Republic of Ireland V Hungary - Tuesday, 4th June 2024 - Friendly

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Surprised Travers hasn't made it, I mean if Cullen made it back from the wedding in time there's no excuse for Travers really...

A very good post above regarding our developing strikers, would agree with almost all of it other than I would be cooler on Fraser's prospects regardless of which country he chooses and I think Kenny has a virtually 0% chance of ever being an established senior international for us. Also worth remembering that Idah as a 2001 born player is less than a year older than the oldest player on that list.

Just on Lawal, there was a suggestion among Celtic supporters that Rodgers was unimpressed with their youth coaches trying to turn him into a centre back and very much sees him as a central midfielder. Could be nonsense but hopefully not, it's as clear as day to me that that's his natural position.

From reading a few articles, it sounds like O'Shea's had him training at the back.

Originally Posted by SkStu

From reading a few articles, it sounds like O'Shea's had him training at the back.

Yup, O'Shea's quotes about Lawal:

"I have been watching him," said O’Shea. "He is obviously a strong lad, but we have seen the delicate touches from him as well. He can glide past players as well. He did a couple of things in training yesterday where he was stopping runs, matching runs, whether it was fast centre forwards, fast wingers, fast 10s, they struggled to get past him.


"He is really exciting, but he has to keep developing too. Hopefully we will have a chance to see him tomorrow. You never know."

Originally Posted by SkStu

From reading a few articles, it sounds like O'Shea's had him training at the back.

It's almost like O'Shea is on a trial to show more and more why he's NOT qualified for the job rather than showing he IS...

What we need is a midfielder, what we don't need is another big strong centre back. This is where player development within the Ireland set up is important, both u21 and Senior should be looking to bring on and develop midfielders, as thats where we have a huge gap. Players playing in a different position to their club position is not unusual in international football. Our famous example being Paul McGrath of course. (obviously not saying Lawal is Paul McGrath! But he'd be a lot more use for us in midfield than at the back). Not really encouraging from O'Shea.

Originally Posted by Exgrad

What we need is a midfielder, what we don't need is another big strong centre back. This is where player development within the Ireland set up is important, both u21 and Senior should be looking to bring on and develop midfielders, as thats where we have a huge gap. Players playing in a different position to their club position is not unusual in international football. Our famous example being Paul McGrath of course. (obviously not saying Lawal is Paul McGrath! But he'd be a lot more use for us in midfield than at the back). Not really encouraging from O'Shea.

I've been saying it since he went to Celtic and they tried converting him to a CB. Just because they play him there doesn't mean we should. Our need for midfielders is much stronger so should be playing him there.

Similar with Alex Murphy. CB might be his preferred position long term but we should continue to play him LB unless he turns out to be a top class CB. Would throw MacNulty in there too.

Try him out at LB with the seniors and see how he gets on, but if JOS gets the job I can't see that as he's already talked about him being a natural CB and wanting to bring McClean out of retirement.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I'm sure Crafty, you'll agree I don't need to be watching every underage game, notepad in hand and anorak on, to suggest that 19 year olds playing the Champions League final are slightly ahead of our lot

Yadda yadda, the daily split hairs, deflect & then repeat, right across the forum. I'm sure you won't agree that reading, posting regularly and letting on to be well versed in something you actually have only surface statistical gleaned knowledge & no interest in, is really strange behaviour.

Tell me, will you be watching the seniors later ?
I think everything has to be questioned now given what has come to light.

If I don't reply immediately its because I've decided to sign up to a Japanese Botanical forum & I'm in the bonsai section spouting stats like a mad thing to see if there's any crack in it.

Crafty, people are welcome to post here without watching the U21s. Cut this gatekeeping **** out now.

Originally Posted by John83

Crafty, people are welcome to post here without watching the U21s. Cut this gatekeeping **** out now.

Crafty is right though. Elatedscum wrote a brilliant post yesterday where he highlighted the merits of some of the young talent coming through. It would be cause for excitement with most fan groups, but instead we get the usual morose doom and gloom from posters, some of whom have admitted they dont even watch the players.

Idah and Parrotts end to the season were highly enjoyable, again should be cause for a bit of optimism by normal football fans but instead, as SkStu said on the Parrott thread,the constant sh1tting on anything positive "goes against the essence of being a football fan".

Being realistic is one thing, being constantly miserable is another, but most important its better to be informed on the subject you are talking about.... So Crafty absolutely has a point.

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Crafty is right though. Elatedscum wrote a brilliant post yesterday where he highlighted the merits of some of the young talent coming through. It would be cause for excitement with most fan groups, but instead we get the usual morose doom and gloom from posters, some of whom have admitted they dont even watch the players.

Idah and Parrotts end to the season were highly enjoyable, again should be cause for a bit of optimism by normal football fans but instead, as SkStu said on the Parrott thread,the constant sh1tting on anything positive "goes against the essence of being a football fan".

Being realistic is one thing, being constantly miserable is another, but most important its better to be informed on the subject you are talking about.... So Crafty absolutely has a point.

The posts most post on here would make question what the word "fan" actually means.

Most of these posts are not the sort of posts "fans" should be making about a team they supposedly support, I think the term "good weather fans" is a more apt term.

You know it's bad when even mods like John are defending these "fans" now...

