Jim Crawford hopeful Ireland U21s learn from Norway mistakes for Italy clash in Cork

LESSONS LEARNED: Ireland head coach Jim Crawford. Photo by Marius Simensen/Sportsfile

The bigger picture surrounding selection for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s is like the Mona Lisa. It has two faces to it and Jim Crawford sees both of them.

Didi Hamann slammed Stephen Kenny’s “inexcusable” decision to call up rising star Andy Moran only to leave him sat on the bench for the dead-rubber defeat to the Netherlands on Saturday.

The night before, Crawford’s under-21s lost a Euro qualifier to Norway without their vice-captain.

“That's Didi's perspective on things,” said Crawford. “A player of Andy Moran's ability, he's always going to be there or thereabouts with the senior team.

“In one way, you're hoping that he stays but for the player himself, I broke the news to him, he was certainly overjoyed.

“To lose anybody of Andy's quality, any team would feel it, but the bigger picture is it gives players at under-21s level an opportunity to show that they can play at this stage.

“It also gives Andy a chance to bed himself into the senior team and I've no doubt he'll play against New Zealand.

“I'm not picking the team, that's Stephen’s job, but I certainly think he'll gain his first international cap.

“He's been excellent but as soon as Andy was gone, as ruthless as it sounds, he's gone from us. We need to concentrate, we got Adam Murphy in, and we need to get our heads down.”

Ireland U21 manager Jim Crawford. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

On the other hand, Crawford identifies a greater good in what a first-ever qualification for the European Under-21 Championship would do for his players and football in Ireland.

“It'd be huge for them. It’d be a springboard to other things,” he said.

“I'm not going to name names but if there's players who are running out of contracts or in between clubs when the finals are on, this would certainly put a spotlight on that particular player.

“The opportunities to go toe-to-toe with Europe’s best players and best teams, I've no doubt that it’d be a springboard for their own careers, for learning, everything. What you'd get from playing in the finals would stand to you forever.

“I do believe in leaving a legacy too. I've no doubt that we’d get our games televised and for young aspiring players to watch the 21s in action, a lot can grow from that in itself.

“There's a bigger picture to it all as opposed to just the 21s qualifying. There's real opportunities there for football in our country.”

Ireland are third in Group A but just one point behind leaders Italy, who are well-stocked with Serie A talents as well as Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto, Leicester City’s Cesare Casadei, and Burnley’s Luca Koleosho.

There are plenty of Irish senior squad members who could make a difference up against the Under-20 World Cup runners-up at Turner’s Cross (5.30pm) but the nature of Crawford’s job is to prepare for players being promoted to the higher level.

“You have a plan A, B, C, and D in international football, particularly with the 21s,” he said.

“Of course, you'd like to enter games with players who are still eligible to play with the 21s, whether that's Andrew Omobamidele, Troy Parrott, Festy [Ebosele], Andy Moran, but it is what it is.

“The whole thing of 21s football is you're preparing players for senior international games.

“Look, we were prepared and I think that was somewhat justified in the performance against Norway.

“Okay, the result [a 3-2 defeat] wasn't what we wanted. Conceding two goals from set plays, one of them second phase, the other giving away a penalty, certainly isn't ideal, and the third one was us switching off in our press fairly high up the pitch.

“The players involved in those instances were disappointed but we're here to help them and hopefully they learn from that. That is, in essence, the 21s. You help them grow as players and as individuals.”

Crawford also revealed that contact remains ongoing with fit-again Tom Cannon.

The Leicester City striker made a goal-scoring Ireland U21 debut last March but hasn’t played since amid interest from England.

“I spoke to Tom but it was more talking about his stress fracture,” said Crawford.

“No, there's been no commitment but there’s still conversations there with him. All I can say from our perspective is we're very interested in his progress at Leicester.”