UK/European Clubs preseason 2023/24

**Razors left peg** · 06/08/2023, 1:20 AM

Originally Posted by JR89

Thought the same but Newcastle have another friendly tomorrow against Villarreal. Still though it's huge for the lad to get this much involvement for pre season. Even last year a month after joining and playing two games for the U21s they brought him into the senior teams pre season.

Not sure if he played senior games but was still big for a teen playing LOI who joined their U21s team to get to train with the seniors a month after joining.

Wonder if he can get himself a loan come January maybe. Possibly back to the LOI for half a season to play CB or drop a couple of leagues in England to play LB. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets minutes in one of the cups at LB.

Dude he was in the Galway United team at 16 and has 31 senior appearances. That was pretty much the Newcastle 1st team today and he looks like he might have forced his way into the plans there. There was talk a few weeks ago that they have shelved plans to buy a full back because of how well he's done. There is zero chance he goes on loan to LOI, he might be on bench in their opener next week

**CraftyToePoke** · 06/08/2023, 2:05 AM

Originally Posted by JR89

Wonder if he can get himself a loan come January maybe. Possibly back to the LOI for half a season to play CB or drop a couple of leagues in England to play LB. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets minutes in one of the cups at LB.

With the money his club have and the progress he's currently showing despite that, he stays put surely & works hard. Also several top end PL club players are on Championship loans. Why you would want him on what pass for playing surfaces in LOI or in L2 fighting for his life, or think that's what should happen next is strange.

**liamoo11** · 06/08/2023, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

Highly unlikely Hodge will start games regularly this season, wasted 5 months on the bench when he needed a loan in January. John Patrick started a few friendly games, but bench again today when the start of season beckons, worth monitoring to see if he truly has made progress.

He didn't waste 5 months. He had missed at least 18 months with injury between 17 and 19 . Last season been in a first team environment with such a high level manager was great progress. He needs to back himself and stay at wolves and fight for his place.

**Eirambler** · 06/08/2023, 6:14 PM

Yes, absolutely no chance of Murphy going back to LOI this season. Championship or League One maybe, or might just stay around the fringes of the Newcastle squad, maybe even play a few games.

**tommy_c12000** · 06/08/2023, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by liamoo11

He didn't waste 5 months. He had missed at least 18 months with injury between 17 and 19 . Last season been in a first team environment with such a high level manager was great progress. He needs to back himself and stay at wolves and fight for his place.

5 months of reserve team underage football is a wasted 5 months in my book. Let’s see how the season unfolds for him, he hasn’t been premier league standard in his senior outings so far

**Yard of Pace** · 08/08/2023, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Yes, absolutely no chance of Murphy going back to LOI this season. Championship or League One maybe, or might just stay around the fringes of the Newcastle squad, maybe even play a few games.

Newcastle fans BTL on the Guardian under an article about young players to watch this season are very impressed with Murphy:

Alex Murphy another good shout. Potential successor for Dan Burn in that narrow left back spot

He looked so calm and collected when the defence were under pressure in USA, I was most impressed with him, perhaps even more than Lewis Miley.

Sven Botman was full of praise for him too.

**SkStu** · 09/08/2023, 4:30 AM

I have seen nothing of him, absolutely nothing, so I ask this question purely out of curiosity - does he jump straight to the head of the line in terms of call ups for the Irish squad in September? Northern Ireland (Bradley, Marshall, Charles), Wales (Ampadu, Williams) and Scotland (Gilmour) have all done it with young players who are on the fringes of the first team squads or match day squads at bigger, more competitive clubs. Or does he need to prove himself a bit more first?

**pineapple stu** · 09/08/2023, 5:37 AM

I'd certainly wait and see what happens in the serious world on Saturday. If he's in the squad he may well be an option; it's a bad position for us.

If it was a false dawn and he goes back to the underage league with high praise and a comment that the manager will be watching him closely, then probably no.

**Eirambler** · 09/08/2023, 7:16 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

I have seen nothing of him, absolutely nothing, so I ask this question purely out of curiosity - does he jump straight to the head of the line in terms of call ups for the Irish squad in September? Northern Ireland (Bradley, Marshall, Charles), Wales (Ampadu, Williams) and Scotland (Gilmour) have all done it with young players who are on the fringes of the first team squads or match day squads at bigger, more competitive clubs. Or does he need to prove himself a bit more first?

