Nations League B/C Promotion/Relegation Playoffs - March 2025

[Eirambler]

We've been clever enough about quietly cap-tieing dual eligible players in the last year or so - Cannon, Azaz, Szmodics, McAteer as examples. Bringing in Vata and Abankwah now would continue that trend, it's probably a bit premature for both to be in the seniors - particularly Abankwah - but depending on how the games go there's definitely a potential opportunity to cap-tie them both here.

[rebelmusic]

I watch a lot of QPR, Dunne has only played a hand full of games in the last few years at centre back, he's definitely a right back these days. Worth a look considering our options at right back.

Purely on stats Dunne and Duffy are around the top of the charts for a lot of defensive stats. I wonder will O'Sheas influence get Duffy a call up. You'd have him over McGuiness maybe? Dunne seems to be regularly overlooked as well.

[Razors left peg]

Is Killian Phillips an outside bet for a call up? He's played pretty well against both Old Firm teams recently

[elatedscum]

I’d go for:

Kelleher
Travers
O’Leary

Doherty
Coleman/Key (can’t see Key getting the call)

Collins
O’Shea
O’Brien
Duffy
(Scales for game 2)

Brady
Manning (id be surprised if he makes it)

Cullen
Smallbone
Taylor
Finn (surprised if he makes it)
(Molumby for the second leg)

Knight
Azaz
Moran

Johnston
Robinson
Vata
Armstrong (very surprised if he makes it)

Parrot
Ferguson
Idah
Cannon

Interested to see the squad side, we’ve constantly gone with 23 man squads when our opponents are picking much bigger squads.

Bulgaria have gone for a 27 man squad without suspensions. I’ve gone for 26 for Ireland + 2 returning, but I imagine knowing HH, we’ll go for 23 and might exclude Scales and Molumby anyway.

Coleman was an unused sub last weekend and might declare himself hit to travel, although probably unlikely. If true he’s being called up, Abankwah probably comes at the expense of someone like Josh Key in my squad. I think we’ve really struggled to integrate younger fullbacks at championship level when they’re doing well, which has led to 3 or 4 of our 4 fullbacks consistently being well into their 30s (Coleman, Doherty, Brady - and recently Stevens and McClean). Danny McNamara had a period where he was playing really well and never got a call-up, Jon Gallagher was an MLS All star and didn’t get a call up and Josh Key is probably the best option at present, to at least be seen by staff. We do have centre halves who can play at full-back (O’Brien, O’Shea, Scales) but you don’t just want those type of players as your only options for full back.

On the other side, for me, Manning was good enough against Salah at the weekend, that he’d definitely make my squad. But I’d think O’Dowda is the more likely one to make it.

Can’t see Finn making the squad but he should, Taylor’s probably 50:50, as is Moran.

I think Sinclair Armstrong would give you a really unique option given there’s a lack of real power from the wing - don’t think he’s really ready but I think he has the ability to bully defenders, which without Ogbene and Ebosele, he might be able our best bet if there’s a vulnerability there…

There’s a whole other debate about who should start but that’s probably worth having once the squad has been announced…

[Razors left peg]

I'd actually forgotten about Taylor. He was excellent in the bit of a cameo he's played for us. One to keep an eye on for a start potentially. A midfield 3 of Cullen, Taylor and Azaz could be as good as we've had in a long time

[Eirambler]

Has Finn actually done anything to warrant a call-up? A handful of appearances in a league that's closer in standard to the Championship than the Premier League. He appears to have played in six league games, his team have lost five of them and he's only lasted the full 90 once. I get that players like Cullen, Smallbone, Molumby, Knight and Taylor have their limitations, but at this point I don't see that this lad has made anything close to the impact to suggest he's of the same standard as them.

[Olé Olé]

I'd actually forgotten about Taylor. He was excellent in the bit of a cameo he's played for us. One to keep an eye on for a start potentially. A midfield 3 of Cullen, Taylor and Azaz could be as good as we've had in a long time

Taylor over Knight would be harsh on Knight. One of the best midfielders in Championship behind a lad that didn't play regularly at that level and has been bit part at very best for Ipswich pending relegation. He came in and showed legs and energy against Greece. He could be fine if used in a certain way but I have to imagine that's off the bench.

