2023 UEFA Under-21 Championship

[Eirambler]

Good to get the win, I'm not sure any of our players actually touched the ball between us scoring our first goal and scoring our second, which I don't think I've ever seen before in a game.

Obviously a lot of players missing but at the same time quite a few of them - the likes of Parrott, Idah, Knight, Connolly - possibly won't play at this level again. Others like Collins and Bazunu might come back in for a short while but longer term they will be with the seniors also.

So it will be mostly these lads, plus possibly Rose, Coventry, Hodge, Smallbone, Finn, Kayode and Obafemi for the campaign. And Odubeko if he wants to play.

The lack of depth among the older players in the senior squad is going to hamper this group's qualification chances I think - especially with Kenny clearly keen to give youth a chance at senior level. But that should at least mean opportunities for other lads to come in and play games, even if our qualification hopes will take. a hit as a result.

[Eirambler]

Not sure where best to post this as the thread for the Euro 2021 qualifiers has been archived but I noticed that Iceland, who beat us to qualification for the finals, performed very poorly at the finals tournament - 3 games, 3 losses, 1 goal scored but in a 4-1 defeat.

I don't know the details but, as a small nation with a small pick, they may well have lost quite a few players to the senior squad for the tournament. Given how many under 21 players we had with the seniors, as well as a few more out injured, it's probably safe to say we would have struggled badly at the finals had we qualified.

Under 21 really is a difficult age group for the smaller nations. It was a bit galling to hear Aidy Boothroyd describing the English Under 21 job as "impossible", given their depth of resources relative to most other countries. England were also knocked out in the group stages today.

Edit - just thinking about it again, we might have been down as many as 18 players who would have been eligible and likely to be selected for the finals tournament - Kelleher, Travers, Bazunu, O'Shea, Masterson, Collins, Knight, Molumby, Coventry, Taylor, Hodge, Smallbone, Patrick, Obafemi, Parrott, Idah, Connolly and Kayode. One or two of those might have made it - for instance Coventry might not have been called up to the seniors - but it still would have been a disappointingly weakened squad to take to a finals tournament.

[Kingdom]

Under 21 really is a difficult age group for the smaller nations. It was a bit galling to hear Aidy Boothroyd describing the English Under 21 job as "impossible", given their depth of resources relative to most other countries. England were also knocked out in the group stages today.

It doesn't have to be though.

Edit - just thinking about it again, we might have been down as many as 18 players who would have been eligible and likely to be selected for the finals tournament - Kelleher, Travers, Bazunu, O'Shea, Masterson, Collins, Knight, Molumby, Coventry, Taylor, Hodge, Smallbone, Patrick, Obafemi, Parrott, Idah, Connolly and Kayode. One or two of those might have made it - for instance Coventry might not have been called up to the seniors - but it still would have been a disappointingly weakened squad to take to a finals tournament.

This comes back to the development thread. all of these issues really are linked. If you take it that this new emerging group of players - whether you, I or anyone else rates them, leave that aside for now - and assume that they and the next batch will become the senior squad with a couple of exceptions, it means that bar perhaps an exceptional player that each underage squad from 21s down to 16s, will be composed of the best players from each year, and not lost to a grade ahead our of necessity, so that for example in 6 yrs time, the next group that has a collective such as Collins, Molumby and Parrot will have them for the duration of the campaign and develop as groups, rather than chopping and changing constantly.
With the 21s going to 16 finalists recently, we need to be making the finals as regularly as possible.

[tetsujin1979]

Friendlies against Switzerland, Australia, and Denmark in Spain confirmed for the end of the month
https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/unde...ia-and-denmark

[Eirambler]

Would be good to see Finn involved, though I haven't heard much about him recently. Is he still injured or did he just fall out of the first team picture at Getafe?

I wonder if Odubeko will show up this time or if there will be another issue.

[ColourfulPeanut]

I wonder if Odubeko will show up this time or if there will be another issue.

Was saying it for months, lad has 0 interest and should really be forgotten about. Won't even be named this time and the FAI will probably cite "fatigue" or a non-existent injury again to cover for him for a while longer.

[Olé Olé]

Was saying it for months, lad has 0 interest and should really be forgotten about. Won't even be named this time and the FAI will probably cite "fatigue" or a non-existent injury again to cover for him for a while longer.

You say it with such certainty that it could only have been gleaned from direct discussion with the lad. What else did he say to you?

[Eirambler]

Ryan Johansson is apparently Irish again, according to Paul Nealon on twitter. Good to see him back involved, thought that ship might have sailed.

Would be interesting to see him lining out against both Luxembourg and Sweden for our Under 21s.

[liamoo11]

Ryan Johansson is apparently Irish again, according to Paul Nealon on twitter. Good to see him back involved, thought that ship might have sailed.

Would be interesting to see him lining out against both Luxembourg and Sweden for our Under 21s.

Thank you great news

[ColourfulPeanut]

I'll happily be proved wrong and hope to be wrong.

Every indication under the sun that he doesn't have interest so we'll wait and see.

[zero]

Ryan Johansson is apparently Irish again, according to Paul Nealon on twitter. Good to see him back involved, thought that ship might have sailed.

Would be interesting to see him lining out against both Luxembourg and Sweden for our Under 21s.

nice one. bit more detail from the independent:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-40417713.html

[Charlie Darwin]

Was saying it for months, lad has 0 interest and should really be forgotten about. Won't even be named this time and the FAI will probably cite "fatigue" or a non-existent injury again to cover for him for a while longer.

I see Paul O'Shea has procreated.

[geysir]

I see Paul O'Shea has procreated.

Mutant strain?

[Charlie Darwin]

Mutant strain?

He's finished.

[Eminence Grise]

Screen Age Mutant Moaning Mytle.

[OMTY]

Squad announced for friendlies v Switzerland, Australia and Denmark in Marbella 30th May, 2nd June and 5th June.

No Odubeko is interesting.

[tetsujin1979]

Kenny is now in the same position as his predecessor - there's more interesting and exciting players included in the U21 squad

[ifk101]

Kenny is now in the same position as his predecessor - there's more interesting and exciting players included in the U21 squad

True, players nobody has seen play are more interesting and exciting.

[tetsujin1979]

No Obafemi either, he was born in June 2000, so is still eligible, and six months younger than Noss

[pineapple stu]

True, players nobody has seen play are more interesting and exciting.

I think there's an exoticism there as well - players with Sevilla and Getafe and Dortmund, which we've hardly ever seen at 21s level before.

Doesn't mean they'll be any good though!

Shout-out to Colm Whelan though; good to see UCD represented in the 21s squad again.