Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

Gusser09

Pickford is an average goalie though and not really an upgrade on Lloris. I'd think Ramsdale will be breathing down his neck now for the England No1 spot.

Would be great to see Kelleher getting a chance in the PL or one of the top divisions in Europe next year but it's hard to see with his lack of experience. Not getting a loan move earlier in his career might hurt him in that regard. He is 25 this year and has played how many senior football games? 20?. He could very well end up in the Championship next season. As long as it's a club who are challenging for promotion it's not the end of the world. But there is warning there. Look what happened to Travers. Clubs are fickle and will make young goalies the scapegoat.

Regular football at Championship level is a must and if he could even seal a loan move this month all the better.

Brock Turnpike

That Aidan Fitzmaurice article is nonsense. Spurs sack off their world cup winning goalkeeper and replace him with a young lad that has barely played any senior games? What is he smoking?

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120981#Comment_120120981

Agreed Kellehers best bet is a lower table premier league team like Bazunu and even that's optimistic given his lack of gametime impressive enough and all as his cameos have been

johnnyryan89

Collins, Hodge, and Kelleher start in the FA cup reply.

~Rebel~

Obafemi not in Swansea's squad tonight, wonder if that Burnley move is coming closer.

johnnyryan89

Hasn't been in any squads. Manager just not picking him anymore it seems with him not wanting to be there because he wants players fully committed and putting the effort in.

He'll be a Burnley player before the window closes but won't have played a game since the November internationals. Will take him awhile to get up to speed.

franglan

Hodge getting minutes regularly he should be in March's squad shouldnt he be really? Think he deserves to make the squad on merit in a position where he offers value to any squad named.

Dr. Bre

Kevin Long has scored for Birmingham

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120121273#Comment_120121273

It's very optimistic when you look at the options already available to these clubs. Gavin had good experience albeit in the lower leagues before making the step up to Southampton and that really hasn't gone great so far. It hasn't been a disaster either though. He's lucky in that McCarthy is a poor replacement and Caballero is about 90.

All of the PL clubs at this stage have really strong options. Even Palace has Sam Johnstone on the bench. West Ham have Areola for example. All tried and tested goalies.

Can't see him being a number 1 at a PL club next season and he might be better of staying at Pool sitting on the bench there.

johnnyryan89

https://twitter.com/mcgrathmike/status/1615669486195208192

Connor Ronan to move stateside potentially.

Justin Ferizaj is apparently training with Spurs this weekend ahead of a potential move from Rovers.

Pogue eile

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120123547#Comment_120123547

Staying at Liverpool on the bench any longer would be madness, Allison is only 30 and is going nowhere, Kelleher needs to get to hell out of there, despite whatever rubbish Klopp has filled his head with. People are always saying 'oh but he learning of the best in the world' even if that were true, how about learning from the fact that when Allison was Kellehers age he had made over 115 Senior appearances. A nice cheap 6k a week, suits Liverpool perfect.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124221#Comment_120124221

Totally agree. But zero point moving somewhere else to be second fiddle either. He's looking at championship or abroad.

yabadabado

He needs to get a move and be first choice.Championship most likely destination and would be nothing wrong with that.

Hes had 30 senior apprences at club/country.

He would have been much better off if followed a similar route as Bazunu 3 years ago.

Gusser09

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/league-one-outfit-barnsley-swoop-for-shamrock-rovers-defender-barry-cotter-42295580.html

That's a solid move for Barry and it was probably now or never to get back to the UK. 20K is a pittance as usual though.

Best of luck to the lad.

johnnyryan89

https://twitter.com/mcgrathmike/status/1615707704470765569

Connor Ronan off to Colorado.

Gusser09

That's left field. Did not see that coming at all.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124881#Comment_120124881

They're current captain was signed from Wolves five years ago. Might have played a part in putting Ronan on Colorado's radar. Just see there one of the top lads in the club is Irish. Padraig Smith, was sporting director for awhile and has been executive VP and General Manger the last five years.

If the choices of where you'll be living are possibly Cardiff, Huddersfield, or Colorado he definitely made the right choice. MLS has improved and Argentina even had a MLS based player at the WC for them so if he hits the ground running and impressing there's no reason he shouldn't get a call up for us.

Gusser09

The MLS is definitely of a high enough standard for him to make the breakthrough at international level. It's also a league where you'd wonder if the FAI are keeping a close eye on potential eligibility of players. I know a lot will be generations out but it's no harm in keeping an eye on it. Players that the states might miss or players that feel Irish and all of that carry on.

Mervyn Skidmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125364#Comment_120125364

Any American good enough for us is probably good enough to make an appearance for their national team though. Much higher chance of playing in a world cup with the USA too which is pretty much the pinnacle of international football.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124260#Comment_120124260

He is already abroad 😋

It is only Liverpool fans that think he should stay at the club. I have yet to see anyone objective say that he is doing his career any good there.

Gusser09

Docherty benched for spurs

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131262#Comment_120131262

https://twitter.com/AlasdairGold/status/1616162638488035330

..

johnnyryan89

https://twitter.com/YesWeCrann/status/1616340042980409345

..

PTH2009

Any idea when/if the tickets for the French game in March will go on sale ??

yabadabado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120134921#Comment_120134921

I think its usually 4/5 weeks before the game.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120134905#Comment_120134905

Football really important for him but yeh a move back to L1 wouldn't be ideal. Should be able to secure a championship loan move.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120135477#Comment_120135477

Would be a good replacement for McGuinness if Sheffield Wednesday could get him. Definitely needs a championship loan to get himself a decent championship loan next season. If he's this far down pecking order atm it won't improve much when they get promoted. Standard Liege supposedly interested in him along with Rotherham and Wigan.

johnnyryan89

https://twitter.com/echolivecork/status/1616145733203398657

Irish contingent at Brighton gets bigger. O'Mahony, Furlong, Moran, and Mullins in the U21s and Ferguson with the seniors. If Ferizaj were to leave Rovers this month would rather see him join someone like Brighton than Spurs.

Dr. Bre

Smallbone scores

johnnyryan89

Browne scored with a Brady assist. Tom Cannon starts up front with Delap and Parrott on the bench.

dr.kenneth noisewater

McGuiness into the starting lineup for Cardiff

maximus15

belter of a header young fergie

Mr.Nice Guy

Cracking header from that way out.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139203#Comment_120139203

Three goals and two assists in around 200 mins of PL football.

Finn Azaz with two more assists today since coming back from injury.

AlmightyCushion

Did any one watch the Brighton game? How did Welbeck play compared to Ferguson? Was Ferguson the better player?

johnnyryan89

Ian Wright is a fan of the kid:

“I watched him against Everton, he scored against Arsenal,” said the BBC pundit, in a brilliant interview on an episode of Second Captains. “What happens when you see a striker like that, it does make you think ‘yes… old-school centre-forward,’ but what I liked about him is that he’s aggressive.

“Against Everton, he was having it with [James] Tarkowski and with [Conor] Coady and I liked that straight off the bat. He smashed someone off the ball, he linked the play really well, he made a great move for his goal and the other goal.”

“I hope that he gets to play regularly and Brighton start playing to his strengths and get him involved more,” he adds. “I’d get the ball into him as soon as possible through those lines, because he links the play very well, he’s got very intelligent movement in that last third, and he wants to get into the box.

“That’s what I would do. You look at him – he’s good in the air, he’s good on the floor, he make good movement in the box, so he’s somebody who has got all the attributes.

“Now how can we get it to him quicker? I’m not saying Brighton have to launch it but they’ve got another option now if he’s playing.

“They could play it through like we saw them do to Liverpool the other day, cut them to pieces, or they can go direct, get it into him, he can link play, people can go beyond him.

“They could do so many things with a striker who has got the capabilities that he’s got. He’s got everything. He’s got the size, he’s got the touch, he’s got the shooting power, he’s got the movement in the box.”

glenjamin

It's mad to think Ferguson is still only 18 and won't be turning 19 until October. If he doesn't end up with the bad luck injuries that effected Idah and Obafemi at a young age then the lad is destined for great things.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139504#Comment_120139504

He doesn’t seem phased at all. Hopefully Ferguson is an old head on young shoulders type. A striker of quality like that suddenly makes Kenny’s tactics much more viable. Get a goal and keep ball for long periods.

Would like to see him get established at Brighton plenty of managed game time No point in moving to a big club too early getting less pitch time.

Robbie Keane was smart enough to go the Wolves - Coventry route for game time.

But Liverpool stalled him a bit, to me shows grass is not always greener.

Mr.Nice Guy

Not even Benzema could make Kenny's 'tactics' work. The biggest detriment to the young lad's development will be having to be saddled with this 27%-win rate, disaster of a coaching staff.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139598#Comment_120139598

Robbie was 28 when he moved to Liverpool (and only for 6 months), so I'm not sure it really impacted his development all that much 😅

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139690#Comment_120139690

The national team play about 10 times a year over a handful of narrow windows. You really think that is going to have a big impact to his development? The only way I could see it happening is if he gets badly injured on international duty and is out for a long time.

LowOdour

All good teams have a quality spine to their team.

I hate talking about potential because it can often be a false dawn, but will be interesting to look back in 4 years at the 22/23 season to see if and how this spine has developed

Bazunu, Collins, Hodge, Ferguson

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139690#Comment_120139690

Take a day off for God's sake Mr Misery guts

Let us enjoy a young Irish player doing well in the premier league without shoehorning in your dislike for Kenny

johnnyryan89

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/joe-hodge-let-me-be-clear-i-only-want-to-play-for-ireland-w0nl8fl3x

Is there any chance that he might “do a Declan”?

“No, I only want to play for Ireland.”

Hand on your heart?

“Hand on my heart. I don’t have a problem saying that I want to play for Ireland. I am clear on it. I don’t have a problem coming to do an interview like this because I am not fazed by that question. Up until I was 16 I played for both and never turned down a call up, but when I had the choice I picked Ireland and I wouldn’t turn back on that.”

Does the question annoy you?

“I don’t get too much of it. I think all the lads on the Under 21s know that I’m committed to playing for Ireland, but yeah it does get annoying because I have never given any suggestion that I would play for England. I have never turned down a call up for Ireland or done anything like that.”

Hodge and Kenny share the same Dublin-based agent and should have plenty more in common before too long. On Friday, perhaps the Ireland manager wanted to congratulate him on the new Wolves contract he is signing or perhaps it was to sound him out about a senior call up for the internationals in March – or possibly both. Either way, Kenny is keen to keep him on side. Eyebrows were raised when Hodge wasn’t included in the last senior squad back in November, but not by the player himself.

“Hopefully Stephen picks me,” says Hodge. “If he doesn’t then it doesn’t change anything for me. I will keep working hard and try to get in the squad and, if that doesn’t work, then get in the squad after that.”

HalloweenJack

Good to see Ferguson having a good run but didn't Connolly make a decent impact at the start (two goals in a win against Spurs, iirc)? It's way too eearly to be getting ahead of ourselves.

Brock Turnpike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140863#Comment_120140863

Ferguson's start is much more consistent than Connolly's. Connolly scored twice against Spurs and then scored sporadically for the rest of his time at Brighton.

Ferguson has three goals and two assits in 200 mins of football.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140677#Comment_120140677

Southgate must be bawling his eyes out now. He had Hodge set to captain England to World Cup and Euro glory.

pjohnson

Speaking of Wolves Dawson has joined them hopefully to replace Kilman rather than Collins.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140926#Comment_120140926

Another two goals this season and he'll already be level with PL goals scored by Connolly.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140863#Comment_120140863

Connolly's impact was literally only at the start. Thats why he got the tattoo to commemorate it. That was as good as it got.