The Irish Football Team Thread

Phew

 

Wee Mikey

 

Delighted for Mikey.

 

Kenny lives on lol

 

Not watching it but checked the flash score page to see if the wee man came on. Subbed on at half time and scores, superb

 

It's an awful game lol

 

A wins a win mate

 

Two nil ah vanillahhh

 

Anyone have a link please.

 

For what?

 

Bollocks. Thought it was the Scotland thread.

 

Wish I could disagree with you but I cannot in terms of Kenny. I will say yes this is an Irish squad bereft of very much quality but there was no excuse for that shitshow in Athens with all the time he had to prepare and yet we go out and play like scared little boys passing backwards and sideways never wanting to actually pass the ball forward and be brave on the ball which is what he was supposed to be all about.

 

Castore...a joke of a company

 

and now they have the Leinster Rugby contract as well. Looks like no Leinster or Ireland kit for me for the foreseeable. The only thing premium (as they like to refer to themselves as) about Castore is the prices they charge.

 

Unlucky for the Ghirls, they played very well against one of the best womens teams in the world

 

Have no idea if this is on Viaplay now?

Also, Kenny has no idea either

Shane Duffy and Aaron Connolly will return to the Republic of Ireland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands.

Norwich City centre-back Duffy, 31, is included for the first time in a year while Hull City forward Connolly, 23, was last selected in October 2021.

Chiedozie Ogbene, Festy Ebosele, Ryan Manning, Enda Stevens and Will Keane also return.

Stephen Kenny's side take on France in Paris on 7 September.

They will then welcome the Netherlands to Dublin's Aviva Stadium for the second match of the double-header three days later.

The Republic are third in Group B with three points from as many games, having followed up defeats by France and Greece with a 3-0 win over Gibraltar. The Netherlands are fourth with three points but have played one game fewer.

Luton forward Ogbene, 26, is recalled having missed the Greece and Gibraltar games in June with injury, while uncapped 21-year-old Ebosele earns his first call-up since June 2022 after impressing for Udinese in Serie A.

While seven players have returned, Tottenham striker Troy Parrott, currently on loan at Eredivisie side Excelsior, and Cardiff winger Callum O'Dowda have been left out.

Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Liam Scales (Celtic) and Jack Taylor (Peterborough) also miss out having been included in Kenny's previous squad.

Kenny is without Everton defender Seamus Coleman (knee), Celtic's Mikey Johnston (back) and Burnley's Michael Obafemi (hamstring) because of injury.

Wolves defender Matt Doherty is suspended for the France game after being sent off against Greece, but will be available to face the Dutch.

James McClean, 34, is retained after dropping down the English Football League ladder to join League Two's Wrexham from Wigan.

Kenny admitted it is not ideal for the man who recently won his 100th cap to be playing in the fourth tier of English football, but added that it was not a major factor in selecting him for these two games.

"I think in the long term it's not ideal," Kenny explained while announcing his squad.

"He did speak to me. His club situation - he was in a predicament and he needed to move and this was why he had accepted (Wrexham).

"Ultimately he was man-of-the-match in the last game, albeit against Gibraltar. He performed well in the last window.

"Whether he was going to be playing three or four games in League One or three or four games in League Two, I didn't think it was going to be a significant difference in the short-term of this window.

"Subsequently he has been injured and we have named three left wing-backs in the squad, so we will see."

Connolly showed 'great humility and determination'
Last September, Connolly was called up for the under-21 squad for their crunch Euro 2023 qualifying play-off against Israel, where they lost on penalties as they failed in their bid to reach the main tournament which took place this summer in Georgia and Romania.

He has been rewarded for his prolific start to the new league season with Hull which has seen him three goals from four substitute appearances in the Championship since joining Liam Rosenior's side from Brighton on a one-year contract.

"It is unusual to pick someone who has not been starting, he's not been starting for Hull, but everyone knows it hasn't been a straightforward journey for Aaron," Kenny said.

"But he showed great humility and great determination to go back to the under-21 team, playing in Israel, and playing in the play-offs.

"He's got a great manager in Liam Rosenior, who he has a very good relationship with and has been very good for him.

"His two goals against Blackburn were outstanding, really good goals. He hasn't been starting for Hull so it's not realistic to start for us, but he's shown his capacity to come on and get goals in the last couple of weeks. That's why he's included."

Republic of Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Stoke City, on loan from AFC Bournemouth).

Defenders: Matt Doherty* (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Festy Ebosele (Udinese), Enda Stevens (Stoke City), Ryan Manning (Southampton), James McClean (Wrexham), Shane Duffy (Norwich City), John Egan (Sheffield United), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O'Shea (Burnley), Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough).

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen).

Forwards: Adam Idah (Norwich City), Will Keane (Preston North End), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Aaron Connolly (Hull City), Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town).

*Suspended for match vs France

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66589425

 

Going to be 2 long watches playing the Netherlands and France away in this window next week. Might have to watch from behind the couch.