The final countdown is very much on.
After tonight’s friendly with Slovakia, Martin O’Neill will have only one more opportunity to look at potential tournament players before selecting his squad for Euro 2016.
The Republic of Ireland manager will name his 23-man squad on the day after the May 27th friendly with Holland. The match against Belarus confirmed for Turner’s Cross four days later will be a travelling party only affair.
Just as opportunities to shine are fast running out, so are O’Neills’ chances to experiment. Expect the manager to take a few chances tonight before releasing his players back to their clubs for the season finale.
Here are three scenarios that we could see later at Aviva Stadium.
James McClean in the Roy Race role
Martin O’Neill has seen the Derry native play well up front in the past, for Wigan. Perhaps he was at Portman Road two years ago to see his countyman score a brace against Ipswich as the Latics overcame a one-goal deficit to record a 3-1 win.
McClean is capable of scoring goals – he managed eight more in 85 further appearances for Wigan – but he is not prolific.
Tony Pulis is a big fan of his much-maligned left winger and defends him against the many, diverse groupings who attack the 26 year old, but the wily Welshman does not value McClean for the two goals he has scored for West Brom this season.
If selected to play up front against Slovakia we can expect the usual from McClean – an abundance of running, the hounding of defenders and a willingness to throw himself on the end of any balls into the box.
Martin O'Neill suggests that James McClean may be the solution to his lack of striking options https://t.co/dN2chQCETS
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 29, 2016
Standard operating procedure for an Irish striker these days.
O’Neill is not blessed with an array of goal-scoring frontmen. We saw what they look like in qualifying – close contact with the likes of Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski only served to highlight what he doesn’t have. Ireland’s only out-and-out goal-scorer is a 35 year old who has flown back to Los Angeles to have his 35-year-old knee examined.
Shane Long’s epic effort against Germany will live forever in our memories, but it was his 14th goal in 60 caps. Jon Walters’ 10 in 38 makes him lethal by Irish standards but his specific set of skills are best suited to a roving, utility role in O’Neill’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Kevin Doyle shares stomach-churning photo of leg injury that ended his return early https://t.co/XMenfUG5Yh
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 25, 2016
Kevin Doyle is in O’Neill’s thoughts too, despite his shin injury. Another candidate to be the sharp-end of that formation is Daryl Murphy, who is still waiting for his first goal despite 20 appearances in green.
Murphy, back in East Anglia now with a calf injury, was playing that day in Portman Road too. Like many of the games in which O’Neill sees him play, he failed to score.
McClean’s run up front tonight could be informative, but you would hope it will not prove pivotal.
Another new look defence
It is a year to the day since Ireland drew 1-1 at home with Poland to keep their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 on life support.
The back five that day was Shay Given, Seamus Coleman, John O’Shea, Mark Wilson and Robbie Brady – O’Neill has not picked the same back five in back to back fixtures since then. Nine matches with no definitive defence taking shape.
Injuries, suspensions and (a little) experimentation means the Ireland defence has been given very little opportunity to bed in – not that it has done much harm.
Since Robbie Brady was pinched of possession in the corner, allowing Slawomir Peszko to score a year ago, Ireland have only conceded four goals in nine matches.
Brady has been a near ever-present in that time, lining out at left full-back for eight of the 10 matches, with Stephen Ward slotting in against Germany and away to Bosnia.
Similarly Seamus Coleman on the other flank has made eight appearances, with Cyrus Christie starting the other two games. Both Ward and Christie are likely to get game time tonight as O’Neill examines the potential supporting cast for France, which may see Wolves full-back Matt Doherty make his debut also.
On-field captain John O’Shea should return tonight. The Sunderland centre-half was an automatic choice when available during qualifying, but the filling of the berth alongside him could prove to be very interesting.
Mark Wilson’s injury and poor form benefited Richard Keogh towards the end of qualifying but the Derby County defender is now enduring a difficult period himself.
Ciaran Clark and Shane Duffy made impressive cases for inclusion against Switzerland, so O’Neill may feel it prudent to give some or all of Paul McShane, Alex Pearce and Keogh a chance tonight.
Add in a predicted start for Rob Elliot in nets and we can confidently assert that the back five tonight will bear little resemblance to the quintet that kept Switzerland at bay.
The value of Wes Hoolahan
When the Norwich playmaker announced on Monday that he will make a decision on his international future after the European Championships it brought into sharp focus the fact that Wes Hoolahan will be 34 this summer.
Having endured a few false starts after making his debut under Giovanni Trapattoni, Hoolahan has proved his worth time and again under O’Neill.
Often Hoolahan appears at his most valuable when he is not on the field.
Playing 4-4-2 from the start against Switzerland, Ireland did a terrible job of retaining possession. Stephen Quinn and David Meyler were unable to impose themselves in midfield and, despite playing an under-motivated Swiss team, Ireland managed less than 40 percent possession.
It was reminiscent of the worst days of Trapattoni, when the midfield pairing of Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan chased Croatian, Spanish and Italian shadows across Poland at Euro 2012.
Things improved markedly when Hoolahan was introduced in the second half.
Ireland need a five-man midfield and Ireland need Hoolahan in that midfield. James McCarthy is good in possession but plays in a more withdrawn role for Ireland. The Norwich man possesses the vision and passing ability to set the likes of Long and Walters free in areas where damage can be done.
Ireland look better when they have the ball. Ireland look better when Hoolahan is involved.
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