Episode 90 - The Road to USA/Canada/Mexico

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss the squad selected by Heimir Hallgrímsson to face Hungary and Armenia in the opening two fixtures of the qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. How do we think the team is going to line out in Aviva stadium, and what players in the Hungarian side will Irish fans have to watch out for? Jim Crawford has selected the U21 squad to face Moldova and Andorra. Does opening the campaign for the 2027 UEFA U21 Championship against two minnows give the manager some scope for experimentation in the squad? With senior experience and fresh faces at this level, how do we think the team will do over their opening two fixtures, ahead of their first real challenge against Slovakia in October?

Episode 78 - Not quite a moral victory

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the Republic of Ireland's two Nations League games in October. What did we make of the changes to the side and how the players reacted to going behind, and what does it mean for the final two League B games in November?

Going into their final two qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA U21 Championship, the Under 21 side knew what was needed, but still fell short of qualification. What players from the squad can look forward to promotion to the senior side, and what does another campaign that finished in disappointment mean for coach Jim Crawford?

Also, Sideshow Bob's rakes and I do a live countdown math problem!

Episode 61 - Two Top Ten Teams

I'm joined by Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the senior mens squad announced by Stephen Kenny to face France and the Netherlands, both ranked in the top ten in the world by FIFA, and the U21 squad announced by Jim Crawford to face Turkiye and San Marino

And we haven't forgotten what James Carew said when he joined us in June...

2025 UEFA Under 21 Championship

Earlier this morning, the draw for the 2025 UEFA Under 21 Championship took place, with the Republic of Ireland in the second seeds for the first time. The Boys in Green were drawn against Italy, who we also faced in the qualifying campaign for the 2023 tournament, Norway, Turkiye, Latvia, and San Marino.

The tournament itself is open to all players born on, or after, Tuesday, 1st January 2002. For the U21 manager Jim Crawford, this means the following players are available for selection

