Republic of Ireland V Greece - Friday, 13th October 2023 - Euro 2024 Qualifier

**tetsujin1979** · 05/10/2023, 1:37 PM

Originally Posted by elatedscum

Weirdly the examiner reported last night that Jake O’Brien was likely to get a call up and BBC text says he has been called up…

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67017953

What's really weird is that he's not in the squad list at the bottom of the page, probably copied from somewhere

**weldoninhio** · 05/10/2023, 1:37 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

Kelleher injured apparently.
McClean not in squad though he said his last appearance will be V NZ

No mention of an injury on Liverpool's injured list for tonights game.

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/liv...d-availability

Edit: Just seen it's happened in the last few hours.

**Stuttgart88** · 05/10/2023, 1:40 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Perhaps there'll be the usual about Szmodics

There's more SS in Dublin 4 private schools.

**Razors left peg** · 05/10/2023, 3:30 PM

I had a whole rant written about the recall of Robinson while others omitted, but I deleted it cos honestly whats the fcuking point. Can we just move on to the next manager.

**tommy_c12000** · 05/10/2023, 3:31 PM

Bizarre injury history with Kelleher

**backstothewall** · 05/10/2023, 3:48 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

I had a whole rant written about the recall of Robinson while others omitted, but I deleted it cos honestly whats the fcuking point. Can we just move on to the next manager.

I feel the same. I've tickets and I'm not travelling down. Better things to be doing than watching any more of Stephen Kenny's Ireland. I'll go to the NZ game, but that's out of respect for McClean.

**Paddy Garcia** · 05/10/2023, 5:03 PM

No surprise, but the exclusion of Szmodics is an inane act of self harm.

**SkStu** · 05/10/2023, 5:06 PM

Is he maybe not qualified for us after all? Or is he sulking or does he have beef with Kenny for being omitted in some of last years squads? It makes no sense that he doesnt get a call-up and it never seems to get raised in the media.

**seanfhear** · 05/10/2023, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

the aul arse splinters can be torture alright... (joke, joke, pool fans, chill)

They are probably made of some sort of composite material these days ! ! !

**Razors left peg** · 05/10/2023, 5:23 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Is he maybe not qualified for us after all? Or is he sulking or does he have beef with Kenny for being omitted in some of last years squads? It makes no sense that he doesnt get a call-up and it never seems to get raised in the media.

Szmodics being left out doesnt particularly bother me, he plays as a striker more than midfielder and honestly despite his goals this season I dont think hes particularly good. That said, for the life of me I cant understand why its not the 1st question at the press conference today. Its a legitimate question to ask about why hes not involved at all.

**mark12345** · 05/10/2023, 5:24 PM

Get your lazers out lads (joking) for the Greece game. Just watching AEK Athens play Ajax. Ajax win a penalty and the lad steps up. Nothing but Lazer beams in his face. Reminded me of when we played Greece a few months ago. What are FIFA going to do?

**third policeman** · 05/10/2023, 6:08 PM

We may disagree about Kelleher, but I couldn't have put it better myself. This window is an utterly unnecessary coda to the most disastrous episode in Irish football history. We'd have been better off appointing a caretaker - a literal caretaker in a brown coat with a brazier and a flat cap, than keeping Kenny in post. Not even sure I can watch it

**elatedscum** · 06/10/2023, 4:56 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Szmodics being left out doesnt particularly bother me, he plays as a striker more than midfielder and honestly despite his goals this season I dont think hes particularly good. That said, for the life of me I cant understand why its not the 1st question at the press conference today. Its a legitimate question to ask about why hes not involved at all.

“I’ve been to see Blackburn quite a few times. The player that has caught my attention the most has been Andy Moran,”
“He has been absolutely terrific in both Blackburn’s games last week. He was very close to being called up. Physically, when you step up to international football, as we found with some of the young players, physically it is a big jump."
“Andy Moran will definitely have a good career for Ireland, he will definitely be a senior international player, he is going to be an excellent player. He is something different, a dribbler from midfield who opens up the game and someone I’m really impressed with. Sammie Szmodics is obviously a versatile player; he played centre-forward the other day, he plays in midfield, he plays on the left. He is unfortunate."
“We just decided, really… he’s not going to start the game. I felt, not to make any changes in relation to new players coming into the squad. I know he has probably played more than, say, Callum Robinson, who has only come back recently. But Callum knows exactly how we play, we’ve three days to prepare for the game against Greece and we want to make sure that everyone knows exactly where we are. I just don’t want any more changes because we have had a lot of change.”

