2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

**tetsujin1979** · 11/09/2024, 9:19 AM

If it was any earlier, nobody would have been able to go because of work.

**Eirambler** · 11/09/2024, 9:53 AM

I can remember a packed out Lansdowne in the middle of a weekday afternoon when there were no floodlights, so I don't think that's true. Not everyone is tied to their desks 9 to 5 Monday to Friday thankfully. And for those that are, a 5pm kickoff will mean an early work finish anyway. A 4pm kickoff would have led to a higher attendance - committed fans would have been able to go to both games, people taking a day off to travel to Dublin could have got two games for their time spent etc.

But it would have been better again to take that aspect out of it completely and just play the game in Cork.

**JR89** · 11/09/2024, 10:01 AM

What nick is Turners Cross pitch in? Was poor this time last year and has been poor on a few occasions just for the U21s nevermind the younger age groups.

**Acornvilla** · 11/09/2024, 10:04 AM

I only caught the game in patches, very frustrating, clearly the far better team but couldn't get it done. Few lapses in judgement, but also a bit of overplaying it, and dribbling in to crowds when it was probably better to keep the ball moving, especially in the last 10 minutes, they're young and will learn, unsure how many of this cop will make it to senior level, but they're still in with a shout, you'll take 2nd and a playoff if it comes at this point, but there's always the chance of something magic.

**joey B** · 11/09/2024, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by JR89

What nick is Turners Cross pitch in? Was poor this time last year and has been poor on a few occasions just for the U21s nevermind the younger age groups.

Looked ok when I seen it recently,did the pitch in Tallaght look poor on tv to anyone else or just me?

**Acornvilla** · 11/09/2024, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Looked ok when I seen it recently,did the pitch in Tallaght look poor on tv to anyone else or just me?

It definitely looked a little squishy for want of a better word.

**JR89** · 11/09/2024, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Looked ok when I seen it recently,did the pitch in Tallaght look poor on tv to anyone else or just me?

Only caught the last few minutes but was on a small TV in a pub with the picture looking ****. The grass somehow had a luminesce green glow off it.

**nigel-harps1954** · 11/09/2024, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Looked ok when I seen it recently,did the pitch in Tallaght look poor on tv to anyone else or just me?

Definitely thought it looked remarkably poor, which to be fair, is unlike Tallaght Stadium.

Agree though it should either have been in Cork or a 4pm kickoff. Would possibly have swayed my decision to travel from Donegal if there were a chance of getting both games in without a mad panic between. You could see a gathering of people standing at the gates ready to leave from about 60 minutes on the TV too.

For what it's worth, it was a much better watch than the senior game. Really should have battered Latvia and got sucker punched with two preventable goals.

24 attempts on goal and a draw to show for it. 10 corners and barely an attempt on target from any of them.

On another day that would have been a 6-0 or 7-0.

**elatedscum** · 11/09/2024, 7:00 PM

The reason it was played in Tallaght was due to the quality of the pitch in Turners Cross and them thinking they wanted the best playing surface. Turners Cross has always looked awful for the 21s.

Tallaght looked worse than it normally does yesterday.

FWIW if it had been played at 4.15 or whatever, I would have gone to both games. Thought about it and decided it was too stressful with traffic trying to do both.

**rebelmusic** · 12/09/2024, 1:52 AM

I'm nut sure on the rules but would there have been any option to play them both in the Aviva as a double bill?

**tetsujin1979** · 03/10/2024, 2:37 PM

Squad announced for final two qualifiers
First call up for Melia, as mentioned in his thread. James Furlong, Alex Murphy, Ollie O'Neill and Armstrong Oko-flex all miss out

**Razors left peg** · 03/10/2024, 6:49 PM

Aaron Ochoa Maloney really should have been called up to this squad. Hes playing regularly for Malaga and Spain are hunting him... but yet we keep faith with the likes of Kenny

**nigel-harps1954** · 04/10/2024, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Aaron Ochoa Maloney really should have been called up to this squad. Hes playing regularly for Malaga and Spain are hunting him... but yet we keep faith with the likes of Kenny

Isn't he a midfielder? Only just promoted from third tier in Spain so I'd take the Spanish national side rumours with a pinch of salt.

**elatedscum** · 04/10/2024, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Isn't he a midfielder? Only just promoted from third tier in Spain so I'd take the Spanish national side rumours with a pinch of salt.

He�d be a replacement for Andy Moran in a squad where Gilsenen is injured and Goodrham is not available for selection. Probably should have been called up. He�s pretty good�

In fairness to Jonny Kenny, he was very good last night against APOEL

**pateen** · 04/10/2024, 1:10 PM

Kenny has come on quite a lot since last season where I really thought he was finished. Still has something to offer.

