Ben Symes

You can only take so much from a friendly.

It really doesn't do anything to replicate what happens in a competitive match.

I do think you can see signs from friendlies that you can take in competitive games and Jason Knight is definitely something that maybe when the staff watch it back again they'll think he could have came off the bench.

I can remember saying that I think Jason Munby is nailed on to play in that game.

And I remember there was a little bit of a back and forth because Matthew was kind of suggesting, oh, I don't know if he's so nailed on as he is.

I think that question is kind of blown out of the water now after this international break.

Just an interesting one though that I kind of thought when I was on the way home last night is

Boston Lowell could be a big player in this midfield going forward I think we lack that profile of someone who's not afraid to get around and get stuck into tackles I know Malumbi is that as well but he's a bit more physical presence and he's really tidy on the ball Lowell which is something that you don't know how kind of players are going to replicate that club form international form a lot of times there's kind of there's no correlation between your club form and your international form so I did kind of wonder how he would integrate that in but I thought he looked quite tidy and I think

if he gets some minutes in, I think he would be in that camp in Spain if he's fit enough and I think he'll be... If Stoke aren't in the playoffs.

If Stoke aren't in the playoffs, yeah, which look, it doesn't look like they're going to be.

And then against Qatar and Canada, I think he might give a little bit of a headache for Hamer when the Nations League comes around in September.

Obviously, we hope Josh Cullen will be back fit then as well.

He'll be playing in the championship more than likely if he stays with Burnley at the time too.

So yeah, I'd say Malumby has probably nailed his place but...

There's competition there at least.

Yeah, there's a lot more competition than there was six to eight months ago, which is a big positive.

Yeah, I spoke to him after the game and basically just asked him how proud he was to finally make a senior debut after playing, as you said, every single level of underage football for Ireland.

just over the moon really it's been a long time coming and I'm thankful that I finally made my debut obviously you weren't fit enough to play in Prague on Thursday night did you feel good coming into the camp as a whole obviously we know there was a couple of back and forths about the fitness issue yeah I felt fine it's just more of just easing me in because I've had a couple of weeks out so I think they've managed me very well and yeah it's obviously been a long moment coming from career with playing for Ireland underage and now senior level with Stoke playing every week in the championship you must be delighted just to finally get this over the line and get the green jersey on

Obviously, you're coming into a game where a little bit of a cagey affair and probably a game where, let's be honest, neither side really want to play this sort of game.

They want to be playing in the playoff final.