Republic of Ireland V Belgium - Saturday, 26th March 2022 - Friendly

**elatedscum** · 23/03/2022, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by JR89

Strong whiff of people are ganging up on me time to play the banter card imo now that he's saying just joking and his comments about fishing.

He was definitely upset about not getting a call up, probably rightly, he's in a totally different tier to Talbot and if he'd be happy to travel across as 3rd choice and not play, then he should be getting the call. Very possible he misses the players and misses the set up. If I was in his shoes, I think I would...

Then he got hammered from about 100 people for saying what he said and backtracked...

**Stuttgart88** · 24/03/2022, 7:58 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

I think SK will put Kelleher in from the start for the Belgium game. He is savvy enough to know how highly rated CK is - including among a large portion of Irish fans - and to some extent might feel that CK has "earned" the big game in this window. The other option, i suppose, is that he gives them a half each like he did against Hungary but i do think he will go with CK for this one.

Belgium is the better game to look at Kelleher. He had nothing to do against Qatar.

**ifk101** · 24/03/2022, 9:44 AM

Bazunu out. Illness ...... Max O'Leary in.

**pineapple stu** · 24/03/2022, 9:48 AM

Lightning can't strike three times... Can it?

**ifk101** · 24/03/2022, 10:10 AM

It coming from Kelleher, no? Not to blame given how easily it spreads but posts here said he had a recent bout of illness. And the goalies hang out together.

**Olé Olé** · 24/03/2022, 10:12 AM

Initially, I thought the best thing to do would be to give Caoimhin the two 90mins. I'm wondering now if there is merit in giving O'Leary or Talbot minutes?

If we had a goalkeeping crisis and all three of Bazunu, Kelleher and Travers were out then we would need to call on these lads, would we?

Well, if that crisis did arise and we needed a safe pair of hands then we ought to be calling Randolph. But it looks like Kenny is completely opposed to that thought. Hopefully he's never in a situation whereby he regrets this.

**Olé Olé** · 24/03/2022, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by ifk101

It coming from Kelleher, no? Not to blame given how easily it spreads but posts here said he had a recent bout of illness. And the goalies hang out together.

Please tell me you're joking here...

**ifk101** · 24/03/2022, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Please tell me you're joking here...

Please tell me you are not going there ... Relax.

**Jd2793** · 24/03/2022, 10:19 AM

talbot will not and should not see minutes. hes not the best keeper in loi not to mind good enough to get international minutes. only there because hes a dublin based gk.

**Eirambler** · 24/03/2022, 10:22 AM

Talbot isn't a serious option. But O'Leary is, that they've lost two of the three keepers means they now need a serious option in case anything happens to Kelleher, so he's in.

**ifk101** · 24/03/2022, 10:24 AM

Well he's in the squad now, so it's a possibility.

**paul_oshea** · 24/03/2022, 10:27 AM

So if kelleher performs well and we dont concede a goal in the two games, does the jersey become his now? Swing does the pendulum or something like that.

It'll be interesting to see how rigid Kenny is when he has set on a player( i dont mean a set like a randolph set

).

**Jd2793** · 24/03/2022, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

So if kelleher performs well and we dont concede a goal in the two games, does the jersey become his now? Swing does the pendulum or something like that.

its an interesting question. bazunu has more than enough credit in the bank to keep it but i do feel in an ideal world CK would be SK's no1. Would be harsh on Bazunu though.

**pineapple stu** · 24/03/2022, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Talbot isn't a serious option. But O'Leary is, that they've lost two of the three keepers means they now need a serious option in case anything happens to Kelleher, so he's in.

Yeah, I don't see a harm in giving O'Leary the second half against Lithuania. I'm assuming that'll be a game similar to the recent Qatar game or, to a lesser extent, the Azerbaijan/Luxembourg games. I hope that's not presumptive!

**ifk101** · 24/03/2022, 10:30 AM

Is Kelleher available? The FAI posted a squad training video yesterday and Kelleher wasn't in it. So if Talbot performs well and we dont concede a goal in the two games, does the jersey become his now? Swing does the pendulum or something like that.

**tetsujin1979** · 24/03/2022, 10:45 AM

it's a pretty inexperienced squad, 468 caps in total, with McClean, Coleman, Duffy, and Hendrick taking up more than half of those

**Stuttgart88** · 24/03/2022, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yeah, I don't see a harm in giving O'Leary the second half against Lithuania.

hang on! You persistently express doubt about Bazunu but now your preferred keeper has an uncontested run at the shirt and you're suggesting we don't fully use the opportunity and give it to a guy who at best is 4th choice so has virtually no chance of representing us in a competitive game if the Holy Trinity stay fit?

**ColourfulPeanut** · 24/03/2022, 11:07 AM

It's mad that Coleman has 25 fewer caps than McClean.

**tetsujin1979** · 24/03/2022, 11:11 AM

Coleman did miss more than a year of international football when he broke his leg, that would account for a lot of those 25 caps

**pineapple stu** · 24/03/2022, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

hang on! You persistently express doubt about Bazunu but now your preferred keeper has an uncontested run at the shirt and you're suggesting we don't fully use the opportunity and give it to a guy who at best is 4th choice so has virtually no chance of representing us in a competitive game if the Holy Trinity stay fit?

I don't see any harm in it. If the Lithuania game is like the Qatar game in particular, then I don't think the second half is going to make or break Kelleher's career.