Now it’s serious.
Only 23 players are welcome aboard the Irish plane to France and, with just one friendly remaining before Martin O’Neill picks his final squad for Euro 2016, the chance may have already passed for some would-be bolters.
Despite an injury crisis at the moment which saw Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Robbie Keane, Harry Arter, and Jeff Hendrick withdraw from the March games, the manager admitted that he already has a fair idea of who will make his final 23.
Even the like of Arter, who has featured in just one international game against England, will be in with a shout considering the season he’s having in the Premier League with Bournemouth. Stoke City’s Marc Wilson is having a turgid, injury-ravaged campaign but he was initially an ever-present under O’Neill and he deputised at left back during the closing stages in Bosnia too.
We’ve put ourselves in the manager’s shoes and tried to imagine the 23 men he’ll pick to take with him to Versailles.
GOALKEEPERS
Darren Randolph
Shay Given
David Forde
The injury to Rob Elliot has made this a default selection. Keiren Westwood never made the March squads even with Given absent and, once the Stoke player gets back to fitness and gets a few club games under his belt – now with Jack Butland out injured – the Donegal stopper would surely travel as second choice to Randolph.
DEFENDERS
Seamus Coleman
Cyrus Christie
Richard Keogh
Ciaran Clark
John O’Shea
Marc Wilson
Robbie Brady
Stephen Ward
No Shane Duffy.
We’d take him, all day long. We’re just second-guessing what the manager is thinking. Duffy would only go as a fourth-choice centre half regardless. Unless two backs are injured, he wouldn’t feature. O’Neill might favour Wilson not just because he’s a second left-footed option and because he’s played a big role in the qualifying campaign already, but because he can fill in at left back. Twice in the closing stages, Robbie Brady was deployed in midfield against Germany and Bosnia (away). Twice, Stephen Ward came in to fill the full back spot and twice the Burnley man never lasted the 90 minutes – Wilson was actually brought on there in the playoff game.
After the Whelan, McCarthy, Hendrick, Hoolahan diamond, Brady seems to be the next option at midfield. He will have to go in there at some stage during the tournament and the versatility and extra cover that Wilson brings could put him ahead of Duffy.
MIDFIELDERS
Glenn Whelan
James McCarthy
Jeff Hendrick
Wes Hoolahan
Harry Arter
James McClean
David Meyler
Aiden McGeady
After two impressive games against Switzerland and Slovakia, you’d like to see Eunan O’Kane in there but, in the manager’s eyes, it could be between him and Arter for that position.
You could already have O’Kane’s club mate and Robbie Brady offering that same presence in the middle of the park whereas David Meyler offers a little something different for O’Neill. He’s a bit more robust, a bit safer, and more versatile – he came on at full back against Germany.
Alan Judge and Jack Byrne are two other names you’d prefer there but the latter never even got a call-up in the end and Judge was used on the wing of a flat 4-4-2 formation and never got to show what he could do. Disappointingly, it was McGeady – not Judge – who got brought on against Slovakia in the Wes Hoolahan role and, remember, the former Celtic man got the nod against Poland in such a crucial, late qualifying game too.
STRIKERS
Jon Walters
Shane Long
Daryl Murphy
Robbie Keane
Keane comes because he’s captain and because he’s Keane.
Murphy comes because it’s between him and Kevin Doyle.
O’Neill could bring another striker but, after the two friendlies, James McClean seems to be higher up that pecking order than the rest of them – even as a forward. Yet again, versatility is saving the manager seats.
There are a few names that could excite us a little more that might get left at home, a couple of players that will probably feel hard done by but it isn’t a drastic 23-man squad. If anything, it’s a sensible one.
We’ll probably win the f**king thing.
Predicted periphery players missing out
Keiren Westwood
Shane Duffy
Paul McShane
Alex Pearce
Darron Gibson
Eunan O’Kane
Stephen Quinn
Alan Judge
Jonny Hayes
Anthony Pilkington
Kevin Doyle
Other recent call-ups
Matt Doherty
Greg Cunningham
Stephen Gleeson
Paul Green
Christopher Forrester
Simon Cox
Anthony Stokes
David McGoldrick
Adam Rooney