Goalkeepers	Date of Birth		Defenders	Date of Birth
Jimmy Corcoran	Friday, 1st February 2002		Zak Delaney	Thursday, 10th January 2002
Gavin Bazunu	Wednesday, 20th February 2002		Andrew Quinn	Thursday, 24th January 2002
Harry Halwax	Wednesday, 20th March 2002		Timi Sobowale	Sunday, 27th January 2002
Daniel Rose	Friday, 2nd August 2002		Nico Jones	Sunday, 3th February 2002
Sam Blair	Friday, 27th December 2002		Luke Turner	Monday, 20th May 2002
Joseph O'Shaughnessy	Sunday, 5th January 2003		Jason Decaney	Tuesday, 28th May 2002
Josh Keeley	Saturday, 17th May 2003		James Furlong	Friday, 7th June 2002
Conor Brann	Friday, 27th June 2003		Andrew Omobamidele	Sunday, 23th June 2002
Arlo Doherty	Thursday, 16th October 2003		Mazeed Ogungbo	Sunday, 20th October 2002
Killian Cahill	Monday, 3th November 2003		Oisin Hand	Sunday, 12nd January 2003
Toms Leitis	Saturday, 12nd June 2004		Gavin O'Brien	Thursday, 30th January 2003
			Joshua O'Brien	Saturday, 8th February 2003
Midfielders	Date of Birth		Val Adedokun	Friday, 14th February 2003
Roland Idowu	Monday, 21st January 2002		Anselmo Garcia MacNulty	Wednesday, 19th February 2003
Jaden Charles	Friday, 25th January 2002		Ben Greenwood	Thursday, 20th March 2003
Ciaran Gilligan	Tuesday, 5th February 2002		Jay McGrath	Tuesday, 15th April 2003
Gabriel Adebambo	Wednesday, 27th February 2002		Bosun Lawal	Friday, 30th May 2003
Seamus Keogh	Thursday, 28th February 2002		Osa Solomon	Monday, 1st September 2003
Kian Leavy	Thursday, 21st March 2002		Jevon Mills	Saturday, 27th September 2003
Killian Phillips	Saturday, 30th March 2002		Sean Roughan	Tuesday, 30th September 2003
Matt Healy	Friday, 12nd April 2002		Fionn Mooney	Sunday, 12nd October 2003
Mark Hanratty	Friday, 19th July 2002		Tayo Adaramola	Friday, 14th November 2003
Festy Ebosele	Friday, 2nd August 2002		Sam Knowles	Sunday, 7th December 2003
Joe Hodge	Saturday, 14th September 2002		Leigh Kavanagh	Saturday, 27th December 2003
Tony Springett	Sunday, 22nd September 2002		Aaron O'Reilly	Tuesday, 29th June 2004
Matt Everitt	Thursday, 24th October 2002
Dylan Duffy	Thursday, 28th November 2002		Forwards	Date of Birth
Dara Costelloe	Wednesday, 11th December 2002		Troy Parrott	Monday, 4th February 2002
Oliver O'Neill	Wednesday, 8th January 2003		Deji Sotona	Thursday, 7th February 2002
Dylan Gavin	Thursday, 16th January 2003		Armstrong Oko-Flex	Saturday, 2nd March 2002
Ross Fay	Wednesday, 22nd January 2003		Conor Carty	Thursday, 25th April 2002
Evan Caffrey	Thursday, 27th February 2003		Josh Giurgi	Tuesday, 18th June 2002
Babajide Adeeko	Tuesday, 4th March 2003		Leo Gaxha	Saturday, 27th July 2002
Zak Gilsenan	Saturday, 8th March 2003		Mipo Odubeko	Monday, 21st October 2002
Peter Maguire	Tuesday, 11th March 2003		Tom Cannon	Saturday, 28th December 2002
Colin Conroy	Tuesday, 11th March 2003		Ethon Varian	Wednesday, 1st January 2003
Kyle Conway	Tuesday, 1st April 2003		Cian Kavanagh	Friday, 3th January 2003
Ben McCormack	Thursday, 3th April 2003		Alex Nolan	Thursday, 20th March 2003
Aaron Doran	Friday, 23th May 2003		Lee Harkin	Wednesday, 7th May 2003
Oran Crowe	Monday, 14th July 2003		Robert Mahon	Friday, 6th June 2003
Olamide Ibrahim	Tuesday, 23th September 2003		Johnny Kenny	Friday, 6th June 2003
Jack Henry-Francis	Tuesday, 23th September 2003		Sinclair Armstrong	Sunday, 22nd June 2003
John-Joe Finn	Wednesday, 24th September 2003		Calum Kavanagh	Friday, 5th September 2003
Andrew Moran	Wednesday, 15th October 2003		Cian Hayes	Tuesday, 23th September 2003
Cristiano Fitzgerald	Monday, 10th November 2003		Daniel Okwute	Thursday, 25th September 2003
Trey Turner	Friday, 21st November 2003		Aidomo Emakhu	Sunday, 26th October 2003
Kian Corbally	Wednesday, 31st December 2003		Thomas Lonergan	Friday, 2nd January 2004
			Michael Leddy	Wednesday, 14th January 2004
			Edwin Agbaje	Sunday, 25th January 2004
			Ed McJannet	Sunday, 25th January 2004
			Dara McGuinness	Thursday, 12nd February 2004
			Leslie Adekoya	Sunday, 18th April 2004
			Luke Pearce	Tuesday, 8th June 2004
			Evan Ferguson	Tuesday, 19th October 2004

Episode 29 - What Is A Must Win Game?

I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss Stephen Kenny's 27 man squad to face Andorra and Hungary in two end of season friendlies, and his U21 counterpart Jim Crawford's 26 man squad who will line up opposite Switzerland, Australia, and Denmark, as well as going through the (few) highs and (many, many) lows for Irish players in the recently concluded 2020/21 season in England and Scotland.

Note: this episode was recorded before John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa and Ciaran Brennan withdrew from the U21 squad, and Peterborough's Sam Szmodics was called into the senior team

 

A New Kid In Town

Stephen Kenny announced his first senior Ireland squad earlier this week, as did his successor in charge of the U21s, Jim Crawford. I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit Of Football to discuss the makeup of both squads, and Irish players on the move so far in the Summer 2020 Transfer Window.