There’s a big opportunity here – not just for the players, even more so for the manager.
Martin O’Neill hasn’t had a chance to experiment with his team since June in what was an exhibition in peace-keeping with England and, three months out from the Euros, he won’t get another one after Friday and Tuesday.
The loss of Harry Arter is a hammer blow to those plans. He’s been tearing it up for Bournemouth, playing consistently on a good Premier League team and, given the platform, he might’ve proven that he commands a place on the international team too. He should be one of the exceptions ahead of the last friendly with Holland – he’s earned a chance and he’s earned our excitement with that chance as well.
Arter could come in ahead of Whelan or Hendrick and perform just as seamlessly. The only thing we have to risk is that he might play better than them.
But he’s on ice for now. Literally, presumably, with a shoulder injury.
O’Neill hasn’t had an awful lot of freedom to play around with personnel or ideas – given that the last friendly was nine months ago is pretty telling. You could argue though that the manager has inadvertently been experimenting throughout and actually almost stumbled across his best formula, despite having three months in fairness to concoct the diamond formation between the Poland and Scotland games last year.
However they’ve done it, Ireland have completely transformed from the outfit that was fielded back in Georgia at the beginning of the campaign.
Robbie Keane as the lone front man, a flat midfield five and four names of the five in defence that didn’t make the side for the Bosnia play-offs.
O’Neill has tried out different shapes, he’s tried Aiden McGeady centrally, he’s played 25 different players in competitive matches throughout the qualification campaign. For all intents and purposes, he has experimented – however accidentally.
But it has paid off. 14 months later and seven completely different names are leading Ireland to Euro 2016.
So there shouldn’t be a fear of the unknown. We’re in a rare and privileged position where Ireland head for a major competition and most of their players are playing ball and they’re playing it regularly. Some of the favoured crop are under pressure from guys who are playing even more football and playing better.
The manager has options. All he has to do is sit back on Friday and Tuesday and watch which are are the most viable.
Give Rob Elliot his chance
Not so much a problem as it is a lovely headache. We have a ‘keeper starting every week for Newcastle and another confident one potentially headed to the FA Cup final with West Ham.
Darren Randolph didn’t need much game time before he stepped in and claimed stardom in Ireland back in October but Rob Elliot’s form at Newcastle can’t be ignored either and O’Neill confirmed anyway that he will play both against Switzerland and Slovakia.
“I wanted Darren Randolph to start one of the games and I wanted Robbie Elliot to start the other one,” the manager said. “Depending on which one for Friday and Tuesday, I’m not sure yet but that was the idea. It would work out well because Robbie hasn’t much international experience and Darren, when he has played for West Ham, has done exceptionally well. We’ll see how they do.
“Darren’s done very, very well. He stepped into that game when Shay [Given] was injured against Germany, took it in his stride and has done exceptionally well. Robbie, I think, has surprised and exceeded expectations up there in Newcastle so well done him.
“The two of them will definitely start – taking injury out of it.”
Matt Doherty or Stephen Ward at left back
We need to talk about Stephen Ward.
Burnley are four points clear at the top of the Championship table and it just so happens that their surge has coincided with Stephen Ward’s return to full back.
The 30-year-old was started against Germany and out in Bosnia and, although he ran out of gas in both, he’s been playing regularly since. It’s not so much that his performances those days or even these days make it impossible to overlook him but what they did do was have a knock-on effect to the rest of the team. A positive one.
It freed Robbie Brady up, for one. The Norwich player had his best game in an Ireland shirt against Germany when he was deployed in the middle and he bagged his goal out in Bosnia when he was shifted there too. What it also did against Germany was allowed James McCarthy to take over that anchor role in midfield where he flourished in Glenn Whelan’s absence.
The power rankings for each Ireland player’s form show that either Ward or Wolves’ Matt Doherty deserve their shot too. Realistically though, it isn’t really an option that will be considered because it involves either Whelan or Hendrick losing their place from midfield and the manager won’t want that.
Now’s the chance to make peace with it though or to decide if he really thinks having Brady further forward is worth it.
Unleash Alan Judge
This will happen. O’Neill is fond of taking off Hoolahan, he questioned whether the Norwich playmaker could play two games so close together back in October and he tried playing Jeff Hendrick in the hole off the strikers out in Poland – and it didn’t work.
Here’s Alan Judge. A ready-made go-to footballer who wants to make things happen and is turning heads every week for Brentford. Play him in both games. He could have a big part to play across Ireland’s three group games in nine days.
Give Eunan O’Kane his break
Just like Bournemouth, Arter would probably be ahead of him but, just like Bournemouth, Arter is injured and should be replaced by O’Kane.
The county Derry man is a tidy midfielder, he’s a confident midfielder and he’s ready for an international break. If he impresses against Switzerland and Slovakia, he’s a genuine option going forward.
Get Anthony Pilkington in for Slovakia
We’ve almost become too dependent on Jon Walters.
When he missed the first Bosnia match, it was absolute chaos. The team was disrupted, we lost our out-ball, we lost our work-rate and a genuine link between midfield and attack – and we lost someone who could step in and act as the main attacking threat too.
Ireland aren’t coming down with forwards at the moment. The four listed in the 33-man squad are Shane Long, Robbie Keane, Daryl Murphy, and Kevin Doyle. We’re crying out for someone else to put their hands up and impress.
Pilkington is out for the first game against Switzerland but he should be used against Slovakia. He is on fire with Cardiff and he’s proving the perfect attacking midfielder-come-forward. Let’s be honest, he’s not going to replace Jon Walters – no-one in the world could. But it would be nice to know that there might be another option there for that role that doesn’t involve shifting the entire team around to cover it.
Consistency in the team is key – more so in the shape and system. The more players we have that can step in to each other’s shoes, the better. Without sounding like Louis van Gaal, at this stage of the year, the philosophy is vital.
Martin O’Neill has his philosophy. Now, he just needs to find the best players to play within it.