[elatedscum]

Has Finn actually done anything to warrant a call-up? A handful of appearances in a league that's closer in standard to the Championship than the Premier League. He appears to have played in six league games, his team have lost five of them and he's only lasted the full 90 once. I get that players like Cullen, Smallbone, Molumby, Knight and Taylor have their limitations, but at this point I don't see that this lad has made anything close to the impact to suggest he's of the same standard as them.

i think he's a little different, a little unique, combination of size, physicality and willingness to carry or keep the ball under pressure. not sure he'd play but i think he'd be worth a call-up to see how he looks when training with the other midfielders

[Razors left peg]

Taylor over Knight would be harsh on Knight. One of the best midfielders in Championship behind a lad that didn't play regularly at that level and has been bit part at very best for Ipswich pending relegation. He came in and showed legs and energy against Greece. He could be fine if used in a certain way but I have to imagine that's off the bench.

We've seen a Cullen Knight midfield, and I think we all agree it's the weakest part of our team. It's a very very small sample size but Taylor looked good when he played.

[elatedscum]

I think we all agree it's the weakest part of our team.

i think that is the underlying thing. our midfield hasn't really functioned for any extended time period since Euro 2016. You have to be at least willing to look at guys who maybe are doing what we need at a different or lower level. Wes was playing League 1 and The SPL and was criminally overlooked because of it. So whether it's John Patrick, Luca Connell, Connor Ronan, Killian Phillips, Baba Adeeko, Bosun Lawal, Joe Hodge, Tyler Goodrham - I always think it's worth having one out of the box candidate in the squad until we find players that stick

[Razors left peg]

i think that is the underlying thing. our midfield hasn't really functioned for any extended time period since Euro 2016. You have to be at least willing to look at guys who maybe are doing what we need at a different or lower level. Wes was playing League 1 and The SPL and was criminally overlooked because of it. So whether it's John Patrick, Luca Connell, Connor Ronan, Killian Phillips, Baba Adeeko, Bosun Lawal, Joe Hodge, Tyler Goodrham - I always think it's worth having one out of the box candidate in the squad until we find players that stick

Of that list Goodrham is definitely worth looking at, but didnt he turn down call ups to the 21s? I had big hopes for Lawal this season but at this stage the lad just needs to start playing football before he can even be considered. I think the midfielders we have are playing too well for their clubs at a higher level to have lads who are only doing ok in L1 to jump over them. I said Id probably pick Taylor ahead of Knight, but I dont think you could realistically justify picking Connell ahead of either of those lads. You'd hope that Finn can make big step forward in the next year or so, and then maybe someone like Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh emerges in the Championship next season.

[Eirambler]

I still think our midfield would look a lot better if we could get back to having three players in there. We don't have good enough central midfielders to just play two. They get overrun every time. Why not try Cullen, Knight and Taylor as a starting three in Bulgaria and see how they go as a unit?

Something like:

--------------Kelleher
O'Brien Collins O'Shea Brady
----------Cullen Knight
------Azaz Taylor Johnstone
-------------Ferguson

[tetsujin1979]

Bulgaria squad was announced on Monday: https://bfunion.bg/news/50810/0
Wikipedia has the details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgar...l_team#Players
Squad is a little inexperienced, only an average of 14 and a half caps each

[SkStu]

I still think our midfield would look a lot better if we could get back to having three players in there. We don't have good enough central midfielders to just play two. They get overrun every time. Why not try Cullen, Knight and Taylor as a starting three in Bulgaria and see how they go as a unit?

Something like:

--------------Kelleher
O'Brien Collins O'Shea Brady
----------Cullen Knight
------Azaz Taylor Johnstone
-------------Ferguson

I think you would lose the best of Azaz putting him there. I'd rather something like the following

------------------Kelleher
O'Brien -- Collins -- O'Shea -- Brady/Manning
---------Taylor -- Cullen -- Knight -------------
------------------- Azaz -------------------------
---------- Ferguson -- Parrott ------------------

[third policeman]

Would go with that apart from Smallbone for Taylor

[Eirambler]

That looks good, but HH seems to like his wingers so I was trying to fit at least one in (Johnston). I had more of a free role in mind for Azaz.

[tetsujin1979]

Sinclair Armstrong to be included in the squad, according to the independent

[Olé Olé]

Sinclair Armstrong to be included in the squad, according to the independent

Must be a big squad in that case. He hasn't done much this season in terms of goals. Abankwah is another that must only be in if it's a bigger squad - can't see him overtaking too many of the other options just yet.

[Razors left peg]

Must be a big squad in that case. He hasn't done much this season in terms of goals. Abankwah is another that must only be in if it's a bigger squad - can't see him overtaking too many of the other options just yet.

Well Ferguson, Idah and Parrott are 3 guaranteed strikers. Cannon wasn't involved with club yesterday so might be injured. Connolly, Obafemi not close and Robinson is a bit meh... so even with a 4 striker squad Armstrong isn't a ridiculous call up

[elatedscum]

Sinclair Armstrong to be included in the squad, according to the independent

Called it first