Mick McCarthy has been singing the praises of young Ireland international Michael Obafemi after seeing the 19-year-old in action in Southampton’s 1-1 FA Cup draw with Spurs on Saturday.

With Ireland's Euro 2020 play-offs looming in March, he will now be urgently seeking another club to give him the game time he will require to ensure he remains in the forefront of Mick McCarthy's plans.

These are the standout quotes from the world of punditry in 2019...

Forget all the marketing blurbs and advertising campaigns: is the national side really the Team of Us, or is it still primarily the preserve of those who have come through the fee-paying schools' system. Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh went in search of answers.

Derek Coughlan, who played under Stephen Kenny at Bohemians, on how and why Mick McCarthy's successor as manager will usher in a bright new era for the Irish game.

The last time Ireland played in Slovakia was a Euro 2012 qualifier in Zilina in 2010.

Slovakia have been given until December 20 to decide whether to host the Republic of Ireland in Trnava or Bratislava next March as Uefa continued planning for the Euro 2020 play-off draw on Friday morning.

Having saved their best till last, what a shame it was that Ireland’s hugely impressive performance in the 1-1 draw with Denmark just wasn’t quite good enough to qualify us directly for Euro 2020.

“Will it be a tale of goalkeepers?” George Hamilton intones portentously as the camera zooms in on Kasper Schmeichel. “Will it be a tale of goalscorers?”

Paul Dowling assesses the performances of Ireland's players in the 1-1 draw with Denmark.

Browne's inclusion in the starting team for last Thursday's friendly against New Zealand appeared to rule him out of the running.

When Glenn Whelan ‘retired’ from international football, a stop watch rather than a gold watch would have been a more appropriate gift.

Who was your man-of-the-match?

Troy Parrott has described Aaron Connolly’s double breakthrough into the Premier League and Ireland’s Euro 2020 qualifying campaign as a source of inspiration, as the young Spurs hot shot prepares to make his own senior debut against New Zealand.

As Ireland’s U21 Euro campaign threatens to come unstuck, Aiden Keena feels he can aid their revival in Armenia tomorrow.

Spurs teenager Troy Parrott and Celtic's Lee O'Connor both make the move up from Stephen Kenny's U21 squad

Parrott will become the third youngest ever Irish international on Thursday week in a friendly that will act as an audition for the decisive Euro qualifier against Denmark.

Whelan is not the only injury worry for Mick McCarthy ahead of the crucial Euro 2020 qualifier against Denmark in a fortnight's time.

Seamus Coleman will miss out as he serves a two-game suspension but will be invited to join up with the squad in Dublin for the final Euro 2020 qualifier.

Kevin Kilbane seems a nice guy.

After the 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in Geneva on Tuesday, Mick McCarthy has no hesitation in saying that Ireland were beaten by “the best team in the group”.

There was no quick getaway from their Swiss mission for the Republic of Ireland players.

Prior to Geneva, when did Ireland last start with 3-5-2?

Forty-five years after making my Ireland debut, 55 years after watching my country play for the first time, I’m struggling to think of a week when we produced back-to-back performances as poor as these.

Player ratings with Paul Dowling

Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy has said his change of system didn't excuse the poverty of his side's performance in the first half of their 2-0 loss to Switzerland.

And so it's Daneja vu all over again.

A frustrating night for the Republic of Ireland ended in a first 2020 European Championship qualifying defeat on a raid-sodden Geneva pitch.

Ger McCarthy on the lessons learned from Ireland's 2-0 loss to Switzerland at the Stade de Genève.

Barring one adventurous run in which he cut inside a couple of Georgian defenders into their penalty box, Matt Doherty made little impact during the stalemate in Tbilisi.

Ireland are top of the group with two games to play - starting with a tough tie in Switzerland on Tuesday.

The Republic of Ireland have drawn 0-0 against Georgia in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Tbilisi.

Students of time travel will know this is precarious. In John Delaney’s grandiose vision, Ireland’s future has been mapped out and somehow it’s looking bright

Mick McCarthy has an acid tongue that is also capable of delivering lines as smooth as velvet.

Blackburn Rovers defenders Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham have been called up for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 qualifiers this month.

As late equalisers go, it obviously wasn’t quite up there with Ibaraki, that mind-blowing moment in stoppage time against Germany in the 2002 World Cup, when Robbie Keane fastened onto Niall Quinn’s header and crashed the ball via Oliver Kahn and the inside of the post to the back of the net.

On a night players from both sides found it difficult to find their feet, Mick McCarthy didn’t slip up in keeping Ireland on the road to a third successive Euro finals.

There were times when this would have felt just like old times for Glenn Whelan. And everyone watching.

It’s an old adage in football: if you can’t win a game, at least do your best not to lose it.

Callum Robinson has shaken off a slight thigh injury to start for the Republic of Ireland in this evening's crunch Euro 2020 qualifier against Switzerland.

Should Jeff Hendrick play against Switzerland tomorrow night, the game will mark his 50th cap for Ireland.

Mick McCarthy's men face Switzerland in a "huge" Euro2020 qualifier on September 5 before a friendly with Bulgaria five days later.

The Ivory Coast international has had to wait seven months for his full debut but he made his mark as Celtic quickly regained top spot on goal difference following Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Mirren earlier in the day.

Mick McCarthy has named his Ireland squad for the forthcoming European Championship qualifier against Switzerland and the friendly with Bulgaria.