Hodge has been really impressive in the second half so far.
Lol he actually gave a yellow for that free…
Hope this ref sleeps well tonight knowing he ruined a u21 friendly because of his political beliefs…
Hodge has been really impressive in the second half so far.
Uhhh what a ****ing goal from Kenny!!!
Very enjoyable 2nd half especially. I thought we were poor in 1st half even before the nonsensical red card.
Lawal was excellent before going off injured. Hodge has a bit of class about him. Kenny and Armstrong both brilliant after coming on.
Was great to see full house at the game, looked like a great atmosphere and the players werent pulling any punches. Didnt feel like a friendly
That was an amazing attendance alright for a friendly underage intl, was it more than you'd get in Tallaght for a group qualifier?
enjoyable game to go to hopefully they have some of the quals down here though im not sure does TC meet the criteria?
hodge lawal cannon moran all standouts. curtis had a howling first 25 but grew into it. god i cant wait to see what path moran takes, looks like a real player already. the caveat being its "only" u21s but i'll get excited anyway.
If they do have more games in Cork hopefully they can do better with the pitch. Was in poor nick today. Might even make the trip down for a couple since it's also a chance to grab some Hillbillys too ?
I think those 4 were the standouts for me too and I’d add Garcia-McNulty to the list too. I’d fancy them all to come good in some way. The commentators weren’t too keen on Phillips but I also think there’s a really good player in there too. Armstrong too actually, first time I’d seen him outside of highlights and he made his mark. There’s a good chunk of talent there where you’d have good cause for optimism/giddiness.
One good thing with the current U21s is one small tweak and the starting XI we named today comfortably changes to a 3-4-2-1.
Even when you look at the defence for the current U19s you've got Abankwah and Murphy who'll likely move up, well Abankwah surely will, and both players cover WB, FB, and CB. Similar to today's FBs who cover WB, FB, and CB so gives you a flexible defence that can switch mid game from one formation to another.
They should play the qualifiers there in that case.
I wonder what's next for Moran if he can't break into a fairly stacked Brighton team? He doesn't strike me as the type that would suit the rough and tumble of the Championship or League 1. Ship him off to Belgium or somewhere for a six month loan maybe?
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
A loan aboard could definitely be an option as they've a few players on loan with clubs on the continent and Bloom does own Union SG in Belgium where they've sent a few players over the last few years.
Matt Healy, currently on loan with Cork City, has been released by Ipswich Town (EADT, today).
U21s are off to Austria next month for a ten day training camp which includes three games.
Ireland Under-21s International Friendly Fixtures (venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)
Tuesday, June 13 | Ireland U21 v Gabon U23
Friday, June 16 | Ukraine U21 v Ireland U21
Monday, June 19 | Ireland U21 v Kuwait U22
Killian Phillips (Crystal Palace) caught the eye in his half a season on loan at Shrewsbury, becoming their 'Young Player of the Season'. He is now interesting Coventry, Stoke and Luton, according to Coventry Live today.
No Tom Cannon but good to see some new faces with nine players getting their first call up.
Ireland Under-21s Squad
Goalkeepers:
Tiernan Brooks (Notts County), Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Josh Keeley (Tottenham Hotspur)
Defenders:
James Abankwah (Udinese), Tayo Adaramola (Crystal Palace), Sam Curtis (St. Patrick’s Athletic) James Furlong (Brighton & Hove Albion), Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (Wolfsburg), Sean Grehan (Crystal Palace), Connor O’Riordan (Crewe Alexandra), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)
Midfielders:
Darragh Burns (MK Dons), Jack Henry-Francis (Arsenal), Joe Hodge (Wolves), Bosun Lawal (Celtic), Ed McJannet (Lecce), Killian Phillips (Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Celtic) Harry Vaughan (Hull City)
Forwards:
Sinclair Armstrong (QPR), Conor Carty (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Dylan Duffy (Lincoln City), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers, on loan from Celtic), Andrew Moran (Brighton & Hove Albion), Armstrong Oko-Flex (West Ham United), Ollie O’Neill (Derry City, on loan from Fulham)
Nice to see Vaughan Vata & Abankwah. Anselmo Garcia MacNulty also.
Does anybody have a link or the full wording of the press conference ?
What was said about Cannon particularly, someone elsewhere said Crawford mentioned he was injured but officially remains on standby for the seniors also (?). His Insta has him at a big concert a few days ago with his girl so the sore throat can't be so bad.
Stephen Kenny Saviour, Leader, Winner, An Autobiography - In All Good Bookstores Now
Is Festy fit? Another notable absence from both squads.
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