The Swansea City player being constantly ignored by his country
Tuesday, 28th Mar 2023 10:00 by @Cornish67David

Swansea City have in Ryan Manning a player who has most certainly been on top of his game this season. So much so he has turned down all opportunities to sign a new deal and has opted to move on in the summer.

The sad thing for Ryan is the fact his opportunities to play for his country have been extremely limited. Despite all the indicators and stats displaying a player who should be in his countries first eleven he has only played one competitive game for the Republic of Ireland. That game came way back two and a half years ago against Bulgaria. Last March he earned his last cap in a friendly against Lithuania. If you look at his other four international friendly appearances they are all less than ten minutes in duration.

This really has to be another factor in his decision to leave Swansea this summer.

There is clearly a trust issue between the Republic’s coach Stephen Kenny and Ryan Manning. It could be that Kenny see’s him as a left wing back only and doesn’t see a fit for him in any of the other positions Ryan can play at ? Manning is a versatile and durable player who has played in numerous positions for the Swans, and this year has bagged four goals with six assists. His overall stats place him as the fifth most valuable player in the championship.

Ryan (centre) during happier times for his country

After a spirited but once again losing performance against top quality opposition last night ( losing to France at home 1-0 ) the Republic seemed to be missing that industry and commitment Ryan brings to any game he plays in. Preston midfielder Robbie Brady at thirty one was a late call up by Kenny which would have infuriated Manning even more. Brady has no goals but five assists in the twenty games he has played this season for the lillywhites. He is currently playing on the left side of midfield, and also as a back up left sided defender. There is some anger at Manning’s lack of inclusion amongst the Irish support and it has been commented on recently.

The positive of course is that Ryan will be fresh and available for the derby game come Saturday and for Swans fans of course in the main that’s far more important. However, with the Euro24 qualifying campaign underway and a vibrant Ryan Manning available surely there is more to this than meets the eye ?