We need the best players who are the best players right now. Not the best players of the future.
If you constantly look to the future, you ignore the reason why you were developing youngsters in the first place.
With that in mind, the Ireland team that should lead the country through the next qualification process shouldn’t waver too much from what it is now. All we need is the best players that we have available, not the best potential players.
International football isn’t that good. Shane Duffy has become Ireland’s best player because there’s no-one in the world better than him in the air. Most of what he has to do is clear things out and he does that better than anyone. Ireland might be devoid of a superstar but, relatively, they have a group of players who can absolutely compete at this level – like they have been doing.
Here’s how the next campaign can start.
Obviously the 11 is going to alter through the year with injuries and suspensions and form but that should be the basis of it.
Darren Randolph: The goalkeeper will be 31 by the time the next competitive game comes around in September.
Seamus Coleman: The captain will still be 29.
Shane Duffy: The Derry man will be 26.
Ciaran Clark: He turned 28 in September.
Robbie Brady: He’ll be 26 and we could probably do with two outstanding full backs again.
James McCarthy: If he ever gets fit again, he’s only just turned 27 a few days ago.
David Meyler: He’ll be 29.
Callum O’Dowda: He’ll just be 23.
Wes Hoolahan: At 36 come September, he might not be fit for back-to-back 90 minutes but he’s still, by far, our best option in that position.
James McClean: Coming 29 in April.
Sean Maguire: By the next competitive match, he’ll just be 24 and this is one area where Ireland really need to invest long-term because, since Keane, we’ve been shorn of natural strikers.
That would leave you with Jeff Hendrick and Harry Arter. Jon Walters would be 34 coming 35 in September. Only two of those players are over 30 but, regardless of age, those are the best players at present.
