FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[Hound]

To be fair, I think he went to Euros to gain experience / help with training and small sided games etc.  He was in 3 senior squads though and would have been tied to NI if he played even a couple of mins.

The question in my mind is what would he have done if Michael O'Neill called him to go on as a substitute in one of those qualifiers?

For someone whose underage caps were a product out of compulsion/necessity and whose ultimate aim was to play for the Republic, it was a precarious position to put himself into.

/Jim.

Rice and Grealish were the same. If only Martin o Neil brought them on when 6-0 up against Gibraltar or something might have saved a lot of nonsense

I'm glad he didnt.

When they declared for England, it showed where their loyalties really lay.

They'll get their half dozen caps for England, then drift off into obscurity, never to be seen again on the international stage.

Rice will get at least 30 caps, Grealish might get feck all, although a move to a big club would change that.
They were young and got their heads turned by agents saying playing with England will ensure bigger club contracts and higher likelihood of big transfers. We don't have the full story but it seems like MON could easily have locked in Rice and Roy gets some blame for supposedly insulting Grealish's father during the conversations.
If they were playing regularly for Ireland, they'd be our two best players, Rice would be our next captain and they'd likely have higher profiles.
And they'd be trying every bit as hard in a green jersey as they would in a white one.
But spilt milk and all that, we have to move on.
Sure if Jim Stynes had stayed in Dublin, we'd have done the five in a row from 92-96, but you have to make the best of what you have 😜

[Billys Boots]

Rice warmed up in the qualifier against Moldova with 15 mins left (and 2-0 up), but wasn't brought on.  It was that close.

[caprea]

Rice warmed up in the qualifier against Moldova with 15 mins left (and 2-0 up), but wasn't brought on.  It was that close.

He wasn't even in the squad you mad eejit.

[Billys Boots]

Rice warmed up in the qualifier against Moldova with 15 mins left (and 2-0 up), but wasn't brought on.  It was that close.

He wasn't even in the squad you mad eejit.

Sorry, I'm raving ...

[Main Street]

Rice warmed up in the qualifier against Moldova with 15 mins left (and 2-0 up), but wasn't brought on.  It was that close.

He wasn't even in the squad you mad eejit.

Sorry, I'm raving ...

I'll rave that Rice has been capped competively for England at least 4 times including a game against Moldova.

[Capt Pat]

Adam Idah starts up front for Ireland against Bulgaria in the nations league tonight. Connolly starts as well.

[macdanger2]

Adam Idah starts up front for Ireland against Bulgaria in the nations league tonight. Connolly starts as well.

Big call on the front three, esp when Obafemi is left sitting at home. Hopefully we'll make a good start to the Kenny era

[Hound]

Adam Idah starts up front for Ireland against Bulgaria in the nations league tonight. Connolly starts as well.

Big call on the front three, esp when Obafemi is left sitting at home. Hopefully we'll make a good start to the Kenny era

Didn't someone else even get called up when a forward replacement was required? Sean Maguire I think. Oba's tweet was not a good idea.

I think the front 3 are ahead of him anyway, albeit very marginally and lots can change, and I haven't seen enough of them to say that with conviction.

Happy to see Doherty get a start. Coleman has been super but Doherty is surely ahead of him now.

The midfield trio are quality players, but they can all be shite on their day too. Hope they do the job.

[weareros]

Lucky not to have got caught on the break there a few times. Need at least one taller striker up front.

[BennyCake]

Is this on tv?

[seafoid]

Is this on tv?

sky

[Capt Pat]

We have fallen behind. I wonder if we might see Parrott brought on.

[An Watcher]

Parrott not there, injured

[weareros]

Duffy to the rescue again.

[macdanger2]

Nice to get the draw and the performance was light years ahead of what we've seen in recent years. Our passing needs to be much quicker though