Ireland U21 can beat both Italy and Sweden
Jim Crawford aims for a return with six points for the Republic of Ireland U21 as they prepare to host Italy and Sweden, the two best seeds in Group F in the European Championship qualifiers 2023.
After the 2-1 loss to Montenegro last month, in which Conor Coventry’s late penalty was saved, Ireland cannot afford further slippage, but they can withstand it with so many qualified senior players.
“We are underdogs in both but it does not take away from us what we want,” said Crawford.
– We are at home and play in Tallaght, and it is a real opportunity for the fans to see what quality we have.
“I can see some twists in the group. We have to beat one of them but we go out for six points.
Crawford have recalled Will Smallbone, Southampton’s midfielder.
Will made his ACL against Leicester but he showed his character and resilience to get through it.
He is looking forward to coming in. Everyone knows what a potential player he is.
“Southampton like him extremely much and so do we.”
Crawford hailed West Ham’s Armstrong Oko-Flex as “an exciting talent”.
“We see him as a broad left-back and he is someone we have had an eye on for a long time.”
Crawford had kept the door open for Conor Bradley, the teenage Liverpool right-back, who has five internationals at senior level for Northern Ireland – FIFA only allows a loyalty change for players under 20 up to a maximum of three senior matches.
“Our interest (for Bradley) was there. We talked to a third party about him and then suddenly he (Bradley) is called to North’s senior team,” said Crawford.
Ireland will host Italy tomorrow week and then Sweden next Tuesday.
The Azzurri have a cluster of promising stars playing in Serie A, including Sandro Tonali (AC Milan), Nicolo Rovella (Genoa) and Matteo Lovato, who sat on the bench for Atalanta against Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Rope for Ireland’s U21 team (against Italy and Sweden)
Goalkeepers: Maher (Bray W), Odumosu (Drogheda Utd), McNicholas (Cliftonville)
Defenders: Bagan (Cardiff C), Ebosele (Derby Co), Lyons (Bohemians), McEntee (Greenock Morton), McGuinness (Cardiff City), O’Brien (Crystal Pal), O’Connor (Tranmere Rovers)
Midfielders: Coventry (Peterborough Utd), Devoy (Bohemians), Johansson (Fortuna Sittard), Kilkenny (Bournemouth), O’Neill (Fulham), Noss (Bor Monchengladbach), Smallbone (Southampton), Tierney (Bohemians)
Forwards: Ferguson (Brighton), Ferry (Crawley T), Kayode (Rotherham Utd), Kerrigan (UCD), Oko-Flex (West Ham), Whelan (UCD), Wright (Salford City).