Liverpool FC will open their 2015/16 Europa League campaign against Bordeaux, and manager Brendan Rodgers has included several youth team members in his matchday squad, including Dublin born defender Daniel Cleary. Cleary made his Liverpool debut recently during preseason in a friendly against a Malaysian XI select side, and also appeared in their friendly game against Swindon. Should Cleary make his competitive debut for the reds, he will be the first Irish born academy graduate to do so since Richie Partridge.
While it's encouraging to see a young Irish player making progress, it's puzzling that he hasn't been included in an Irish underage squad for some time. U19 manager Paul Doolin last included Cleary in a squad for two friendlies against the Mexican U20 side in May 2014, but he only played the second game, a 2-0 loss in Dalymount Park.
Cleary was omitted from the following U19 squad, the elite level qualifiers against Iceland, Turkey and Serbia. Strangely, these qualifiers were the last appearance of Cleary's Liverpool teammate Alex O'Hanlon, who signed for Liverpool at 15 after being linked with a host of top clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid and Chelsea! Both Cleary and O'Hanlon have appeared regularly for Liverpool since then, including scoring in the UEFA Youth League last season, so why have they not been selected for any of the national side's underage squads?
Similarly, defender Corey Whelan has not appeared for the boys in green since being named in an Ireland squad in May 2014, for the U17 elite qualifiers against Serbia, Germany and Georgia, although it was noted on the FAI's website that he was unavailable for a recent U19 friendly against Italy in the squad announcement.
Having said that, highly rated defender Conor Masterson, who recently trained with the Liverpool first team at Melwood, captained the U17 team in the European Championship in Bulgaria last April, but the question remains why Cleary, O'Hanlon and Whelan have been excluded by the management.
The FAI will host the Scotland, Latvia and Slovenia U19 sides in the Qualifying Round group this coming November, will Whelan and Masterson be included in the Irish side?
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
UEFA Euro 2016 Group D final fixtures Permutations and Combinations
Following the completion of the fixtures in September, which included Georgia's shock win over Scotland, the qualifying fate of the Republic of Ireland is very much in our own hands. With that in mind, we've compiled our traditional table with the various permutations and combinations of the final set of fixtures.
We have made two assumptions:
Should Poland beat Scotland, then Martin O'Neill's men will be guaranteed at least third.
We have made two assumptions:
- Scotland will beat Gibraltar in their final qualifier in Faro
- Germany will beat Georgia in their final qualifier in Leipzig
- Scotland - Poland
- Ireland - Germany
- Poland - Ireland
Should Poland beat Scotland, then Martin O'Neill's men will be guaranteed at least third.
| Permutations | Scotland beat Poland | Scotland draw with Poland | Scotland lose to Poland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland lose to Poland | Ireland draw with Poland | Ireland beat Poland | Ireland lose to Poland | Ireland draw with Poland | Ireland beat Poland | Ireland lose to Poland | Ireland draw with Poland | Ireland beat Poland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland beat Germany |
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| Ireland draw with Germany |
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| Ireland lose to Germany |
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Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Irish Player Transfers - Summer 2015
TRANSFERS
Stephen Dawson signed for Scunthorpe United on a two year deal: ArticleDonal McDermott signed a one year contract with AFC Rochdale: Article
Keith Keane signed a two year deal with Cambridge United: Article
Kevin Doyle signed for Colorado Rapids on a two and half year deal: Article
Roy O’Donovan signed a two year deal with Central Coast Mariners: Article
Darren Randolph signed for West Ham on a free transfer: Article
Graeme Cummins signed a one year contract with St Johnstone: Article
Barry Corr signed a two year deal with Cambridge United: Article
Alex Pearce signed a three year contract with Derby County: Article
Aidan White signed for Rotherham United on a one year deal: Article
Callum Reilly signed for Burton Albion on a two year deal: Article
Jake Carroll signed for Hartlepool United: Article
