Who would you take?
Although Martin O’Neill doesn’t have the luxury of omitting players of the quality of Andrea Pirlo or Daniel Sturridge from his 23-man squad for Euro 2016, the Republic of Ireland manager still has a few tricky questions to answer before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline for squad submissions.
James McCarthy’s fitness woes may mean an extra-midfielder will need to be included, four goalkeepers don’t go into three and should stalwarts such as Robbie Keane, Shay Given and Aiden McGeady be included despite their reduced output?
Here’s who our writers would take if they were in the Derryman’s shoes. Each argued the case for three players, currently unsure of inclusion in the final squad, to go to France and three players Martin and Roy would be better off leaving at home.
Three to take: Harry Arter, David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy.
Harry Arter – He brings something different to Ireland’s midfield and he is the kind of player who could go from the fringes to doing something special at the tournament.
David McGoldrick – Brings something different to the Ireland team. He’s technically good and will be an alternative for Wes if Hoolahan struggles to play all three games. It would seem hard on those who have been involved all the way through the campaign but Arter and McGoldrick are the players O’Neill might have had in mind when he said he would have to balance loyalty to the players who qualified with the desire to bring his most competitive squad.
Daryl Murphy – Strange to think that Murphy started against the world champions. Ireland need a striker who can lead the line if anything happens to Shane Long. Robbie Keane would be a risk from the start at this stage and while James McClean has been used upfront, Murphy, limited though he is, sneaks in.
Three to leave behind: Aiden McGeady, David Meyler, Darron Gibson
McGeady – O’Neill is probably going to be loyal, but McGeady might be sacrificed as O’Neill looks for cover for James McCarthy. He is technically gifted but infuriating and if he showed in Georgia that he can occasionally score crucial goals, it shouldn’t be enough any longer.
Meyler – Meyler could get in ahead of Cyrus Christie, as he is also defensive cover for Glenn Whelan but Christie offers more from full-back if anything happens to Coleman. Again it would be tough on a loyal squad member.
Gibson – Should be a definite in the squad if not the team, but injuries and other issues have pushed him to the margins. Doesn’t do enough to push out the players who O’Neill should be loyal to and is now behind those like Arter who offer more.
My 23-man squad:
Three to take: Harry Arter, David McGoldrick, Callum O’Dowda.
Arter – Should be starting never mind just going. Can play in Hendrick’s position but, if McCarthy’s injury persists, he’ll be absolutely crucial for O’Neill’s team.
McGoldrick – A classy player who, like Walters and like McClean – and like men such as Brady and Meyler – can play in several positions which makes life a lot easier when you have to cut your squad to such a small number.
O’Dowda – We need someone else who can play wide naturally other than James McClean. Callum O’Dowda has been absolutely tearing it up for Oxford. Tricky, fast, direct, both-footed and scored four times in his last five appearances. Untested at international level but Aiden McGeady is tested and what does that mean?
Three to leave behind: Stephen Quinn, Daryl Murphy, Aiden McGeady.
Quinn – A grand option but not doing or showing enough to make such a competitive squad. Dispensable.
Murphy – Robbie Keane is the only proven goalscorer in the squad. If Walters is injured, if Long is injured, if Keane is injured – if it gets that bad – I’d rather use James McClean up top (where he’s been playing in the friendlies) than Murphy. There’s McGoldrick too. We don’t need another striker sitting there taking up space of someone who’d we have better use for.
McGeady – Has had enough chances now. Need another player like him in the squad but might as well bring a wildcard. You know what you get with McGeady now.
Three to take: Keiren Westwood, David McGoldrick and James McCarthy.
Westwood- The best goalkeeper we have, full stop. He has had his injury problems in the past, but his performance in Sheffield Wednesday’s play-off final defeat is proof he should travel. And start.
McGoldrick – Brings something Ireland don’t have, Martin O’Neill has admitted. Strong, good in the air, fine passer, dangerous in front of goal, imaginative… He is three players in one.
