Ireland play Sweden on Monday and, let’s just come out and say it, they need to win.
At the risk of sounding like our media brethren across the Irish Sea, piling pressure and unrealistic expectation on the hyped English national team, the Republic’s first game of Euro 2016 is a big one.
It won’t make or break Martin O’Neill’s tournament but, with games afterwards against Belgium and Italy, with a potential third place qualification set to pit Ireland with a really tough second round draw, getting three points on the board on Monday would be pretty damn useful.
Ireland would be much better off coming second in their Euro 2016 group than first https://t.co/YWqAen7eDw
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 6, 2016
O’Neill went with just eight midfielders in the end in his 23-man squad – with 10 options in fairness.
Ireland’s Euro 2016 midfielders
Aiden McGeady
Glenn Whelan
James McCarthy
James McClean
Jeff Hendrick
Stephen Quinn
David Meyler
Wes Hoolahan
You can throw Jon Walters and Robbie Brady in that mix too depending on the occasion.
The last power rankings of the year were as follows:
David Meyler wasn’t making the Hull team regularly enough to feature in a form team (based on the last three games) whilst Jeff Hendrick’s injury from March the whole way to the playoff semi-finals meant he didn’t appear for the end of season results either.
The management have been championing a diamond formation since the Scotland home match last June with Walters (who turns it into a midfield five at times in defence) and another striker up top. If they were to stick with that in France like they presumably will, this is the midfield four on current statistical form that O’Neill should go for.
Of course, that isn’t a natural position for James McClean, taking up that Jeff Hendrick role.
He was played there in the narrower formation away in Poland for the final group game and Hendrick pushed up in the absence of Hoolahan. It didn’t quite work out for the Derry man who thrives off the space and freedom he’s given in a wider position.
When McClean comes on – he is and should be the first sub of the team anyway – the side usually changes shape and deploys a flatter midfield or five across the middle. Stephen Quinn would come into a midfield five in that case – according to the stats.
Or Jon Walters.
That last formation, incidentally, boasts the same five midfielders that made the weekly power rankings more than anyone else.
With Hendrick keeping his place throughout the whole qualification campaign, the Derby man is crucial for the diamond formation.
That means McClean would have to miss out and Walters would push back forward.
