Corry Evans and Craig Cathcart in Northern Ireland squad to face Italy

[Joga_Bonito]

Northern Ireland name 10 uncapped players for Italy friendly

• Nigel Worthington missing a host of experienced players
• Healy, Johnson and McCann are the only senior names

Northern Ireland's manager Nigel Worthington has named 10 uncapped players in his squad for next month's friendly in Italy.

Worthington is missing a host of experienced players for the match in Pisa on 6 June, and a further six of his 19-man party have won just five caps or less. The only senior faces to travel will be record goalscorer David Healy, Birmingham City's Damien Johnson and Grant McCann of Scunthorpe United.

Among the new names are 18-year-old midfielder Corry Evans, the younger brother of Manchester United team-mate Jonny. Crusaders captain Colin Coates is given a chance along with club-mate Martin Donnelly, while Linfield's Robert Garrett and Stephen Carson of Coleraine add further Irish Premier League representation. Craig Cathcart, Chris Casement, Shane Duffy, Shane Ferguson and James Lawrie will also be hoping to win their first caps.

Among the players missing from the squad is Chris Brunt, who is due to get married on the day of the match.

The selection of one of the few senior men involved, McCann, has also been problematic due to a clash with a coaching course organised by the Irish Football Association. McCann is taking his Uefa A Licence course but has been cleared to travel.

Healy will lead the line against the world champions after a disappointing season for Sunderland in which he has scored just three goals.N orthern Ireland currently top World Cup qualifying group three after back-to-back wins over Poland and Slovenia in March and April.

Squad to play Italy in Pisa on 6 June:

Tuffey (Partick); Mannus (Linfield); Cathcart (Man Utd); Casement (Ipswich); Duffy (Everton); Coates (Crusaders); McGivern (Man City); Johnson (Birmingham); O'Connor (Crewe); Ferguson (Newcastle); McGinn (Celtic); McCann (Scunthorpe); Evans (Man Utd); Carson (Coleraine); Garrett (Linfield); Little (Rangers); Healy (Sunderland); Lawrie (Port Vale); Donnelly (Crusaders).

 

[Decotron]

Great News, Norwood will follow in their footsteps soon aswell

 

[golden_blunder]

good news indeed. We'll get tonked, but good to see some quality youngers building their experience

 

[Red17]

Why isn't Jonny Evans in the team?

 

[Elliott]

Guess Cathcart's knee injury wasn't as bad as expected then. Brilliant.

 

[Red Dreams]

good news indeed. We'll get tonked, but good to see some quality youngers building their experience

finally Northern Ireland is bringing on some very good players, great for the World Cup an all.

made me think of the NI days with Norman Whiteside.

 

[lysglimt]

Why isn't Jonny Evans in the team?

Seems like they want to try new players - 3 players in the squad had more than 5 caps. (Damien Johnson, Grant McCann and David Healy)

The rest are practically all teenagers

 

[andersj]

Could anyone compare Corry with his brother at the same age? If Corry goes on loan to a CCC club in august he will leave Man Utd at the exact same age that his brother went to Sunderland for the first time. I remember that Corry impressed me a lot a couple of years ago, but he has been quite unlucky with injuries since then, has he not?

 

[Virtuoso]

Could anyone compare Corry with his brother at the same age? If Corry goes on loan to a CCC club in august he will leave Man Utd at the exact same age that his brother went to Sunderland for the first time. I remember that Corry impressed me a lot a couple of years ago, but he has been quite unlucky with injuries since then, has he not?

I would have put Jonny Evans ahead of Corry Evans at the same age, for one thing Corry Evans has only really stood out this season where he was converted to playing as a centre back - he's actually a central midfielder so it is difficult and perhaps unfair to compare really.

 

[PS18]

Yeah, agree entirely with Virtuoso. Jonny was an obvious star in the making from very early on and definitely ahead of Corry at the same age, but it is so hard to compare when we've seen very little of Corry in his natural position at reserve level.

 

[Joga_Bonito]

The problem with Corry as a central midfielder is that he is, as far as I can tell, in a similar mold to Owen Hargreaves, and we all know how long it took the vast majority of people to begin to recognize his talent. Darren Fletcher is another player whose impact on a game was largely ignored until relatively recently.

There are probably a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, and as I've said on a number of occasions, many football fans have a tendency to ignore (subconsciously) much of the action in between the two penalty areas. In other words, when the game has ended, what they recall most vividly is the build up in the final third, and in particular, the chances created, as well as, at the opposite end, the outstanding defensive work.

It stands to reason, due to the fact that most fans experience heightened emotions when the action reaches either end of the field. So from my experience, it's the midfielders that score their fare share of goals, as well as the highly technical players, such as Scholes, Xavi, and Iniesta, who regularly produce something out of the ordinary, that are widely recognized by both fans and media, alike.

Secondly — and Hargreaves and Fletcher may well provide a clue, here — players of that type often mature in to the role at a later stage than the other types of midfielder. It's a role that is largely tactical, where positioning, as well as an ability to read the game, is very important.

They are attributes that we tend not to focus on in the formative years of a players development, because the vast majority of that time is spent encouraging and developing technical proficiency. We now know that once a player reaches approximately 14 years of age, the developmental trajectory of their future technique is pretty much already set in place. It is extremely rare for a player that is technically poor at 14 years old, to then go on to become technically proficient in their later career.

