It’s rare you get an opportunity nowadays in football to relatively relax and have a look at your squad.
It’s a short term game, there’s no such thing as three or five year plans and, yes, it’s very much a results business.
If you don’t deliver in senior football when you’re just in the door, nobody really gives a toss. Winning is your only option.
Having friendlies isn’t so much a friendly anymore as it is the once chance to get your team ready for a qualifier or a tournament because you only get a week together every few months. Well, the one comfort Irish fans can take from Tuesday’s clash with Iceland is that there’s nothing after it until June 11.
There’s nothing to prepare for but the future. At last.
So it might be one of very limited chances that fringe players on the national team will get to show their hand.
There’s still half way to go in the qualifying campaign so a decent performance against a decent side could force some of these players into Martin O’Neill’s thinking.
Here are the games that matter for the rest of the year.
- Ireland v Austria (June 11)
- Georgia v Ireland (September 2)
- Ireland v Serbia (September 5)
- Ireland v Moldova (October 6)
- Wales v Ireland (October 9)
And the management are granting platforms at the Aviva against Iceland with an exciting and fresh looking line-up to start the game and maybe start their international careers for some of them.
Jonny Hayes gets a start whilst John Egan is also called upon alongside Conor Hourihane and Kevin Doyle.
BREAKING: Conor Hourihane & John Egan are set to make their international debuts as both men are named in the team to face Iceland! #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/OVzxdE2eWT
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) March 28, 2017
It looks like Robbie Brady will be at left back with McClean and Hayes in the wide areas and McGeady operating in a more free role off Kevin Doyle.
Ireland Subs: Randolph (GK), C. Doyle (GK), Keogh, Gleeson, Ward, Meyler, Long, Boyle, Horgan, O'Dowda, O'Kane. #COYBIG
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) March 28, 2017
Thunderclaps are go.