McCarthy – Has rarely excelled for Ireland but O’Neill trusts him implicitly. Unless the hamstring issue is severe enough to keep him out of all three games, it is worth the gamble.
Three to leave behind: David Forde, Stephen Ward and Daryl Murphy.
Forde – We do not need Millwall’s reserve goalkeeper, no matter how loyal a servant he has been. Forde lacks Given’s experience, Randolph’s recent form and Westwood’s straightforward ability to stop the ball going in the net.
Ward – Four full-backs is a luxury we can’t afford so, despite his season ending form with Burnley, I would leave Stephen Ward at home.
Murphy – Score an international goal Daryl, and we’ll talk.
My 23-man squad:
Darren Randolph, Keiren Westwood, Shay Given.
Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Robbie Brady.
Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Jon Walters, Harry Arter, David Meyler, Aiden McGeady.
Shane Long, David McGoldrick, Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane.
Three to take: Keiren Westwood, Aiden McGeady and Harry Arter
Westwood – The case for his inclusion is obvious. The case for his place in the starting XI is almost as clear, especially given Darren Randolph’s stuttering form recently.
Arter – Impressed against Holland and offers more than David Meyler on the ball.
McGeady – A trickier inclusion. It’s hard to argue that he deserves to be there on merit, but if you are looking for an ‘option’ from the bench then McGeady at least offers a different quality to almost anyone else in the 23. He more than likely won’t deliver on this quality, but it’s there nonetheless and for that reason alone he’s worth a seat on the plane.
Three to leave behind: Shay Given, David Meyler and Robbie Keane.
Given – Some sacred cows missing out here. Even if he is fully fit, Given just isn’t in our top three goalkeepers any more. It’s a simple as that.
Meyler – You could argue that he brings a level of physicality that is in thin supply throughout the squad, and also offers an option at right-back. They are both valid claims, but there are more attractive offers available to O’Neill than that, specifically Harry Arter, though it is tough on Meyler.
Keane – As far Robbie, if he’s just travelling to be an inspirational cheerleader then there’s no point in bringing him. If, deep down, O’Neill believes that he is the man he would turn to with 15 minutes remaining when we’re in need of a goal against Italy, then that’s a different story. But the evidence suggests that in such an instance O’Neill would look further along the bench.
My 23-man squad:
Darren Randolph, Keiren Westwood, David Forde.
Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Robbie Brady.
Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Jon Walters, Harry Arter, Aiden McGeady, Stephen Quinn.
Shane Long, David McGoldrick, Kevin Doyle, Daryl Murphy.
Three to take: Robbie Keane, David Meyler, Jack Byrne.
Keane – Isn’t going to start a single game but it will make us all feel better if he is on the bench. 70 minutes in, Ireland level or trailing by one, my spirits would lift if I saw this lad out warming up.
Meyler – In my squad to cover every position possible and run his hole off for five minutes or 95. Whatever we need.
Byrne – Cutting some deadwood to get in an exciting young talent and one that has prospered in The Netherlands. He’s young enough to feel unbeatable and good enough to make a difference.
Three to leave behind: Shay Given, Aiden McGeady, Daryl Murphy.
Given – Thanks for the memories Shay but you’re injury prone now and we can’t rely on you to last the full 90.
McGeady – Aiden, you too. Cheers and all but you couldn’t even get into the Sheffield Wednesday side that finished 6th in the Championship.
Murphy – Has 20 caps, four close calls, but no goals. That’s not near good enough. If he was just off another great Ipswich season, maybe. But he’s not.
My 23-man squad:
Darren Randolph, David Forde, Keiren Westwood.
Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Robbie Brady.
Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Jon Walters, Harry Arter, David Meyler, Jack Byrne.
Shane Long, David McGoldrick, Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane.
Three to take: Eunan O’Kane, Robbie Keane, Daryl Murphy.
