Great start and took the lead in fifth minute but since scoring the defensive frailties have surfaced and Poland have just equalised in the 13th minute.
Took 4mins for the lads to take the lead but Poland have equalised after 12mins after some poor defending.
Great start and took the lead in fifth minute but since scoring the defensive frailties have surfaced and Poland have just equalised in the 13th minute.
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Tallaght Stadium Regular
2-1 to Poland at HT, and they are worth it.
3-1 Poland. Getting a bit of a lesson here ATM
& there is number four. Ouchies. This is a tough watch, a mis match.
With an almost entirely home based squad it's fair to say that this game is putting to bed any notions that our young players are somehow better off having to stay in Ireland longer and not having access to the academy setup of the wealthiest and strongest league in world football...
What was being compared was senior first-team experience at 18 versus them all skipping home to join a lower-league academy at the same age. Looking at a group of 14-17 year-olds is a different matter. There's a huge amount of work to be done on the LoI academy setup for sure, and of course a bankrupt association not really in a position to help.
Even without Brexit, that work had to be done as the English clubs had long stopped being interested in any half-competent junior from here, which is why we've been sliding down the rankings the past 20 years.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 17/05/2023 at 3:53 PM.
One game is not putting anything to bed either way. It's a very poor performance, but lets not forget they qualified ahead of Italy to get to this stage. They're learning some harsh lessons, but would expect much better from the next two games.Originally Posted by Eirambler
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Tallaght Stadium Regular
According to the lineups on uefa.com - https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...ic-of-ireland/ - we're playing 5-3-2 and Poland have been playing 3-2-3-2
Not sure if Harnett and O'Sullivan have been playing full backs, as listed on uefa.com, or wing backs, but we've been clearly outnumbered in midfield, ceding possession and territory to the Polish midfield.
After concededing seven goals in six qualifying games, I can't believe we've conceded five in the opening game of the tournament
Cawley calling it correctly on commentary - we have to develop our own game now. Can't rely on sending players abroad any more. And that's a good thing, if we take advantage properly. But Brexit isn't a surprise and we've done very little since it was announced really. The new national underage league is a good start - though I think to an extent UEFA forced it on us - but was it here someone said Luton have more full-time academy staff than across the entire LoI?
(And again, the LoI can offer these guys full-time senior football at 18, and I think that's better than going abroad to an academy at the same age)
It's straight up not true though - our lads still have access to high level European clubs all across the continent at 16. If we wait for domestic investment we'll lose generations worth of players and become also rans. I've been waiting 40 years for progress in domestic football and it hasn't come, it's naive to suggest that it's going to happen now.
See a tweet there from Stephen Finn that we've more 15 yr olds in our squad than all the other teams combined at four and one 14 yr old.
We have eight 17 year olds, Poland has 15 in their squad! We’ve four lads aged 15 & one 14 year old the other seven are 16. Polish squad has six 16 year olds. Time will tell if having a younger squad will stand to our lads. Poland have been very impressive
In fact, there are more 15 year olds on our squad than all the other nations in the tournament combined! This has been a poor performance against a very good Poland team but being so young has obvious challenges in underage international football.
The above tweet, and you could see it, they were bigger, stronger, faster. I'm not holding it up as an excuse or the only reason we lost so heavily, but surely a factor & time will tell if today stands to them down the line or if it scars them at the level.
What today is not, is a reason to argue that our only good option is to push all our youth to mainland Europe.
Last edited by tetsujin1979; 22/05/2023 at 11:37 AM. Reason: embedded tweet
Personally I thought we looked physically weaker and didn't think our fitness was at the level required. Seemed we were out of breath early doors for whatever reason, sweating heavily, and taking our time with free kicks, corners. But it's one game, they came through two qualification groups to get to the finals. No need to go armageddon.
If only we could send all our players to develop in Italy instead of at home.... an Italy who we qualified ahead of.
Of course we need to improve our structures at home, but anyone who doesnt see progress in that in the last 5 years doesnt want to see it. All through our underage groups we are far better than we have been in a long time and for the most part these players are being developed domestically. It is far from perfect and needs enormously more investment, but it is a start. It took Brexit happening for some people to sit up and take notice that we have to develop our own game so we have started on the back foot but the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Bohs, Pats and some others are doing great work given the lack of investment in place.
shhh there will you, that wont fit the baby out with the bathwater one size untested fix fits all narrative one little bit.
Just qualifying for these tournaments is a mega achievement. We dont do it regularly because the qualification process is so difficult. Obviously we want to be able to go there an compete, and beating the likes of Italy along the way shows we can compete at this level. Today is a bad day, that can happen with young fellas, but using this as example of why we cant keep our players at home is just stupid
It should be odd that an Irish footballer supporter sees a home based u17 team qualifying for a tournament as indicative of a problem rather than something to be praised.
21 leagues and 25 cups.
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