**Razors left peg** · 04/10/2024, 3:49 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Isn't he a midfielder? Only just promoted from third tier in Spain so I'd take the Spanish national side rumours with a pinch of salt.

Hes an attacking midfielder that could easily take the place of one of the forwards in the squad considering so many have been picked. I did say "the likes of Kenny", and by that I meant lads that most likely wont ever be a senior international. If we are looking solely at midfielders I'd have him in ahead Adeeko or Matt Healy.

Hes 17 playing every week for a good club in the Spanish 2nd tier. If he was playing in the Championship there'd be lads saying he should be in the senior squad let alone the u21s. I also wouldnt dismiss the Spain links, lads jump very quickly from the B teams of the Spanish clubs who play at a similar level to Maloney.... but sure its much more crowd pleasing to include another 17 year old whos playing at a lower level than Maloney because people know him better

**elatedscum** · 04/10/2024, 5:51 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Hes an attacking midfielder that could easily take the place of one of the forwards in the squad considering so many have been picked. I did say "the likes of Kenny", and by that I meant lads that most likely wont ever be a senior international. If we are looking solely at midfielders I'd have him in ahead Adeeko or Matt Healy.

Hes 17 playing every week for a good club in the Spanish 2nd tier. If he was playing in the Championship there'd be lads saying he should be in the senior squad let alone the u21s. I also wouldnt dismiss the Spain links, lads jump very quickly from the B teams of the Spanish clubs who play at a similar level to Maloney.... but sure its much more crowd pleasing to include another 17 year old whos playing at a lower level than Maloney because people know him better

It's a hard one to really figure. Doesn't really make sense to have 5 strikers, even if you're starting 2 up top. Emakhu and Armstrong start, which leaves O'Mahony, Kenny and Melia - 2 make a bench of 9. You'd be better calling up one fewer and adding a No.10.

You have 4 deep midfielders and Moran. Vata is I guess who he has as the replacement for Moran - but I think he's probably more of a winger than a No.10 at this stage. That's where Ochoa Moloney comes in. Alternatives are Gilsenen (injured) or Goodrham (unavailable) or Moloney or Leavy... Or maybe John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa? That's where he's played at youth level

You've also got Franco Umeh in the squad. Not sure really where he fits in - winger? striker? wing back?

**Razors left peg** · 04/10/2024, 6:00 PM

Originally Posted by elatedscum

It's a hard one to really figure. Doesn't really make sense to have 5 strikers, even if you're starting 2 up top. Emakhu and Armstrong start, which leaves O'Mahony, Kenny and Melia - 2 make a bench of 9. You'd be better calling up one fewer and adding a No.10.

You have 4 deep midfielders and Moran. Vata is I guess who he has as the replacement for Moran - but I think he's probably more of a winger than a No.10 at this stage. That's where Ochoa Moloney comes in. Alternatives are Gilsenen (injured) or Goodrham (unavailable) or Moloney or Leavy... Or maybe John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa? That's where he's played at youth level

You've also got Franco Umeh in the squad. Not sure really where he fits in - winger? striker? wing back?

Exactly, and even if Maloney didnt play you'd rather have him involved than not. This isnt another kid doing well in youth football who might never make it in the mens game. We dont have too many lads his age making 1st teams at a high level. I would think hed be a decent lad to have on the bench if we needed a bit of creativity with time running out.

Melia being called up does also make sense, but I would have selected him instead of Kenny. I know he did ok this week, but hes no more than an average LOI level striker.

**liamoo11** · 05/10/2024, 2:18 PM

Moran has started as 1 of the 2 defensive midfielders for Stoke today in a formation that switches from 442 out of possession to a 433 in possession

**Acornvilla** · 05/10/2024, 3:23 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Exactly, and even if Maloney didnt play you'd rather have him involved than not. This isnt another kid doing well in youth football who might never make it in the mens game. We dont have too many lads his age making 1st teams at a high level. I would think hed be a decent lad to have on the bench if we needed a bit of creativity with time running out.

Melia being called up does also make sense, but I would have selected him instead of Kenny. I know he did ok this week, but hes no more than an average LOI level striker.

He's 21 years old and a goal off being the league's top scorer, I think he's more than average personally, has definitely been an improvement this year, but still struggling to put it all together consistently, when he's good he can win a game on his own, seems to be getting good at breaking offside traps and catching teams on the break, did it in the early CL games v the Icelandic side which were crucial goals and nearly carved similar ones v APOEL. I wasn't sure where his career was leading but long term I think he'll be too good for Shamrock Rovers and the league.