Jack Byrne (M Dubai Irish (loan from Shamrock Rovers) b.1996)

[DeLorean]

He was on standby anyway, wasn't he? So surely with O'Dowda & Brady major doubts, he should make the squad at least, unless SK is completely anal about needing like-for-like replacements. Obviously making the starting XI is a long-shot, though I'd be fine with him coming in for Hourihane also.

[jbyrne]

It's not an exercise in Aristotelean logic. If Towell can't impress at a higher level, then Byrne can't either. I think Byrne has looked better than Towell too, fwiw. Bear in mind Byrne did very well in Holland. Everyone's circumstances are different. We've had players doing well enough in the EPL who can't even look better than their immediate opponent for Gibraltar.

I'm just taking a view here - something many here never do, they only attack others' views. I think this lad has something different about him and given the utterly underwhelming performances from our midfield over the last 15 years I'd be inclined to include him. From what I have seen he has the technical ability and speed of thought / reaction to cope with a much higher level, especially as he'll have others around him also used to a higher level.

Yes, picking him would be high risk but as they say, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results doesn't reflect well on your predictive powers, or something like that.

spot on. our midfield has been poor for a while now so I don't see it as a risk. Unless he makes a complete howler and gives away a goal I bet we wouldn't notice the slightest diss-improvement in our midfields performance. Instead there's a fair chance he could come up with a moment (it might only take 1 to win it) that none of our other options appear to be capable of.

[paul_oshea]

Forgetting the talk about step up step down, playing at a higher level. You just need to look at the midfield and defenders in the Slovak squad, they are not playing at Tier 1 leagues, not even Tier 2 in some instances. Jack would be at that level now anyway, he wouldnt have to step up down or in between.

[mark12345]

It's not an exercise in Aristotelean logic. I'm just taking a view here - something many here never do, they only attack others' views. I think this lad has something different about him and given the utterly underwhelming performances from our midfield over the last 15 years I'd be inclined to include him. From what I have seen he has the technical ability and speed of thought / reaction to cope with a much higher level, especially as he'll have others around him also used to a higher level.

Yes, picking him would be high risk but as they say, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results doesn't reflect well on your predictive powers, or something like that.

You mention Aristotle, Stutts, but you have the perception of a philosopher with the above post. You clearly recognize the fact that our midfield has lacked creativity for a very long time - and you call for the inclusion of Jack Byrne. Fair play to you, you are spot on. As you say, you think this lad has something about him - so do most of us, but that old fear of taking a chance which pervades Irish football supporters, soon kicks in and we never take the chance.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result has us in the situation we are in today - ie being played off the park by the likes of Finland and Iceland.
And for me, the appointing of Stephen Kenny to the top job has paid dividends with his including Jack Byrne in the squad. Don't care if we lose to Slovakia (actually I do) but it shows me that Kenny has identified the problems in the Irish team (quicker than a myriad of his predecessors I would add) and is setting about fixing them.

[paul_oshea]

Settle there 25 man squad he could be left out of the 22 yet

[sbgawa]

Does everyone forget that he couldn't get into Wigan's team and got released by both Oldham and Kilmarnock 2 years ago? He's a good player and he's lauding it in a league with the best team against very mediocre players. Everyone needs to calm down about him. If he keeps playing this way, he'll get his move and we'll see what he's made of then.

People who are calling for him to start have seriously underestimated the step up in quality from the Aertricity League to international qualifiers.

He left Oldham because they were going bust and were not paying peoples wages, (he gave an interview about this, they werent even cutting the grass at the training gound due to cuts. He was popular with fans down to his performances......went to Kilmarnock in the transfer window and couldn't get into a team that were having their best start to the SPL n years......
In his interview he said going to oldham was a mistake.

I think his next move will be abroad but he needs to go to a side that play football....

[irishfan86]

It's one thing to select Byrne. It's another thing to actually put him on the field in a meaningful situation. Will Kenny be willing to use Byrne from the start or in a meaningful situation off the bench? I really want Byrne to succeed but this is not an easy call, even for those shouting for his inclusion.

It would take tremendous courage to start a League of Ireland player above many Premier League and Championship players -- even bringing him off the bench ahead of them would set Kenny up for a public drubbing if it doesn't go well. Of course he'll be a genius with huge balls if it works out!

[nigel-harps1954]

Are we happy enough to start Shane Duffy against Slovakia, or are the giants of football Ross County, Inverness and Hamilton too big of a step up for him?

Some of the nonsense you read on here would make you cry, or laugh...whatever.

[ColourfulPeanut]

Shane Duffy is a Premier League level footballer and has proven it. Jack Byrne got released by a League 1 club.

The nonsense being spouted here is that the lad can pop into an international level and be the creative spark when he's playing against part timers. If LOI translated, we'd have Seanie Maguire banging in goals up top for us.

He's a good player but expectations need to be low and I won't he sold until he performs at a high level and don't come at me with a few nice touches against Milan when Rovers barely had the ball the whole game.

[Trequartista20]

And Richie Towell would be our midfield metronome.

I do find it odd when Premier League-class players like Hourihane and Hendrick are regularly rubbished and then you see the likes of Byrne being lauded to the extent he is, often by the very same people. Some fans need a slight reality check, it seems.

Is this a peculiarly Irish thing?

[seanfhear]

The fella that is not playing is always mighty because he is not making mistakes ! !

Sure I’m Mighty Myself ~ ~ Undroppable until ya picked me ! !

[DeLorean]

I'm somewhere in between. He has it all to prove but he's got something very different to our other options so it's worth seeing if he can make the step up. Agreed it's highly unlikely this will be in Slovakia but no harm to have a look in the NL anyway. I do think the accusation that SK has bowed to some sort of pressure by including him is nonsense and pretty insulting. Who's Byrne actually keeping out that's so much more deserving?

[Diggs246]

When is the last time we have had an international player who lives with his mum.... I jest.. but it's got to be 40 or 50 years since that happened

[Razors left peg]

When is the last time we have had an international player who lives with his mum.... I jest.. but it's got to be 40 or 50 years since that happened

She lives with him...

[seanfhear]

She lives with him...

So long as she is sound on football tactics , I don’t see any problem !

[John83]

Probably wouldn't hurt a few more of them to live with their mums. There's been studies that show that kids who live at home do better in college. Whether they figured out whether it's because they often have things like food and laundry handled for them, or because their parents pressure them to study, I don't recall. Plenty of lads coming back from England with their tails between their legs have stories of miserable life in digs.

[seanfhear]

Probably wouldn't hurt a few more of them to live with their mums. There's been studies that show that kids who live at home do better in college. Whether they figured out whether it's because they often have things like food and laundry handled for them, or because their parents pressure them to study, I don't recall. Plenty of lads coming back from England with their tails between their legs have stories of miserable life in digs.

Great Post.

[Diggs246]

"Their laundry handled for them"
You weren't in my gaff as a young man

[ColourfulPeanut]

Probably wouldn't hurt a few more of them to live with their mums. There's been studies that show that kids who live at home do better in college. Whether they figured out whether it's because they often have things like food and laundry handled for them, or because their parents pressure them to study, I don't recall. Plenty of lads coming back from England with their tails between their legs have stories of miserable life in digs.

Byrne is 24 years old, he's not a 15 year old child living with an English family and 5 other team mates while studying at the same time.

[seanfhear]

Byrne is 24 years old, he's not a 15 year old child living with an English family and 5 other team mates while studying at the same time.

Perhaps his Mum is getting more out of him Football Wise than all those Coaches in England !