Ireland need Randolph at the top of his game
IT has been a rough start for Stephen Kenny as Ireland manager. In his first eight games, the Boys in Green scored just once and didn’t win. The results were concerning, but they were broadly excused as being set against the backdrop of extraordinary preparations that were disrupted by everything; from injuries, to Covid-19, to behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Recent weeks have not been any kinder. Damien Duff, a staunch Kenny loyalist, left the coaching staff, with reports indicating that frustrations borne out of the handling of the infamous ‘Videogate’ saga may have contributed. Then, Alan Kelly, long-serving goalkeeping coach, stepped away, citing Covid-19 concerns; he is asthmatic.
Even if Kenny does manage to quash the off-field distractions; even if he manages to get the players playing the way he wants; and even if the likes of Aaron Connolly, Troy Parrott, Nathan Collins, Adam Idah, etc., find their scoring touch, the goalkeeping conundrum of Darren Randolph’s situation at West Ham will be a major issue in the months ahead.
A regularly playing, in-form goalkeeper is vital for any team in normal circumstances. When you consider Ireland’s defensive options, it is made that bit more crucial. Matt Doherty has not been unable to nail down a regular place at Tottenham Hotspur; Shane Duffy’s extensive struggles at Celtic are well-documented; Kevin Long hasn’t featured for Burnley since a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea at the end of October; and Ryan Manning’s chances to impress at Swansea have been limited to sporadic appearances.
There are promising signs for some: Seamus Coleman is a man reinvigorated since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival at an improved Everton; Cyrus Christie is a pervasive starter in a Nottingham Forest team that has found a good vein of form lately; and, while the form of their teams is a concern, Dara O’Shea, Ciarán Clark, Enda Stevens, and John Egan have been playing lots of football with West Brom, Newcastle United and Sheffield United, respectively.
The one area of the team that is, perhaps, most distressing, is that of the goalkeepers. Caoimhin Kelleher (22) is emerging at Liverpool, as are Gavin Bazunu (18) at Rochdale and Mark Travers (21) at Bournemouth. They will all be contesting for the number one jersey in the future, but that is a while off yet. That is why Darren Randolph’s stagnation at West Ham is potentially problematic.
It seemed odd when Randolph moved back to West Ham United last January. While his initial run, from 2015, coincided with him becoming the Irish number one, he peaked as a goalkeeper at Middlesbrough, where he moved in 2017. He made over 100 appearances at the Riverside. In his first season, he played every league game, Boro made the Championship play-offs, and kept 16 clean sheets. A year later, he played every league game, they finished just one point outside of those places, kept 19 clean sheets, and they also got to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. All the while, he was performing at a consistently high level for Ireland, for whom he has been one of the few players on whom the various managers could rely. His latest cap, vs Bulgaria, was his 50th, and the clean sheet he recorded in that game was his 21st for his country.
That is why his return to East London last year was a head-scratcher. After all, the Hammers had a settled goalkeeper on the books in Lukasz Fabianski. There was never an indication that Darren was signed with the intent of usurping the Polish international. In the 12 months that have passed since, worst fears have been realised. So far this season, he has played seven times; five of those coming in the Carabao Cup and just one in the Premier League.
By all accounts, the Bray native is happy in London. In which case, all power to him. On the other hand, if Ireland are to make an impact when the World Cup qualifiers begin in March, they will need Randolph to be at his best. As long as he languishes on the bench at West Ham, the greater the chance that such inactivity may bleed into his form for Ireland, although it hasn’t thus far. He was guilty of some shaky moments during the last round of internationals, but that could be put down to there being more of an onus on playing out from the back.
With the January transfer window in full swing, a loan move away from the London Stadium could prove beneficial. He is only 33, so he should have another four or five years of football left in his gloves. He has operated at such a higher level for so many years; if Stephen Kenny is to get the time he needs to breed change, he cannot afford for that bar to slip.