We've already taken a look at Martin O'Neill's thoughts on the All-Ireland football final but he did also have a few things to say about the similarly significant games against Germany and Poland next month.
Mostly, his 40 man squad list announcements are entirely pointless aside from the fact that it gives him yet another chance to reveal that absolutely nothing has changed with the Jack Grealish situation. He effectively did that again but there was some more positive news in the chase for Dan Crowley.
The Arsenal youngster is in an incredibly similar situation to the one Grealish was in this time last year. Impressing in League 1 with Barnsley, it had been thought that Crowley had been lost to England after switching his allegiance to their u17 setup. However, reports last week suggested that the 18 year old is ready to make a switch back to Ireland and O'Neill had some interesting things to say about that.
I spoke to his father and we had a very civil conversation. He’s a very, very pleasant man.
O'Neill went on to confirm that signing up Crowley, as it were, was something that he has 'a real, genuine interest in'. Roy Keane has already been sent to scout the talented midfielder and O'Neill stated that he believes there's 'genuine goodwill about the situation' from Crowley's side of things.
However, with the Grealish situation in mind, the Ireland boss also have a word of warning after he was asked if fast-tracking Crowley into the senior setup was something he was keen to do.
Of course you have meetings and all of that but you would want, as best as possible, for a player not to be forced into something that he might regret further on. You want the decision to come from the player, from his family, from his heart.
As things stand, there's no rush on the Arsenal youngster. But it does seem that O'Neill is trying to move things along a bit quicker in an attempt to avoid another Grealish situation.
