Festy Ebosele D Istanbul Basaksehir b.2002

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 7:17 PM

Look, Ive already said that I really havent seen enough of McNamara to have a very strong opinion on him really but Festy has impressed me in his short career so far. Likewise with Andy Lyons who I mentioned earlier in the thread, he has consistently been class for Shamrock Rovers and has immediately gone into 1st team in Championship, which is pretty unusual for lads from LOI.

Its a good problem to have and I wish we had same problem on the left too. Ryan Manning has plenty of Championship appearances but he is not good enough for International football, in my opinion. Cyrus Christie plays week in week out for Hull, by rights he should be 3rd in line for right back spot if we are just looking at games played.

**pineapple stu** · 21/02/2023, 7:27 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

If we are only looking at people playing regularly at the moment then Festy would be ahead of Matt Doherty who hasnt played a game since moving to Spain! Festy is getting more minutes in 1st team currently.

Doherty has had three weeks on the bench. Festy has had eight months there. Bit of a difference. If Doherty is still getting practically no game time at all by September, then yeah, you'd be wondering if he should be in the squad. Bit like Randolph.

53 minutes over a season isn't worth enough however you twist the comparison.

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

McNamara has only played 15 more games in Championship than Ebosele, despite being 4 years older.

Not true. McNamara has 81 Championship games to Festy's 38. And 75 starts to Festy's 18. I don't think he'd transform the side, but he has to be higher in the pecking order.

**pineapple stu** · 21/02/2023, 7:30 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Also more than slightly ironic that you are now using the 1st team regular football arguement when you dont think that should apply to Kelleher

Not at all. I've said many times that Kelleher's position isn't ideal and that I admire Bazunu for leaving City. But I've also based my Bazunu argument on form - conceding 10 goals or so more than xG this season is a real concern. That's a goal every other game he's letting in that he shouldn't be (and we saw that hurt us against Armenia). And I've thanked otoh's latest (very balanced) post on his performance against Chelsea.

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Doherty has had three weeks on the bench. Festy has had eight months there. Bit of a difference. If Doherty is still getting practically no game time at all by September, then yeah, you'd be wondering if he should be in the squad. Bit like Randolph.

53 minutes over a season isn't worth enough however you twist the comparison.

Not true. McNamara has 81 Championship games to Festy's 38. And 75 starts to Festy's 18. I don't think he'd transform the side, but he has to be higher in the pecking order.

Wikipedia has 53 Championship appearances for McNamara compared to Eboseles 38

**pineapple stu** · 21/02/2023, 7:58 PM

That doesn't include this season. Try soccerway.

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 8:08 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

That doesn't include this season. Try soccerway.

Fair enough, just seen that. Doesnt really change my point too much though. Ebosele could have taken the easy way and gone to another Championship club this season instead of pushing himself with the move to Italy.

In the words of Jay from the Inbetweeners.... Championship! Completed it mate!

**pineapple stu** · 21/02/2023, 8:16 PM

He could have but instead he's stagnating on that bench with 53 minutes of football all season.

Maybe it'll work out the v right decision in time. But that time isn't next month for me

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 8:23 PM

Its hardly stagnating on the bench at 20 years of age after only moving there this season and is starting to get some game time. Stagnating would be if he was 24 and hadnt yet played 10 games of senior club football.

**pineapple stu** · 21/02/2023, 8:43 PM

You keep repeating this "starting to get some game time" thing, but 53 minutes over a season is nothing worth talking about. Even Kelleher has more than that.

Edit - actually, it's 99 minutes including the Coppa Italia. But same argument holds.

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 8:51 PM

Im also taking into account his previous game time in Championship and his age. You dont think its reasonable for him to move over, take some time to acclimatize to a new league and country and slowly start to get games? Be different if he played a couple of games early and hadnt been seen again. Hes been on bench all season, training with 1st team every day and now 6 months into the season is starting to get a few more minutes..... maybe Im nuts to see progression rather than stagnation!

**Eirambler** · 21/02/2023, 9:12 PM

I don't see any progression there to be honest. As a footballer I would say, once your not a teenager, any time you're not playing at least semi-regularly you're probably stagnating to be honest. And I wouldn't count 99 minutes or whatever it is as playing semi-regularly.

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 9:22 PM

So by that logic should Ebosele have gone to Newport County, Dover Athletic or something called Havant & Waterlooville just so he could be playing 1st team football? These are the clubs McNamara was at around at similar age to Ebosele. Would that be more progression rather than being part of 1st team squad in Serie A?

**Eirambler** · 21/02/2023, 9:32 PM

No, he could have just gone to Swansea or somewhere like that where he'd get more game time. Or a Serie A team lower down the league if you prefer a non-British comparison, Salernitana or whoever.

I'm not saying he hasn't got time on his side or anything, but if he has only got 99 minutes of first team football this season, and we're near the end of February now, then he's in the wrong place at this point in time.

**Razors left peg** · 21/02/2023, 9:56 PM

No one is suggesting he starts now, but there is so much more upside to him to just another guy in Championship.

**John83** · 21/02/2023, 10:59 PM

I'm exhausted just reading this. It's like watching Nordie politics.

**elatedscum** · 22/02/2023, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by John83

I'm exhausted just reading this. It's like watching Nordie politics.

Ah, we�ll all be pleasantly surprised if any of McNamara, Ebosele or Lyons get a call up in March. We don�t really need to go any deeper than that

**Diggs246** · 22/02/2023, 1:06 AM

Wait for the reaction when hourihane gets called up again!

**samhaydenjr** · 22/02/2023, 2:34 AM

OK, I think I kicked this all off when I noted that Festy had now matched Robbie Keane's appearance record in Serie A. But yes, there is a big difference between Festy's 6 appearances with 53 minutes, where he looked decent in the one game I watched and Evan Ferguson's 7 appearances with 304 minutes, where he has been AWESOME!! So yes, this window will come too soon for a senior call-up - as noted by lots of people, we're still covered at right-back or RWB. That said, he's got more minutes in the last couple of games - if he starts playing serious time and influencing games in the coming months, then maybe a call-up for Gibraltar might not be the most outlandish idea in the world

**pineapple stu** · 22/02/2023, 6:45 AM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Im also taking into account his previous game time in Championship and his age. You dont think its reasonable for him to move over, take some time to acclimatize to a new league and country and slowly start to get games? Be different if he played a couple of games early and hadnt been seen again.

Actually he started the Coppa Italia game in October, got hooked at halftime and pretty much didn't feature at all until the last couple of weeks. So...

Also, you don't need six months to acclimatise to a move to Italy.

**Razors left peg** · 22/02/2023, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Actually he started the Coppa Italia game in October, got hooked at halftime and pretty much didn't feature at all until the last couple of weeks. So...

Also, you don't need six months to acclimatise to a move to Italy.

Career must be over so!