Which makes our situation with having one senior striker even more ridiculous.
[Albion] Aaron Connolly / Ireland squad [in, out, in, out, shake it all about]
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Which makes our situation with having one senior striker even more ridiculous.
We've now only got 1 striker? Bloody hell
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ken-early-fiasco-of-aaron-connolly-s-absence-adds-to-pain-1.4376156
The most interesting thing about this article for me is that Ken Early talks about Connolly as the most exciting prospect Ireland have had since Robbie Keane & Damian Duff!
The most interesting thing about this article for me is that Ken Early talks about Connolly as the most exciting prospect Ireland have had since Robbie Keane & Damian Duff!
It’s been almost 25 years since Robbie Keane and Damien Duff broke into the senior team and Ireland have been waiting all that time for another young player to show that kind of talent. When the stars finally align, when we finally have not only a really exciting young forward but also a manager who is actually prepared to pick him, he ends up missing our decisive qualifier for our home European Championships because he’s a close contact of someone he had absolutely no need to be in close contact with. Say what you like about the FAI, they keep finding ways to amaze you.
Even deprived of Connolly, Ireland’s team was more intact than Slovakia’s, and it soon became clear the home side had little for Ireland to be afraid of.
Even deprived of Connolly, Ireland’s team was more intact than Slovakia’s, and it soon became clear the home side had little for Ireland to be afraid of.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ken-early-fiasco-of-aaron-connolly-s-absence-adds-to-pain-1.4376156
The most interesting thing about this article for me is that Ken Early talks about Connolly as the most exciting prospect Ireland have had since Robbie Keane & Damian Duff!
Very odd when NSC’s resident expert on the Ireland team has told us that there are around 3 Irish prospects ahead of Connolly in the pecking order?
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
Yeah, TINPOT!
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
Just to clarify
Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah did not fly home from Slovakia with the Irish squad this morning - they are currently isolating awaiting test results. They were considered close contacts because they were sitting close to the official who tested positive for Covid on the flight out to Slovakia. The official who tested positive and two other non-playing staff were also not allowed to fly home.
The Irish squad needed a government exemption to fly to Slovakia for the game and the Irish health authorities refused to allow permission for the two players to participate in the game after they were deemed close contacts.
Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah did not fly home from Slovakia with the Irish squad this morning - they are currently isolating awaiting test results. They were considered close contacts because they were sitting close to the official who tested positive for Covid on the flight out to Slovakia. The official who tested positive and two other non-playing staff were also not allowed to fly home.
The Irish squad needed a government exemption to fly to Slovakia for the game and the Irish health authorities refused to allow permission for the two players to participate in the game after they were deemed close contacts.
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
Ken Early is a prize bullshitter - Robbie Keane and Damien Duff weren't even regarded as the best players in that under-age squad - Ritchie Partridge and Stephen McPhail were (and Neale Fenn who had just broken into the Spurs first team was also highly regarded).
It is also bullshit to say that the Irish team has not had the same talent as Keane and Duff in the past 25 years - Ireland has had the likes of Seamus Coleman and John O'Shea to name just two.
I listed 5 strikers that had potential to play for Ireland - 4 of the 5 have already played for the Irish senior team. Last season Connolly played 27 games for Brighton scoring 4 goals - Obafemi played 25 games for Southampton scoring 4 goals. Connolly is more than a year older than Idah and over 2 years older than Parrott. And on here we had numerous people arguing that Connolly should have been loaned out to a Championship team - maybe even the same Millwall team that Parrott is currently playing for.
Connolly has potential - but really has no more potential that the others (with the possible exception of Afolabi who has had a lot of injury issues over the past year). He has the potential to be a very good player - but Parrott, Idah and Obafemi all have the potential to be as good, if not better than Connolly - and I hope all four of them develop into top-notch PL players.
Incidentally - it is not just as strikers where the Irish set-up is showing a lot of potential. Bazunu, O'Shea, Collins, Knight, Smallbone, Molumby, Ronan, Cullen, Noss, Cassidy, Hondermarck, Neville, Ledwidge all have huge potential as well as a host of younger players. The Irish underage set-up is more promising now than at any other time in the past 50 years.
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
According to reports in Ireland today, under UK rules Connolly would not need to isolate, but the squad were operating under more strict Irish rules.
So he should be able to play for us next week no probs.
Apologies if fixtures.
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So he should be able to play for us next week no probs.
Apologies if fixtures.
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GoingUp
Well-known member
I would be surprised if only two players had 'close contact' with the member of the backroom staff, surely the most of the squad and backroom staff would have?
How would only Connolly and Idah have had 'close contact' with them, was he their personal assistant and not allowed to stand near or talk to anyone else?
If a key member of the Ireland squad tested positive, then it would make more sense to call the game off.
How would only Connolly and Idah have had 'close contact' with them, was he their personal assistant and not allowed to stand near or talk to anyone else?
If a key member of the Ireland squad tested positive, then it would make more sense to call the game off.
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
I would be surprised if only two players had 'close contact' with the member of the backroom staff, surely the most of the squad and backroom staff would have?
How would only Connolly and Idah have had 'close contact' with them, was he their personal assistant and not allowed to stand near or talk to anyone else?
If a key member of the Ireland squad tested positive, then it would make more sense to call the game off.
Apparently it was a "non-essential" member of the travel party, and Connolly and Idah were accidentally sat within 2m on the plane, despite a seating plan being produced to ensure this wouldn't be the case. A complete balls up by someone.
Have to ask why “non essential” people are even travelling.
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
Indeed - although that's just rumours. The whole thing is typical FAI. When you think that we dominated the game and were only missing a goalscorer.
Good article here.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/so...vakia-defeat-was-false-positive-39609951.html
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mr sheen
Well-known member
- Jan 17, 2008
- 1,557
Rodney Thomas
Well-known member
Or maybe it wasn't: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54499407
Might not be seeing Connolly in action for a few weeks.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
The staff member he was in contact with had a false positive. It says so in the article.
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
Another interesting element to this was that the false positive test was processed by a lab in Slovakia. Obviously I'm not suggesting anything untoward but I could see incidents like this ahead of big European or international games causing some arguments.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,249
Connolly had already left the squad after the original test that meant he was unable to play in the game last week, with the news the test looks like it was a false positive Ireland are investigating the possibility of him rejoining the squad for the game against Finland on Wednesday. The whole thing sounds like a massive cluster **** though.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,723
The bottom line is that if Connolly and Idah hadn't sat in the wrong seats Ireland might still be in Euro 2020. Total shambles.
GoingUp
Well-known member
Even so, everyone confined to a plane, a smallish one too I would assume.
So no one even walked passed them etc the whole trip? I just cant see it.
GoingUp
Well-known member
Reminds me of when Roy Keane stormed off from the World Cup when the FAI didn't even have balls and bibs for training (or something along them lines).