Slovakia v Ireland - Euro 2021 Play-Off Semi-Final - Thursday October 8

Sport
61

They took something that was beautiful and they destroyed it. Greed ruins all. Games gone.

62

i agree he absolutely is but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is ready either , its more a reflection on the poverty of resources that are available to us- in an ideal scenario , he’d be in the 21s with idah

63

ah would you stop. They aren’t ready?

Connolly is 20 and has 2 or 3 years training with the first team in Brighton
Idah is 19 and is with the first team in Norwich for similar

Ready. For fuck sake

They aren’t good enough

64

Aye, fuck em. They’ve been tried and tested. Dump them. Lets get the next lads up off our neverending production line.

65

Connolly is absolutely good enough for this Ireland team and is one of our better players

Also it’s just a strange point in general. If you’re not good enough at 19 or 20 then you won’t ever be good enough?

66

Will Idah be able to get us the same amount of goals Didsy did?

67

Thats a tough target for him to aim for, but he’s game I’d same.

Granted, you could have thrown that at any striker who came up around the first few years of Aldo’s career too.

68

@mickee321 made the argument they aren’t ready. That’s bollox. If they aren’t ready now after 2/3years playing first team football then they won’t ever be ready

Connolly is all about pace and being busy. He isn’t going to get faster or busier. He’s very limited
Idah absolutely is not good enough for international football.

69

Connolly can only improve tho. Plenty of lads his age still not playing regular first team football who’ll have decent careers.

70

That’s complete nonsense. Idah has started 1 league game for Norwich. Connolly probably 20 or so for Brighton. Most of our players don’t usually start making any impact until they’re about 25

You look at everything through the lens of being a Man City supporter and seeing world class players every week. We are Ireland, we have what we have

71

Spock has ruined Connolly and Idah. They were the future a few months back and now they aren’t good enough

3 Likes
72

So Idah isn’t good enough for Norwich but he is good enough to start at international level?
I judge players with my eyes mate.

Connolly has pace and is busy. He has no first touch and will never be involved in the build up play because he isn’t a very good ball player. I’ve never seen him taking a man on, the only way he can get in behind is a through ball. Not something we do very often. He can’t really cross the ball so is pretty useless playing out wide. He can’t head the ball. No good for a set piece. He won’t ever play up front on his own as he is too small.

Idah is a big lad that can’t really hold the ball up.

If you are saying they aren’t ready now, then they’ll never be ready

73

I never said he was good enough to start for Ireland. He isn’t. He’s 19 though and will most likely improve and could be good enough in the future. Instead you’re going with the line that if he’s not good enough at 19 he’ll never be good enough.

If you’ve never seen Connolly take a man on you must be blind or not have watched him much. His touch is fine as well.

Connolly is ready to start for Ireland now, Idah isn’t. It’s such a weird point you’re making here. If someone isn’t good enough at 19 they’ll never be good enough. How many Ireland internationals even get their debuts before they are 20? About 1% I’d say

74

i don’t see it. Maybe I’m wrong.
Things like first touch don’t really improve at the age he is now.

I think he is very limited

75

He’s in competition for the role with McClean, who is limited

76

I don’t agree but even if I did, limited compared to who? James McClean, Callum Robinson, Callum O’Dowda?

77

I’m speaking about these 2 specific players. @mickee321 said they aren’t ready. I said they aren’t good enough.
I never said they’d never be good enough. I said if they aren’t ready now they’d never be ready

ready implies some mental or physical limitation that they need to work on. If they aren’t “ready” after 2/3 years training as professionals then they’ll never be ready

I personally don’t think Idah will ever be good enough. Connolly is handy but if the pace goes he has nothing. He has the first touch of a lorry.

78

Its a hell of a rollercoaster being the saviours of Irish football.

79

Robinson and O’Dowda can both link the play and get involved in a game, and can both whip a ball and beat a man. Connolly can run fast. I’d start both those ahead of him. McLean is effective on the left because he can whip a ball and will do a good professional job up and down. Connoly’s work rate leaves a lot to be desired off the ball.

Those three aren’t dependent on a flick over the top or a ball in behind to get involved.

80

I think there is going to be carnage with Covid after the international break, lads testing positive for all over the place after travelling to link up with their squads.