Norway at home and Malta away just confirmed. Limited to sides who didn't make the World Cup of course. The Malta game is on the opening day of the World Cup
Haaland will...test our defence let's say. Malta - no suspect disrespect intended, but it's disappointing we're playing friendlies against them (and indeed Lithuania before), but our standing has certainly dropped so...
He did play in the friendlies back in March but had missed October and Novembers qualifiers. Could be a good chance they'll rest a couple of players for Novembers friendlies. Their U21s qualified for the finals next summer and could see November as a chance to give a couple of those players decent minutes, with Jorgen Strand Larsen being one and resting Haaland.
So who would we like to see get an opportunity? To my mind, Will Smallbone has got to be top of the list, given his form for Stoke and the U21s and our need to deepen our midfield options. I would like to see Jimmy Dunne get a debut, although I also think that Darragh Lenihan and Nathan Collins looked like a good pairing against Ukraine. I know he isn't playing much, but Ebosele is exciting. And more time for Obafemi, because of what he did against Scotland - he really looks like a gamechanger who we need to get fully bedded in before the Euros
Hourihane shouldn't be in the next squad. His cameo tonight should be the end of the road for him short of a spectacular renaissance for his club bringing him back into contention.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
I wouldn't call him up even then. He's playing OK for Derby apparently, but he's an absolute disaster in green. You'd do less damage having one less person in the squad than having him in there. An absolute liability of an international footballer.Originally Posted by backstothewall
Yeah it's gonna be scandalous if he gets called up again November. Would even call Coventry and Kilkenny up before him and neither of them might even play much senior minutes by then.
Finn Azaz looked lively in the minutes he played last minute. If he continues to impress in a good Plymouth side could see him possibly getting a call up for Kenny and Co to get a better look at him in the next camp. Smallbone probably a cert to be called up but can't see anyone else from the U21s getting a call up unless Kenny wants to bring Coventry in to train given the lack of replacements there is for Cullen.
The performance last night - which was pedestrian at best, even if you allow that the two goals in 90 seconds was a bit anomalous and that Kenny can't be blamed for Hourihane's hospital pass - has me a bit worried about the Malta game now actually.
It should be an opportunity for bringing a couple of new players through, but it's actually the sort of game we've been making a hames of throughout Kenny's reign - Andorra, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Armenia (twice). And we're entirely capable of doing it again, as far as I can see.
Malta beat Israel in a friendly last night (granted I think Israel put a couple of players down to the 21s against us?) and they're around Lithuania's level in the Elo rankings, though behind Luxembourg, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
It's not great when you're more worried about facing Malta than facing Haaland...
Last edited by pineapple stu; 28/09/2022 at 9:23 AM.
malta are poor, id have 0 excuses lined up in that game tbh. the lad who pats signed last year was playing international football up until the start of this year he was appalling. they are definitely worse than lux and armenia.
Definitely it's a zero excuses game. But if the game pans out the same way as the Lithuania game did, then I'd have big worries ahead of the Euros campaign (which I presume is the next set of matches after these). And I feel that's more possible than I'd have liked.
They are much worse than those two, this match would be a slight step up on San Marino,Andorra,Gibraltar etc but not much more than that and we should be winning easily enough.
Funnily enough the match last night reminded me a bit of the 2-3 win over Malta in the Euro 2000 qualifiers when they came back from two down with two quick goals. I think Stan scored from a freekick late on to win it for us.
Last edited by Trequartista20; 28/09/2022 at 11:56 AM.
So we're been making a hames of beating "weaker" opposition since before Kenny? Now I'm worried.
I was trying to remember a similar game and that was it. Thanks!
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