According to the Irish Times it was a bad ref decision and brutal conditions. I’ll give Kenny a pass here. Especially as he was without two star players.
This is where I think things have the potential to go very badly at senior level under Kenny. Obviously we all moan about not beating Georgia but if we start losing those kind of games then we'll never qualify for anything. To make up for that we would need to be able to go to places like Switzerland and win, and I don't think we're good enough to do that, even with a few potentially better players coming through.Originally Posted by passinginterest
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
According to the Irish Times it was a bad ref decision and brutal conditions. I’ll give Kenny a pass here. Especially as he was without two star players.
That's a situation he'll have to deal with at senior level as well.
There's lots of situations he'll have to deal with. I'm just saying that a depleted XI, plastic pitch, brutal conditions and a clearly wrong penalty decision are mitigating factors.
Kenny whinging about crowd size really isn't on. Take it on the chin. See Molumby picked up a yellow after the final whistle - unnecessary and he misses the next game.
Whinging Football Managers is not the way to go . Think David O’ Dreary . Basically killed his football managing career from whinging incorporated .
The one thing I will say about yesterdays game is that they did try to play football right up to the end. They continued to pass the ball out from the back. It didnt work yesterday but on another day a couple of the chances they had would have went in.
I say that to compare it to the loss for the senior team who seemingly are incapable of passing the ball to each other. 2 losses yesterday but 1 definitely more worrying than other.
One man's mitigation factors is another man's whining.
Iceland have a solid collegial squad, already have pumelled both Lux and Armenia at home in perfect conditions.
Ireland depleted? Is there one Icelandic player that would be regarded as 'good enough' to get into that Irish starting team?
A "clearly wrong penalty decision" or a questionable defence? The player claimed to the ref that the ball had hit his armpit, while going to ground making a desperate flailing attempt to block the goalbound shot. In all probability the ball hit his side and the back of his arm. The ref was right there. Seated in the row behind me was Eric (Hamren) and Gudny (Bergsson) and we all exclaimed the fatal word together "penalty", before the ref blinked an eye. I know, deep down you do appreciate the value in a name drop.
Though had an equaliser happened it would not have been amiss, but that it did not happen, highlights the evident edge that the tactical and mental preparations for this decidedly tough game gave to the humble home team over the more talented team, a remarkable recovery in the wake of the humiliating defeat to Sweden and with just 2 full days to prepare from that to this.
However the advantage is still very much with Ireland to get 2nd place (despite the whinings)
All you've said there is that there's nothing to beat the manager up over. Football's not a science. Teams score when they don't deserve to, and they do score when they don't. And plenty in between. Fair play to Iceland. Any win is a good win. Not every loss is a bad loss.
Nothing to beat up the manager about - losing a tight game one nil but his cringeworthy whining was reported in the media, that he felt sore and cheated. He has added an embarrasing aspect to the perception of Irish people here, that some are a bunch of moany shirkers who lack the neccessay mettle. Us Icelanders just get on with life and adapt (or die).
Id rather the manager bitch, moan and whine about losing rather than have someone delighted with a draw in a game we really needed to win
https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/irel...den-qualifiers
First call-ups for Thomas O'Connor, Jack Clarke and Aidan Keena
Bazanu, Ledwidge, Power and Drinan miss out
Lee O'Connor and Jayson Molumby suspended, will join up for Sweden game
Ireland U-21: Squad named for Armenia & Sweden qualifiers
Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Stephen Kenny has named a 22-man squad for the qualifiers against Armenia and Sweden.
6th Nov 2019
The U-21s are set to travel to Yerevan, Armenia for their qualifier on Thursday, November 14, with kick-off at 12pm (4pm local time), before returning to Ireland to face Sweden on Tuesday, November 19, with kick-off at 8pm.
Captain Jayson Molumby and defender Lee O'Connor are both suspended for the Armenia qualifier but will link up with the squad ahead of the Sweden match.
Aston Villa's Jack Clarke receives his first U-21 call-up as well as Hearts striker Aidan Keena and full-back Thomas O'Connor, who is currently on loan at Gillingham from Southampton.
Stephen Kenny's squad has also been boosted by the return of Trevor Clarke, who has returned to full fitness, and receives his first call-up since the victory over Luxembourg in March.