Originally Posted by CSAD

The posts most post on here would make question what the word "fan" actually means.

Most of these posts are not the sort of posts "fans" should be making about a team they supposedly support, I think the term "good weather fans" is a more apt term.

You know it's bad when even mods like John are defending these "fans" now...

It is hard being an Ireland fan right now. Canham has sucked any remaining life out of the support in the last 6 months, but there are glimmers of hope and things to enjoy. A few weeks ago I didnt know if Id even bother watching match today, but now that game day has come around the idiot fan in me is looking forward to the game. I hope there is no one actually in the stadium because I think the FAI need to see that fans are sick of their sh1t, but Im looking forward to seeing some of the players. Its not rational being a fan and its not supposed to be all the time

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Crafty is right though. Elatedscum wrote a brilliant post yesterday where he highlighted the merits of some of the young talent coming through.

Elated wrote a very good post. I put some counter arguments based on fact, though ultimately it's just my opinion and can be debated. Crafty is just trolling as far as I can see.

Originally Posted by CSAD

The posts most post on here would make question what the word "fan" actually means.

Most of these posts are not the sort of posts "fans" should be making about a team they supposedly support, I think the term "good weather fans" is a more apt term.

You know it's bad when even mods like John are defending these "fans" now...

If you ask me, its the race to be right, to be the one who "called it".

There's room for different opinions on potential and merit - - and i'm all for cautious optimism v. wishful thinking (we've all been down these paths before) but the relentless negativity and constant "sh!tting on" as Razor puts it is what really grinds the gears for me - coupled with comparing to other young players who are more accomplished or in the recent instance, less accomplished. We dont need Champions League finalists yet... we can get justifiably excited about players that might get themselves established in the top leagues and help us climb out of the international basement. The potential for progress is a good enough reason to get excited.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Elated wrote a very good post. I put some counter arguments based on fact, though ultimately it's just my opinion and can be debated. Crafty is just trolling as far as I can see.

You do understand that fact and your opinion are not the same thing right?

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Crafty is right though. Elatedscum wrote a brilliant post yesterday where he highlighted the merits of some of the young talent coming through.

That post was very welcome. Crafty's reply to it is just to celebrate it now, but before he edited it it contained a dig at Pineapple. I know because I can see it in the mod forum where another poster reported it. We can have informed posts, and enthusiastic posts, and rational posts, and pessimistic posts, but I'd very much like it if we didn't have posts sniping at people posting the wrong kinds of posts. All that makes for is petting squabbling.

It would be cause for excitement with most fan groups, but instead we get the usual morose doom and gloom from posters, some of whom have admitted they dont even watch the players.

We've been awful for a very long time now. And if you don't think doom and gloom is part and parcel of being a football fan, you must have a very successful club team.

Idah and Parrotts end to the season were highly enjoyable, again should be cause for a bit of optimism by normal football fans but instead, as SkStu said on the Parrott thread,the constant sh1tting on anything positive "goes against the essence of being a football fan".

And who is doing that exactly? Even the much berated Pineapple has expressed satisfaction with both of those. I can tell you personally he was texting goal updates from the Dutch playoff final, which is bloody annoying if you're as many time zones away as I was. If he wants to leven that genuine excitement with an acknowledgement that the level is (for now) a little lower than we'd like in our players then that's his perogative. Honestly, who made you the boss of fans?

Being realistic is one thing, being constantly miserable is another, but most important its better to be informed on the subject you are talking about.... So Crafty absolutely has a point.

He can make it in a positive way, celebrating the informative posts instead of picking fights.

Now, if you don't very much mind, I'm going to insist that the thread return to the topic of the friendlies, and not what makes a proper fan or whatever.

Team news coming soon. Would envisage a team like this:

Kelleher; O'Brien, Duffy, O'Shea; Coleman, Brady; Cullen, Smallbone, Knight; Parrott, Idah.

EDIT: CONFIRMED TEAM:

Kelleher; O'Shea, Duffy, Coleman; Doherty, Brady; Cullen, Smallbone, Szmodics, Azaz; Idah.

Originally Posted by Predator

Team news coming soon. Would envisage a team like this:

Kelleher; O'Brien, Duffy, O'Shea; Coleman, Brady; Cullen, Smallbone, Knight; Parrott, Idah.

Replace Parrott with Szmodics as Parrott hasn't trained with the squad yet and I'd say that's the starting XI.

Originally Posted by Predator

Team news coming soon. Would envisage a team like this:

Kelleher; O'Brien, Duffy, O'Shea; Coleman, Brady; Cullen, Smallbone, Knight; Parrott, Idah.

EDIT: CONFIRMED TEAM:

Kelleher; O'Shea, Duffy, Coleman; Doherty, Brady; Cullen, Smallbone, Szmodics, Azaz; Idah.

Whats that? 4 at the back... 4321? A narrow 433

Duffy starting over O'Brien is outrageous but otherwise I quite like the look of that team

Kelleher

Doherty
Coleman
Duffy
O’Shea
Brady

Cullen
Smallbone
Azaz

Idah
Szmodics

Coleman as a back three has already been tried and failed... thats why i thought it might be 4 at the back with Brady back in midfield beside Cullen and Smallbone. Azaz and Sammie beside/behind Idah.