**third policeman** · 06/10/2023, 5:08 PM

Originally Posted by elatedscum

“But Callum knows exactly how we play, we’ve three days to prepare for the game against Greece and we want to make sure that everyone knows exactly where we are. I just don’t want any more changes because we have had a lot of change.”

What an utterly idiotic quote from Kenny. Calum knows exactly how we play. We lose! And of course, let’s not have any more change, it’s all going swimmingly. This has got to be the end.

**Razors left peg** · 06/10/2023, 5:53 PM

Originally Posted by elatedscum

“I’ve been to see Blackburn quite a few times. The player that has caught my attention the most has been Andy Moran,”
“He has been absolutely terrific in both Blackburn’s games last week. He was very close to being called up. Physically, when you step up to international football, as we found with some of the young players, physically it is a big jump."
“Andy Moran will definitely have a good career for Ireland, he will definitely be a senior international player, he is going to be an excellent player. He is something different, a dribbler from midfield who opens up the game and someone I’m really impressed with. Sammie Szmodics is obviously a versatile player; he played centre-forward the other day, he plays in midfield, he plays on the left. He is unfortunate."
“We just decided, really… he’s not going to start the game. I felt, not to make any changes in relation to new players coming into the squad. I know he has probably played more than, say, Callum Robinson, who has only come back recently. But Callum knows exactly how we play, we’ve three days to prepare for the game against Greece and we want to make sure that everyone knows exactly where we are. I just don’t want any more changes because we have had a lot of change.”

A rambling word salad of absolute nonsense. As Ive said numerous times I dont particularly rate Szmodics but you'd think a little bit of self preservation would come in to play for Kenny. Call him up, have a look at him in training and who knows he might be better than you think. But then to add the crap about Robinson knowing how we play etc is just b0ll0cks of the highest order. We arent prime Barcelona or Man City where its so different that an adjustment period might be needed. Just go out and play football ffs, put best players on pitch and play.

**tetsujin1979** · 06/10/2023, 6:29 PM

He doesn't actually answer the question he was asked either.

**MylesNotMiley** · 06/10/2023, 7:14 PM

Originally Posted by third policeman

What an utterly idiotic quote from Kenny. Calum knows exactly how we play. We lose! And of course, let’s not have any more change, it’s all going swimmingly. This has got to be the end.

It just goes to show that Kenny is quite happy with the way we're playing and has no plans to change.

His removal can't come soon enough IMO.

**Razors left peg** · 06/10/2023, 8:49 PM

Kenny talking earlier about Robinson knows how we play etc.... in the Dutch game Sinclair Armstrong came into squad for 1st time and yet came on the pitch when Aaron Connolly didn't. That was kinda strange in itself, but how do u then justify leaving players out and saying Robinson knows our game

**CraftyToePoke** · 06/10/2023, 9:37 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Kenny talking earlier about Robinson knows how we play etc.... in the Dutch game Sinclair Armstrong came into squad for 1st time and yet came on the pitch when Aaron Connolly didn't. That was kinda strange in itself, but how do u then justify leaving players out and saying Robinson knows our game

The method is hard to distinguish, and things are not going well but he seems stubborn to certain changes or evolution, even in the last chance saloon, which he is lucky to still be in, there is a reluctance to roll the dice, when he actually has nothing to lose by doing so. Hendrick was picked last time when not playing but not this time when he is playing ( I don't want Hendrick there but can't see how these decisions are made ) Parrott, he picked when things were ropey in the players career & was rewarded, but he has two from two in Holland at the moment & isn't selected. Omobamidele isn't playing or even in the Forest matchday squads, but he's in and players playing week in week out are not, McGuinness, McNally, McLoughlin. Omobamidele didn't make the previous squad and hasn't played since, Lenihan did and has played since, so what has changed ? Johnston doesn't play, Robinson does recently but hasn't scored. Szmodicz plays and scores, Moran we should be glad he's doing so well in a first loan and looking to bed him in immediately as what he does is what we struggle so badly at.

I don't see any method or consistency in how its being done. & then there's the spiel about knowing the system & how we play today, when as you say Armstrong was put straight in from the 21s V Holland.