So, much of what is required to fulfill the role of the Hargreaves/Fletcher (and possibly Corry Evans) type central midfielder is picked up through experience and training, in the early-to-mid twenties. Technical players are recognizable as such at a very early age. That provides hope for what is to to come, even if the performances don't, whereas the same cannot always be said for the equally important role that is filled only by the most self-less of players.

 

[Gabe]

The problem with Corry as a central midfielder is that he is, as far as I can tell, in a similar mold to Owen Hargreaves, and we all know how long it took the vast majority of people to begin to recognize his talent. Darren Fletcher is another player whose impact on a game was largely ignored until relatively recently.

There are probably a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, and as I've said on a number of occasions, many football fans have a tendency to ignore (subconsciously) much of the action in between the two penalty areas. In other words, when the game has ended, what they recall most vividly is the build up in the final third, and in particular, the chances created, as well as, at the opposite end, the outstanding defensive work.

It stands to reason, due to the fact that most fans experience heightened emotions when the action reaches either end of the field. So from my experience, it's the midfielders that score their fare share of goals, as well as the highly technical players, such as Scholes, Xavi, and Iniesta, who regularly produce something out of the ordinary, that are widely recognized by both fans and media, alike.

Secondly — and Hargreaves and Fletcher may well provide a clue, here — players of that type often mature in to the role at a later stage than the other types of midfielder. It's a role that is largely tactical, where positioning, as well as an ability to read the game, is very important.

They are attributes that we tend not to focus on in the formative years of a players development, because the vast majority of that time is spent encouraging and developing technical proficiency. We now know that once a player reaches approximately 14 years of age, the developmental trajectory of their future technique is pretty much already set in place. It is extremely rare for a player that is technically poor at 14 years old, to then go on to become technically proficient in their later career.

So, much of what is required to fulfill the role of the Hargreaves/Fletcher (and possibly Corry Evans) type central midfielder is picked up through experience and training, in the early-to-mid twenties. Technical players are recognizable as such at a very early age. That provides hope for what is to to come, even if the performances don't, whereas the same cannot always be said for the equally important role that is filled only by the most self-less of players.

Good post JB.
It's interesting how players in that position take time to get established; Keane for example did not stand out as a youth, he was good, but the big clubs were not fighting for his signature.
But he had great application and drive to improve.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

For me Evans looks like he is good enough on the ball. And a good game reader. Playing in central defence IMO will even help him develop his defending more. IMO he could develop int o Senna or Dunga type of player. Years down the line.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Good post JB.
It's interesting how players in that position take time to get established; Keane for example did not stand out as a youth, he was good, but the big clubs were not fighting for his signature.
But he had great application and drive to improve.

It is because it is the hardest and most important role on the pitch. Requiring a player to literally be a jack of all trades. Namely in defending and attacking. In order to knit his side together.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

The problem with Corry as a central midfielder is that he is, as far as I can tell, in a similar mold to Owen Hargreaves, and we all know how long it took the vast majority of people to begin to recognize his talent. Darren Fletcher is another player whose impact on a game was largely ignored until relatively recently.

There are probably a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, and as I've said on a number of occasions, many football fans have a tendency to ignore (subconsciously) much of the action in between the two penalty areas. In other words, when the game has ended, what they recall most vividly is the build up in the final third, and in particular, the chances created, as well as, at the opposite end, the outstanding defensive work.

It stands to reason, due to the fact that most fans experience heightened emotions when the action reaches either end of the field. So from my experience, it's the midfielders that score their fare share of goals, as well as the highly technical players, such as Scholes, Xavi, and Iniesta, who regularly produce something out of the ordinary, that are widely recognized by both fans and media, alike.

Secondly — and Hargreaves and Fletcher may well provide a clue, here — players of that type often mature in to the role at a later stage than the other types of midfielder. It's a role that is largely tactical, where positioning, as well as an ability to read the game, is very important.

They are attributes that we tend not to focus on in the formative years of a players development, because the vast majority of that time is spent encouraging and developing technical proficiency. We now know that once a player reaches approximately 14 years of age, the developmental trajectory of their future technique is pretty much already set in place. It is extremely rare for a player that is technically poor at 14 years old, to then go on to become technically proficient in their later career.

So, much of what is required to fulfill the role of the Hargreaves/Fletcher (and possibly Corry Evans) type central midfielder is picked up through experience and training, in the early-to-mid twenties. Technical players are recognizable as such at a very early age. That provides hope for what is to to come, even if the performances don't, whereas the same cannot always be said for the equally important role that is filled only by the most self-less of players.

Top, top post.

 

[Decotron]

Very nicely put Joga.

The thing that I like about Evans (his bro has it aswell) almost never seems to get fazed on a football pitch. Always a good sign

 

[Gabe]

It is because it is the hardest and most important role on the pitch. Requiring a player to literally be a jack of all trades. Namely in defending and attacking. In order to knit his side together.

Yeah, it is a demanding position, the action is 360.

 

[Bammy]

Wow,will be interesting to see the match,could be a big defeat I fear though,but will be nice to see the youngsters.

Wouldn't have minded seeing Norwood capped in case he changes his mind about countries.

 

[Name Changed]

Great to see these lads involved. It can only help with their development, even if they do get demolished.