Thibaut the fourth winger (even though Zefi's non-call up has been leaked)
Strikers: Mark O'Mahony leads the line with Nathan Fraser as the alternate if he's fit and wants it. Eoin Kenny the other option for me.
Very curious how different the squad will be...
That's such a weak squad compared to the last three campaigns. Expect it will have to be padded out with Under 19s and even younger players from very early on in the qualifying campaign.
When is the squad announced?
Jack Moorhouse in the squad. Delighted to see that
If you get 2 or 3 full international out of the u21s it's a success. We've been lucky in recent years to have quite a bit more than that. There is good potential in this squad, but maybe some of the names are not as well known. Moorhouse and Slater were on bench in Premiership just in the last weekQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979