Evan Ferguson F Brighton b.2004

**paul_oshea** · 14/01/2023, 3:15 PM

Good ball alright ,had to be pretty precise and got it almost perfect.

**passinginterest** · 14/01/2023, 3:20 PM

Should also point out that Liverpool have been absolutely terrible. But still impressive to see how he’s handling himself physically. He’s not a particularly big lad when you see him up against the other defenders and midfielders for corners etc, but he’s very strong and uses his body well.

**paul_oshea** · 14/01/2023, 3:26 PM

Just gone off. Lots of compliments from the co-commentators and to good applause

**passinginterest** · 14/01/2023, 3:30 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Just gone off. Lots of compliments from the co-commentators and to good applause

Well deserved. His last action was to draw Trent Alexander Arnold into a stupid tackle which he rightly saw yellow for.

Ferguson has come on massively from the player I’ve seen with the Ireland under 21s. His touch was the most impressive for me, always thought it looked a bit heavy in the past but it was excellent today.

**tommy_c12000** · 15/01/2023, 2:59 AM

Did pretty well. Nice assist, although March had it all to do, it was Solly’s goal. Some really nice link up play and show of strength. Also, lost ball aimlessly a couple of times with indecision. He should continue to see plenty of game time to the seasons end if he stays fit. By the end of the season, he could be a considerable asset to Ireland

**nigel-harps1954** · 15/01/2023, 9:25 AM

If he can manage four or five goals for the season now it would be a great return. Welbeck back from injury and scoring probably isn't a great sign but hopefully the manager sticks with Evan

**pineapple stu** · 15/01/2023, 9:37 AM

I typically shake a fist at the cloud that is modern football parlance, but I wouldn't focus on just goals. He's got four goal involvements (grrr...) so far - two assists too. OK, I think the two assists were far more about the finish than the pass, but still, he's putting himself about quite nicely.

An assist for March suggests he has to start in March? That's how football works, yeah?

**Eirambler** · 15/01/2023, 9:56 AM

Would certainly start him against Latvia anyway. Him and Obafemi could be a good combination by March depending on how things go for Obafemi between now and then.

Would play him against France as well, either from the start or as a used sub (has the added benefit of competitively capping him as well, just to formally close off the dual eligibility situation).

**Diggs246** · 15/01/2023, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Would certainly start him against Latvia anyway. Him and Obafemi could be a good combination by March depending on how things go for Obafemi between now and then.

Would play him against France as well, either from the start or as a used sub (has the added benefit of competitively capping him as well, just to formally close off the dual eligibility situation).

He's allowed 3 competitive caps and still switch

It's a ridiculous rule I know

No danger here though

**Eirambler** · 15/01/2023, 12:10 PM

Yes, but a single competitive cap for an under 21 player ties him for three years so that would also put an end to any further newspaper articles on the subject. If he played in both games in March he'd have four caps and that would resolve it also (they don't need to be four competitive caps, including friendlies are fine in that case).

**JR89** · 15/01/2023, 2:43 PM

Might as well start him for Ireland. There's nothing to lose and everything to gain. He's impressed since coming into the Brighton team. Commentator for BBC was praising him yesterday and Ian Wright was full of praise for him against Everton.

There's no other striker we've got that's impressing or even getting minutes at PL level and honestly Obafemi is probably the only one besides Ferguson that will likely have a PL career if he gets the move to Burnley.

We ain't qualifying so give a pairing like Obafemi and Ferguson the chance to develop.

**Razors left peg** · 15/01/2023, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

If he can manage four or five goals for the season now it would be a great return. Welbeck back from injury and scoring probably isn't a great sign but hopefully the manager sticks with Evan

If he does get 4 or 5 goals before the end of the season he will have a lot of big clubs very interested in him, and I think it's a real possibility

**Fixer82** · 16/01/2023, 7:55 AM

Why are we talking about capping Ferguson? Is he eligible for someone else?

Incidentally I would start him in next ireland match. He’s bossing it at PL level

**Stuttgart88** · 16/01/2023, 8:06 AM

Crikey, there really is extreme paranoia here about losing players to other countries.

**JR89** · 16/01/2023, 8:34 AM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

Why are we talking about capping Ferguson? Is he eligible for someone else?

Incidentally I would start him in next ireland match. He’s bossing it at PL level

His mother is English so automatically that means the big bad Gareth Southgate is gonna steal him from us.

**CSAD** · 16/01/2023, 8:47 AM

Originally Posted by JR89

His mother is English so automatically that means the big bad Gareth Southgate is gonna steal him from us.

Yaaaawn…

**pineapple stu** · 16/01/2023, 9:08 AM

Originally Posted by JR89

His mother is English so automatically that means the big bad Gareth Southgate is gonna steal him from us.

Once bitten, twice shy I guess.

But yeah, it does seem he's far less of a flight risk than, say, Rice, whose link was through his grandparents.

He deserves a cap in March anyway, which will hopefully close it all off.

**Eirambler** · 16/01/2023, 9:17 AM

Just to clarify, it's not about capping him to stop England taking him, nobody is saying that's anyways likely. It's about getting him competitively capped just to put an end to nonsense articles like Paul Rowan's one in the Sunday Times last week.

Papers don't refuse ink and clickbait websites don't refuse clicks, so as long as he's dual eligible that kind of thing will continue and it's unhelpful, so the sooner he's competitively capped to put an end to it the better.

**CSAD** · 16/01/2023, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Just to clarify, it's not about capping him to stop England taking him, nobody is saying that's anyways likely. It's about getting him competitively capped just to put an end to nonsense articles like Paul Rowan's one in the Sunday Times last week.

Papers don't refuse ink and clickbait websites don't refuse clicks, so as long as he's dual eligible that kind of thing will continue and it's unhelpful, so the sooner he's competitively capped to put an end to it the better.

Can we please stop this crap about worrying a player will declare for another country…it was interesting at first but it’s now just getting boring and tedious to the point you can see the comment coming from a mile away.

**JR89** · 16/01/2023, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Once bitten, twice shy I guess.

But yeah, it does seem he's far less of a flight risk than, say, Rice, whose link was through his grandparents.

He deserves a cap in March anyway, which will hopefully close it all off.

It's becoming paranoia at this stage especially in regards to someone like Ferguson. England I'm sure would give their left nut to have a young CF like Ferguson in their pool of players but more chance of us finishing in the top two for the next qualifiers than Ferguson ever entertaining the thoughts of not playing for Ireland.

I'd be starting him in March. Impressing at a level that none of our other CFs are impressing at.