ANALYSIS:OUR NEW President Michael D Higgins got some reception last night before meeting the players. That seemed the most poignant moment of the night.
It quickly became apparent that the election result was well and truly sealed in Tallinn last Friday night. This merely being the inauguration, our thoughts shifted on to the next conundrum for Giovanni Trapattoni – who to bring with him to Poland/Ukraine.
Only 23 can travel and three of them will be goalkeepers. Shay Given and Keiren Westwood are nailed on, with the latter looking increasingly like the Number One in waiting. David Forde of Millwall looks best-placed to be third choice. Darren Randolph of Motherwell is next in the queue.
That leaves 20 spots. Of the 16 outfield players in last night’s squad only a few are on shaky ground. The starting XI will all travel, fitness permitting, but it is in midfield where competition for places looks fiercest.
James McCarthy and Keith Fahey were on the bench here. Trapattoni has said he will look at others, like McCarthy, in the lead in to the Euros but, really, the only opportunity is the February friendly. Possibly against England.
The other warm-up matches come too close to the actual tournament for extensive experimentation. We already know the Italian is conservative in his selection policy.
It will take injuries and massive upsurges in form for him to alter from the tried and trusted.
Darron Gibson has had enough chances. Considering he will not play much for Manchester United between now and June, he may miss out. He appears to be in a straight fight with McCarthy although the fit-again David Myler could make a case for himself with Sunderland. He certainly has all the tools to fill one of the Trapattoni holding berths. Liam Lawrence has to come back into the reckoning as well.
Wes Hoolahan is another whose form demands a closer look. He has been one of Norwich City’s top performers in the Premier League this season.
Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan have been Trapattoni favourites these past four years – I imagine the reward will be to anchor the Irish midfield in the European Championships. It is the Italian’s loyalty that seems to have got the most out of both.
Defence has few areas of debate. He should bring seven, to leave an extra option elsewhere. Darren O’Dea’s versatility should see him go as the fourth centre back and his place on the bench last night’s indicates as much. He is ahead of Paul McShane and Seamus Coleman in the current pecking order.
Stephen Kelly also appears to have done enough but that means Kevin Kilbane’s 14 years of service may not be rewarded with another major tournament. Stephen Ward’s performance last night proved he has passed Kevin by.
O’Shea and O’Dea can cover full back anyway while Coleman brings an X Factor that makes him hard to omit. So McShane could be excluded as well.
Up front? Knowing Robbie Keane is going and presuming Kevin Doyle remains his strike partner (he looked sharp last night), there is a tough call between the other four strikers – Jonathan Walters, Simon Cox, Shane Long and Leon Best.
I imagine he’ll bring four forwards, but he could bring five.
Walters is on the plane after his performance last Friday night. He is now a proven international target man. Cox has never disappointed in a green jersey while Long was gaining plaudits as a genuine Premier League standard centre forward until his knee injury. He must go if fit.
Then it seems like two from Cox, Myler, Lawrence and Hoolahan will make it. With Gibson’s inactivity making him only an outside bet.
But we are trying to read Trapattoni’s mind here.
He knows this is probably his last chance on the main stage. His swansong in football, he will call upon all the guile built up over five decades as a top level manager as he makes his important selection.
Who would be our ideal bedfellows in the Pool stages?
It is possible that we could see a repeat of Euro ’88 with England, the Netherlands and the Russians together again. Ideally, we want Poland, even at home, or at least the Ukraine as our top seeds. Spain and the Dutch must be avoided. Germany too. England and Greece would do nicely.
This is what we will be contemplating until the draw on December 2nd. The type of conversation we have been unable to have for nine long years.