O’Kane – May not play so much as a minute but he’s looked a prospect in each of the chances he’s received and the benefit he’ll get from being present at a major tournament may pay dividends for his progress.
Keane – Bring him even if he plays no other role than that of a glorified mascot. He’s a motivator nowadays and that’s cool with me.
Murphy – Has gone through some sticky patches for Ipswich this season but he offers you a different option to that of Long and Doyle. When the time inevitably comes to lump it into the mixer, he’s your man.
Three to leave behind: Aiden McGeady, David McGoldrick, Stephen Ward.
McGeady – Struggled too much at club level this season to even trust his fitness. Capable of magic but so often tries one trick too many or fails to find his man with a cross.
McGoldrick – We simply don’t need him, Doyle is a better option and will act as a perfect understudy for Long.
Ward – Brady will start at left back and Christie could feasibly replace him if an injury were to occur. No need to have four full backs in the squad.
My 23-man squad:
Darren Randolph, Shay Given, Keiren Westwood,
Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, John O’Shea, Ciaran Clark, Shane Duffy, Robbie Brady
Harry Arter, Wes Hoolahan, Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan, Jeff Hendrick, Eunan O’Kane, James McClean, James McCarthy, David Meyler,
Shane Long, Robbie Keane, Daryl Murphy, Kevin Doyle.
Three to take: Keiren Westwood, Stephen Quinn and David McGoldrick.
Westwood- Another great season for Sheffield Wednesday and is the only Irish goalkeeper who played regularly over the last year.
Quinn – Should go as cover for James McCarthy.
McGoldrick – Offers something different than the more agricultural forward options available to Ireland, and can play off the main striker or in a deeper role, as he did against the Netherlands last Friday.
Three to leave behind: Shay Given, Darron Gibson and Daryl Murphy.
Given – Sorry Shay, but other than experience, it’s hard to make a case for your inclusion. Forde, albeit a lesser goalkeeper, may be happier with his role as third choice keeper than Given and a better tourist.
Murphy – McGoldrick is a superior option than either Doyle or Murphy, two goal-shy strikers. He can play off the front man, or deeper in Wes Hoolahan’s position at the tip of the diamond.
Gibson – Can have few complaints after barely featuring last season and failing to go out on loan.
My 23-man squad:
Darren Randolph, Keiren Westwood, David Forde.
John O’Shea, Seamus Coleman, Robbie Brady, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Stephen Ward, Shane Duffy, Cyrus Christie.
Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Harry Arter, Stephen Quinn, Aiden McGeady.
Shane Long, David McGoldrick, Robbie Keane, Jon Walters.
Three to take: Aiden McGeady, David Meyler, Jack Byrne.
McGeady – Can be hit or miss, but in a team traditionally void of flair and creativity he can be a valuable asset to make an impact on a game.
Meyler – A good utility option and can cover several positions, which is extremely useful, particularly (touch wood) if the team gets unlucky with injuries.
Byrne – May be lacking in international experience, but he’s young, in form at club level and will be eager to break into the squad. A good mix of youth and experience would be ideal.
Three to leave behind: Daryl Murphy, Shay Given, Shane Duffy.
Murphy – What’s the point of bringing a striker who can’t score goals? 20 caps and he hasn’t looked like finding the net once.
Given – Thanks for everything, Shay. You’ll go down as one of the great Irish goalkeepers of all time, but it’s time for the new, (slightly) younger breed.
Duffy – At fault for the Dutch goal and Ciaran Clark had to save his skin against the Swiss. Had a great season but is prone to making the occasional, potentially fatal mistake at international level. Shouldn’t start, wouldn’t be the worst back-up centre-back, but I would have him behind O’Shea in the pecking order.
My 23-man squad:
Randolph, Forde, Westwood.
Keogh, O’Shea, Coleman, Clark, Meyler, Christie, Brady.
McGeady, McCarthy, Whelan, Hendrick, Meyler, Arter, McClean, Hoolahan, Gibson.
Walters, Keane, Long, McGoldrick.