Ireland will be without Jonathan Afolabi, Darragh Leahy and Luca Connell who are out injured, and Troy Parrott, who has been called into the senior squad.
Gavin Bazunu will link up with the Republic of Ireland U-19 squad ahead of their UEFA qualifying round matches this month.
Tickets for the Sweden qualifier are currently on sale for €5 adults and FREE for U-16s, FAI Season Ticket Holders and Shamrock Rovers Season Ticket Holders. Get your tickets from fai.ie/tickets now.
Republic of Ireland U-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Conor Kearns (UCD AFC).
Defenders: Thomas O'Connor (Gillingham, on loan from Southampton), Danny McNamara (Newport County, on loan from Millwall), Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Conor Masterson (QPR), Liam Scales (UCD AFC), Nathan Collins (Stoke City), Trevor Clarke (Rotherham).
Midfielders: Jason Knight (Derby County), Conor Coventry (West Ham United), Jack Taylor (Barnet), Jack Clarke (Aston Villa), Connor Ronan (DAC Dunajská Streda, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Dan Mandroiu (Bohemians).
Wingers: Zack Elbouzedi (Waterford), Gavin Kilkenny (AFC Bournemouth), Neil Farrugia (Shamrock Rovers), Danny Grant (Bohemians).
Forwards: Adam Idah (Norwich City), Aidan Keena (Hearts), Michael Obafemi (Southampton).
Kelleher and Obafemi included in the U21 squad announced today: https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/irel...den-qualifiers
Thomas O'Connor, James Clarke, and Aidan Keena all get their first call ups. Little surprised Anthony Scully isn't included, he's overage for the under 19 squad, which will probably be announced tomorrow or Friday.
Great to see Trevor Clarke and Tom O'Connor in there. Kenna hasn't been playing much for Hearts, I think just a couple of token late sub appearances this season. Scully was the other player to consider here, but it's worth bearing in mind that Scully is playing in PL2 Division 2, a division below where Aaron Connolly lit up last year. So not criminal for Kenny not to include him ahead of Kenna. Unusual on Luca Connell, he's had very vague "injuries" what is his actual injury? Surprising Afolabi is still not back. Still a strong looking squad and it's great others get a chance to develop with Connolly and Parrot moving up. Looking forward to these set of games, hoping for (and expecting) 6 points
Last edited by tommy_c12000; 06/11/2019 at 3:22 PM.
Can’t really argue much with the squad…
Good to see Trev Clarke and Neil Farrugia back from injury, although Farrugia doesn’t quite look himself yet. We’re looking a little short up top with Connolly, Parrott and Afolabi all unavailable.
I guess in different circumstances, they would have liked to have used those 3 and let Idah play with the 19s for their group games. The most notable absentee is Josh Barrett I think. Scully is a fair call as well.
Of the new boys, Thomas O’Connor definitely deserves a call. As for Jack Clarke, to be honest I kinda get confused between Jack Clarke, James Clarke and Jack James.
Regarding Grant and Keena, have only seen highlights of Keena since he left Ireland. Grant I’ve seen play once or twice and he looked decent. There are about 10 strikers who are in that tier of player, some potential but question marks around them: Grant, Keena, Drinan, M O’Connor, McAuley, Hale, Mahdy, Reghba, Kayode, Walker etc. (I wonder whether Jozsef Keaveny has done anything in Cyrpus). Of those lads, I’d like to see Hale and McAuley have a chance to work with Kenny. Hale looked so good for the 21s under King, so bright and energetic, that he can’t be below standard a year or two older – and with Glen, you feel the talent is there, he just needs the right management around him to get the best out of him.
Will be very interested to see what team he picks v Armenia, you could argue that 5 or 6 of the best 11 are missing
I would obviously like Barrett to be in there. However, he’s hardly been tearing it up with Reading for the past couple of months, he’s out of favor with minimal first team exposure, so not quite a travesty that he’s not in the squad.
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/10/2...th-dean-smith/
Recent article on Jack Clarke recently states he has been going fairly well.
Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Masterson, Neil Farrugia, Michael Obafemi and Trevor Clarke have all withdrawn from the U21 squad, Anthony Scully (who should have been in the first squad) and Corey O'Keefe have been given their first callup to the U21 squad. Gavin Bazunu, Kameron Ledwidge, and Simon Power replace the others: https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/irel...ad-for-armenia
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks