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Replying To cavanman47:  "He wouldn't make the squad ahead of the 3 keepers there. They are all starting regularly for their clubs.

Ferguson, if he got a run of games and regains full fitness, might be good enough to make it. They're light on that kind of big target man after Kane.
Nathan Collins has the potential too, but if picking a 23 man england squad today, he wouldn't make it."
Be realistic, if Carsley picked a 23 man squad of defenders only and Collins was eligible he wouldn't make the cut. He's been average at best over past 18 months, Our squad is so average that qualifying for a major tournament by 2034 is extremely unlikely and that's including Euros of 32 teams. Scotland are average too but they're significantly better than us with individuals like McTominay, McGinn, Robertson, Gilmour and Armstrong. We've only got the aforementioned Collins as a regular Premiership starter.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1800 - 09/09/2024 00:33:05    2569005

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Be realistic, if Carsley picked a 23 man squad of defenders only and Collins was eligible he wouldn't make the cut. He's been average at best over past 18 months, Our squad is so average that qualifying for a major tournament by 2034 is extremely unlikely and that's including Euros of 32 teams. Scotland are average too but they're significantly better than us with individuals like McTominay, McGinn, Robertson, Gilmour and Armstrong. We've only got the aforementioned Collins as a regular Premiership starter."
It does look as if we are short on quality in recent years. All those much heralded arrivals towards the end of the Kenny era, members of his u21 squads etc, just don't seem to be able to cut it at senior international level. Our lads seem a yard off the pace and slower to think and react. The lads were continually beaten to loose balls when they seemed to have a yard or two advantage. One of them on Saturday looked as if the ball got jammed between his feet and by the time he got it out and controlled, the chance was gone. I think we are in for a prolonged barren spell at this level.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1152 - 09/09/2024 09:43:21    2569030

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The days when we shipped our brightest talents across the water for the English clubs to develop for us are over.
What with Brexit, and English clubs casting their nets all over the world for talent these days, our best young players simply don't get the same chances and opportunities as before.

Solution: Develop from within. The FAI needs more and more coaches nation wide developing our best players. There's no magic wand. It would take a good bit of investment and planning. Infrastructure would have to be improved across the country. I would even suggest 4 regional centres of excellence like the English have at St, Georges Park or the French have at Clarefontaine.

Perhaps Morocco are an even better example. After France 98 they didn;t qualify for another World Cup until 2018, and they missed a few AFCONs in that time as well. So they got their act together and their various national teams are now prospering. Whether the FAI & government would have the gumption or competence to do something similar is doubtful though.

https://www.fifa.com/en/news/articles/reasons-behind-the-revolution-of-moroccan-football#:~:text=Moroccan%20football%20has%20prospered%20in,%E2%84%A2%2C%20and%20the%20U%2D23s

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9438 - 09/09/2024 11:43:56    2569050

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "The days when we shipped our brightest talents across the water for the English clubs to develop for us are over.
What with Brexit, and English clubs casting their nets all over the world for talent these days, our best young players simply don't get the same chances and opportunities as before.

Solution: Develop from within. The FAI needs more and more coaches nation wide developing our best players. There's no magic wand. It would take a good bit of investment and planning. Infrastructure would have to be improved across the country. I would even suggest 4 regional centres of excellence like the English have at St, Georges Park or the French have at Clarefontaine.

Perhaps Morocco are an even better example. After France 98 they didn;t qualify for another World Cup until 2018, and they missed a few AFCONs in that time as well. So they got their act together and their various national teams are now prospering. Whether the FAI & government would have the gumption or competence to do something similar is doubtful though.

https://www.fifa.com/en/news/articles/reasons-behind-the-revolution-of-moroccan-football#:~:text=Moroccan%20football%20has%20prospered%20in,%E2%84%A2%2C%20and%20the%20U%2D23s"
You're right but none of that will happen until the Irish football public realises that there is a link between us continually pumping millions and millions of Euro into the British Football Economy and our decline at international level. No other country has fallen as far in the FIFA rankings as Ireland in the past 30 years I think.

Over the past 30 years we've part-funded the improvements made in England.

We'll continue to decline in my opinion, unless there is a major cultural shift in Irish soccer fandom. Even with a perfectly run FAI, it doesn't really matter if there is no money in the Irish football industry.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13776 - 09/09/2024 12:30:37    2569064

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Be realistic, if Carsley picked a 23 man squad of defenders only and Collins was eligible he wouldn't make the cut. He's been average at best over past 18 months, Our squad is so average that qualifying for a major tournament by 2034 is extremely unlikely and that's including Euros of 32 teams. Scotland are average too but they're significantly better than us with individuals like McTominay, McGinn, Robertson, Gilmour and Armstrong. We've only got the aforementioned Collins as a regular Premiership starter."
I would say we would qualify for a Euro finals with 32 teams in the timeline you've given. But it won't mean a thing. It would just mean we would get beaten in nearly every game and finish bottom of the group. When the Euro finals goes to 32 team the first group phase will be a borefest until teams at our level are knocked out. But I suppose "the best fans in the world" will have mighty craic on the beer and that's all it will be about.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1943 - 09/09/2024 13:07:42    2569072

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I don't understand how Robbie Brady gets near this team, he's there for set pieces it seems mainly and he can't even beat the first man when taking a corner or free.

For a big man Idah is very easily shunted off the ball.

Coleman and Doherty are finished too.

eslinchickenmaryland (Leitrim) - Posts: 200 - 10/09/2024 11:40:19    2569232

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Replying To eslinchickenmaryland:  "I don't understand how Robbie Brady gets near this team, he's there for set pieces it seems mainly and he can't even beat the first man when taking a corner or free.

For a big man Idah is very easily shunted off the ball.

Coleman and Doherty are finished too."
Doherty has been poor for years. Coleman still worth his place.

Agreed re Idah. Somedays he looks really strong and others, like Saturday, he can't hold it up at all. I think it could be more touch related the strength. His first touch isn't great and therefore he is off balance trying to control it so not able to use his size.

U21 game is live tonight. Some great prospects there, but like any underage team you will still only get 2 or 3 from them.

The promising thing is, all our underage are doing well now so hopefully we will get the 2 or 3 every year.

That is why our senior team is poor. There was a number of years we produced no one and that will take time to work its way out of the system.

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1881 - 10/09/2024 12:13:17    2569241

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