Michael Obafemi should be straight swap for Adam Idah this month

Since the retirement of Robbie Keane, what once looked like a striker famine has turned into the emergence of some Irish wonder kid forwards.

Michael Obafemi was the first in a group of Troy Parrott, Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah to make his Premier League debut for Southampton at 17. This quartetet have broken the mould of hyped youngsters not making a first team or senior Ireland debut with all four having done so very early on in their careers. Obafemi again was the first to do so in 2018.

Obafemi’s first and only Ireland cap came nearly four years ago (Image: Irish Times)

So far, it is Obafemi is looking like he will have the best season out of the aforementioned four with Parrott perhaps tailing slightly behind. This comes after a slow start to his Swansea career but he seems to have turned a corner. The youngster found himself out of the Swansea team through injury and lack of form but he is now emerging as one of Ireland’s best striking options.

Obafemi has hit form for Swansea (Image: RTÉ)

The reason for this is not only his form but also the evidential improvements to his game. All Obafemi’s goals this season have been very different but it is his dynamic running and ability to get into goalscoring positions which is becoming a feature of his game. Even in the games he has not scored in, the former Arsenal youth player has looked unpredictable and dangerous.

At Southampton, the Leixlip man often looked passive and a bit lost despite goals against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. Perhaps this was a rawness to what we must remember is still a very young player but both his hard work and Russell Martin’s coaching is transforming him into a lethal striker.

Obafemi often looked raw at Southampton (Image: The Transfer Tavern)

Built like an olympic sprinter, Obafemi’s two goals and assist for Swansea against Coventry showed how difficult he is to defend against given his pace, power and ability to time runs which seems to be something he has put a huge focus into. The only issue is that Stephen Kenny has not been overly keen on the forward in the past as he felt he did not suit his system.

“Listen Michael is a great lad. I think he’s been playing in a front two a lot, he’s still learning the position playing wider.

“That’s something he’s still coming to terms with. He’s in a much better physical condition at the moment and Michael has a very good future ahead of himself.

• Stephen Kenny, Irish Daily Mirror, August 2020.

Stephen Kenny has yet to select Obafemi (Image: Sky Sports)

Obafemi is now thriving as a lone frontman and playing in a very similar 3–4–3 system that the Irish boss has leaned towards in the last 12 months, dispelling Kenny’s previous claims that he is better suited to a front two. Kenny has gone mainly with the injured Idah who despite his imposing 6'3 frame is a striker that get in behind and works the channels as opposed to a big lumpy target man. Obafemi would do an identical job but judging on his last few games, could be better suited.

The fear is that Kenny has a complex about the 21 year old who at time performed poorly for him at under-21 level. Obefemi along with Will Keane is Ireland’s in form goalscorer (unless you count Cardiff left back Joel Bagan!) and on logic shouldn’t be ignored. The last thing we need is any exclusion saga’s under Kenny akin to that of Andy Reid or Wes Hoolahan. Obafemi msut be rewarded for his form especially given the fact that out of form players like Jamie McGrath and Jeff Hendrick will probably make the cut.

With Adam Idah out, Obafemi should not only come into the squad but also be thrown in from the start. He is in form and showing quality an a coach like Stephen Kenny could certainly bring the striker to a different level with Ireland. He has responded to Kenny’s concerns that he can only play in a front two and in the process, has thrived in an almost identical formation and system at club level

Nick, The Green Machíne Podcast