It's not something we tend to do, Scotland don't generally do it either. Wales and NI do it for two reasons - lack of player depth and to try to tie dual eligible players down. We have a lot more depth available to us, albeit not necessarily depth of quality at left back.

I think the best Murphy can hope for if he stays at Newcastle this season is being a Premier League bench player who maybe gets a late run out or two in the league and starts in early round EFL cup games. The likes of Joe Hodge not getting a call-up from that position suggests that Murphy wouldn't either.

After Christmas there are a lot more variables, he might have kicked on, or gone on loan, and there will almost certainly be a new Ireland manager by then, so anything could happen at that point.

**Yard of Pace** · 09/08/2023, 9:34 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

It's not something we tend to do, Scotland don't generally do it either. Wales and NI do it for two reasons - lack of player depth and to try to tie dual eligible players down. We have a lot more depth available to us, albeit not necessarily depth of quality at left back.

I think the best Murphy can hope for if he stays at Newcastle this season is being a Premier League bench player who maybe gets a late run out or two in the league and starts in early round EFL cup games. The likes of Joe Hodge not getting a call-up from that position suggests that Murphy wouldn't either.

After Christmas there are a lot more variables, he might have kicked on, or gone on loan, and there will almost certainly be a new Ireland manager by then, so anything could happen at that point.

Remember Alan O'Brien had more caps for us than appearances for Newcastle? :-)

**samhaydenjr** · 10/08/2023, 2:42 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

I have seen nothing of him, absolutely nothing, so I ask this question purely out of curiosity - does he jump straight to the head of the line in terms of call ups for the Irish squad in September? Northern Ireland (Bradley, Marshall, Charles), Wales (Ampadu, Williams) and Scotland (Gilmour) have all done it with young players who are on the fringes of the first team squads or match day squads at bigger, more competitive clubs. Or does he need to prove himself a bit more first?

Unless he singlehandedly keeps out the Man City and Liverpool attacks over the first three games, it'd have to be a no. We have a number of uncapped players who you could say are capable of being in the squad and probably will be in the squad in the future, but should not be in the squad over our current players for the remainder of the campaign. Next realistic opportunities for those players would likely be Spring friendlies (if we don't make the play-offs), Summer friendlies (if we get knocked out in the playoffs) or Nations League (if we actually qualify), barring someone pulling an Evan Ferguson

**Fixer82** · 10/08/2023, 9:03 AM

Originally Posted by Yard of Pace

Remember Alan O'Brien had more caps for us than appearances for Newcastle? :-)

He was a speed-demon but seemed to lack confidence. I remember watching him play for Newcastle (possibly in a pre-season friendly) and nobody would pass to him. Went to Hibs I think

**Eirambler** · 10/08/2023, 9:10 AM

Yes, he was useless at Hibs too. All speed and nothing else. Only got those Ireland caps because his agent was friends with Stan or something like that I think.

**Razors left peg** · 10/08/2023, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

It's not something we tend to do, Scotland don't generally do it either. Wales and NI do it for two reasons - lack of player depth and to try to tie dual eligible players down. We have a lot more depth available to us, albeit not necessarily depth of quality at left back.

I think the best Murphy can hope for if he stays at Newcastle this season is being a Premier League bench player who maybe gets a late run out or two in the league and starts in early round EFL cup games. The likes of Joe Hodge not getting a call-up from that position suggests that Murphy wouldn't either.

After Christmas there are a lot more variables, he might have kicked on, or gone on loan, and there will almost certainly be a new Ireland manager by then, so anything could happen at that point.

Evan Ferguson was called in before he was a regular at Brighton so it's possible. As others have said let's see how the start of season goes. Lots of young players have good preseasons and are never seen again. It would be remarkable if he did get into that Newcastle squad considering the buying power they have, and if he does he has to become an option in a problem position for us

**Yard of Pace** · 10/08/2023, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

He was a speed-demon but seemed to lack confidence. I remember watching him play for Newcastle (possibly in a pre-season friendly) and nobody would pass to him. Went to Hibs I think

He was a few years behind me in primary school and if anything, he was over-confident. I remember a sour-face, clutching the ball under his arm. I didn't remember him being an outstanding footballer mind, and there were several in my school (with loads of skill and minus level application), as there is in most schools.
There was an incident where he pinched my goalkeeper gloves also. But, in fairness, he gave them back when the situation was explained by a teacher.

One of our oddest caps for Ireland.