The Republic of Ireland starting XI to face Scotland on Saturday night at Hampden Park could have far reaching, perhaps even transcendental consequences. Or all this talk about a changing of the guard will become a moot point.
Andrew Omobamidele’s presence might have forced Stephen Kenny to unveil the back three that will lead Ireland through the Euros 2024 qualification campaign, which many expect to include the Norwich City centre half alongside Nathan Collins and John Egan, simply because this trio are consistently producing commanding defensive displays at their English clubs.
Factoring in Dara O’Shea’s goal for West Brom on Saturday, his excellent distribution and the fact that Steve Bruce recently made the Dubliner stand-in captain, Kenny was pressed to explain how inactive Irish leaders, Seámus Coleman and Shane Duffy, could possibly be named ahead of the 23-year-old.
“It is a dilemma,” said Kenny. “Nothing is straightforward. Some of the players that are playing in the Premier League if they drop down to the Championship, for example, they would probably play every week. It’s just a challenge we’ve got to go and get it right for Saturday.”
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Tuesday’s press conference in Abbotstown effectively became a failed effort to hoodwink the Ireland manager into revealing his team. The wealth of options at his disposal is the precise situation Kenny strived to create when taking the job in the depths of a pandemic as, almost to a man, players on the periphery at Premier League clubs have sought moves to the EFL Championship.
“A number of players have made decisions based on preserving their international career, and that has to be commended,” said Kenny. “The players love playing for Ireland. It is the best thing in their lives, their sporting lives. They are fulfilling their dreams playing for Ireland and if that means doing what needs to be done to get matches, by and large, they’re willing to do that.”
Jeff Hendrick’s loan from Newcastle United to Reading is a prime example, as 18 of the current squad clocked so much pitch time last weekend that the Irish management were faced with the alien situation of having just six players available for training on Monday.
Each one of the six tells their own story. Coleman cannot get a kick for Everton, same goes for Duffy on loan to Fulham and Matt Doherty at Spurs, while early red cards for Nathan Collins and Liam Scales meant they were fresh. The sixth, Michael Obafemi, is working his way back into favour at Swansea City after manager Russell Martin questioned his “state of mind” when a proposed move to Burnley collapsed at the 11th hour.
“Hopefully he’ll go away with Ireland and do well with them and he’ll come back as the Michael we know and love,” said Martin, following his striker’s two-minute cameo in the 3-0 loss to Hull City.
Back to Kenny’s dilemma, form versus reputation: the example of Martin O’Neill dropping Robbie Keane for the 1-0 loss at Hampden in 2014 was worded as a question about the manager being “afraid” to do likewise with Coleman or Duffy.
“Would I be afraid of doing it? No. I wouldn’t be afraid of leaving anyone out. I don’t think I’d be sitting here if that was the case. You always have to make tough decisions.
“They’re two brilliant people in the group, both had tremendous careers. Both Premier League players. They are out of their teams at the moment but it’s only seven games into the season. I’m sure they’ll get opportunities to get back into the Everton and Fulham teams respectively. They’ve been great servants for Ireland. And still have a big part to play for us.”
Going forward? “Yeah, going forward, for sure.”
Kenny also rejected the old Paul McGrath-as-a-holding-midfielder theory that was floated with regards one of the young centre backs being shoehorned into the side.
“They are all capable of playing in those positions but we have good midfield players and we have competition in midfield. That’s with the emergence of Josh Cullen, and Jason Knight and Jayson Molumby. There’s competition: Alan Browne and Jeff Hendrick and Conor Hourihane, there are good options there. We feel we have enough competition there and won’t put one of the centre backs into midfield ahead of those players.”
Similar conundrums need figuring out at centre forward. Obafemi and Troy Parrott gelled in the 3-5-2 line-up that handed Scotland a 3-0 defeat last June but other contenders are in clear form, particularly Chiedozie Ogbene for Rotherham United.
“We have been working on the two systems and the ability to play with 3-4-2-1 and 3-5-2. It’s important that all the players are aware, both in and out of possession, how exactly we want to play in both systems.
“This was one of the positives of the last camp when the front two were excellent. They really played well in that match.
“We have good options now and Chiedozie playing as a centre forward this year, having played as a wing back, is a bonus for us if we were playing that system. Obviously, there are Callum Robinson and Scott Hogan so we have got good options if we want to play 3-5-2. Equally, we have the ability to switch systems. We cannot be reliant on one way of playing.”