David van Zanten signed for Airdrieonians FC: Article
Bradley Garmston signed for Gillingham on a three year deal: Article
Jimmy Ryan signed for Fleetwood Town on a two year deal: Article
Stephanie Roche signed for Sunderland Ladies: Article
Sam Foley signed for Port Val on a two year deal: Article
James McClean signed for West Bromwich Albion on a three year deal: Article
Robbie Kiernan signed for Rangers on a two year deal: Article
James Berrett signed for York City FC on a two year deal: Article
Shamir Fenelon signed for Crawley Town on a one year deal: Article
Shane Byrne signed for Nuneaton Town: Article
Adam Barton signed for Portsmouth on a two year deal: Article
Danny Rogers signed for Falkirk on a season long loan: Article
Stephen Quinn signed for Reading FC on a three year deal: Article
Padraig Amond signed for Grimsby Town FC on a one year deal: Article
Paul McShane signed for Reading on a three year deal: Article
David Mooney signed for Southend United on a two year deal: Article
Graham Carey signed for Plymouth Argyle on a one year deal: Article
Cillian Sheridan signed for Omonia Nicosia: Article
Michael Doyle signed for Portsmouth FC on a one year deal: Article
Eddie Nolan signed for York City FC on a one year deal: Article
Graham Burke signed for Notts County on a two year deal: Article
Mark O'Brien signed for Luton Town on a two year deal: Article
Colin Doyle signed for Blackpool FC on a two year deal: Article
Shay Given signed for Stoke City on a two year deal: Article
Damien Duff signed for Shamrock Rovers on an 18 month deal: Article
Darren O’Dea signed for Mumbai City: Article
Enda Stevens signed for Portsmouth FC on a two year deal: Article
Joe Shaughnessy signed for St Johnstone on a two year deal: Article
Anthony O’Connor signed for Burton Albion on a two year deal: Article
Kieran Sadlier signed for Peterborough United: Article
Ian Morris signed for St Patrick’s Athletic: Article
Greg Cunningham signed for Preston North End on a two year deal: Article
Alan Dunne signed for Leyton Orient on a two year deal: Article
Sean McGinty signed for Aldershot Town on a one year deal: Article
Robbie Brady signed for Norwich City on a three year deal: Article
Sean Maguire signed for Dundalk: Article
Noel Hunt signed for Southend United on a one year contract: Article
Paul Corry signed for Northampton Town on a 12 month deal: Article
Jonathan Douglas signed for Ipswich on a one year deal: Article
Gavin Gunning signed for Oldham on a short term contract: Article
Kane Ferdinand signed for Dagenham & Redbridge on a initial one month deal: Article
Sean St Ledger signed for Colorado Rapids: Article
Brian Murphy signed for Portsmouth until January: Article
Conor Clifford signed for Boreham Wood: Article
Noe Baba signed for Birmingham City: Article
Paul Heffernan signed for Queen of the South until January 2016: Article
Keith Treacy signed for Drogheda United until the end of the season: Article
Mark Yeates signed for Oldham on a short term deal: Article
Jon Daly signed for Raith Rovers until January 2015: Article
Barry Maguire signed for Sarpsborg 08 FF: Article
Owen Garvan signed for Colchester United until January 2016: Article
Stephen McLaughlin signed for Southend United on a three year deal: Article
Chris Forrester signed for Peterborough United on a three year deal: Article
Ben McLaughlin signed for Derry City: Article
Eoin Doyle signed for Preston until the end of the season: Article
Joseph O’Cearuill signed for Staines Town FC
Sam Berry signed for Ilkeston FC
Bobby Moseley signed for Stoke City
LOANS
Jack Byrne signed for SC Cambuur on a season long loan: ArticleLiam McAlinden signed for Shrewsbury Town on a six month loan: Article
Conor Wilkinson signed for Barnsley on loan until January 2016: Article
Michael Harriman signed for Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of January 2016: Article
Conor Sammon signed for Sheffield United on loan until the end of the season: Article
Sean Murray signed for Wigan on a one month loan: Article
Glen Rea signed for Southend United on loan until January 2016: Article
Eoghan O’Connell signed for Oldham Athletic on loan until January 2016: Article
Connor Smith signed for Stevenage on a one month loan: Article
Josh O'Hanlon signed for Chester FC on a one month loan: Article
Shamir Fenelon signed for Whitehawk FC on a one month loan: Article
OTHER
Kevin Feely cancelled his contract with Newport County and is leaving football for full time education: ArticleDaniel Kearns cancelled his contract with Carlisle United: Article
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