As Ireland struggle, ditching experience of Ward would be a bad move by O’Neill
SOMETIMES a player’s reputation can improve by his absence from Republic of Ireland internationals. It can be a case of, the more games you don’t play, the better you are.
So far this year, there has not been a sighting in the green jersey of Darren Randolph, Robbie Brady, Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Aiden McGeady or Stephen Ward.
Have they been missed? You’d have to say ‘yes’ based on the scruffy fare we’ve witnessed against Turkey and France.
For the Nations League trip to Wales on September 6, manager Martin O’Neill will certainly accommodate Randolph in goal and a fit-again Brady in any number of possible roles.
And, after that? McCarthy won’t have recovered from his leg problem in time, while O’Neill continues to be evasive over the future involvement of Whelan (83 appearances) and McGeady (93 appearances).
On Ward, however, he has taken a stance.
In the Stade de France, O’Neill stated it was up to the players coming through to make it difficult for Ward to get his place back.
Overlooked for the games against Turkey and France, it seems O’Neill has decided to dispense with Ward. From this perspective, such a strategy is risky.
At 32, Ward is not exactly long in the tooth and he is also the only Irish left-back attached to a Premier League club.
Last season, Ward played 28 games out of 38 in the Premier League. But for injury, he’d have been close to an ever-present.
He did so against the backdrop of the club shelling out £6m on Charlie Taylor, a young left-back from Leeds, last summer.
Ward also helped Burnley qualify for the Europa League with a seventh-place finish, the highest of any club with Irish players.
Should he continue where he left off, it seems inconceivable that O’Neill would continue to overlook him, at least for the Nations League.
For starters, there is no recognised left-back as the heir apparent to the Portmarnock man.
On Monday night, O’Neill gave a debut to Derrick Williams of Blackburn Rovers in the position.
It was some jump from League One to facing the seventh-ranked team in the world, but Williams, 25, delivered a credible performance. He even managed a header on goal, from a rare Irish corner.
Right now, is he a safer bet than Ward, a gnarly veteran of 49 appearances, six of them in two major finals? Not yet.
If Gareth Bale is thundering down the flank in Cardiff, would it be fair to ask Williams to police him? Not yet.
As for the other alternatives, O’Neill seems unconvinced by Matt Doherty, who was first choice at Championship kingpins Wolves all season, chiefly at right-back but also comfortable on the left.
Doherty, 26, was allocated the No 3 jersey in Paris but instead of starting, was given a late cameo as substitute for Williams.
It followed a lively half hour in Turkey where he impressed.
Post-game, Doherty declined to talk to the media which was a pity as his thoughts on where he stands with O’Neill would have been informative.
As for the remaining left-back options, O’Neill left Greg Cunningham and Enda Stevens on the bench in Paris. Stevens wasn’t given a minute in Turkey either, which suggests he is not in O’Neill’s Nations League plans.
It’s possible Brady has been pencilled in by O’Neill for left-back in Cardiff but that would be a calculated risk as he is offensive by inclination and is more influential further up the park.
Should Sunday’s season finale against the USA come and go with further uncertainty from Ireland, O’Neill may be forced to rethink on who to cull from the ranks.
Ward, among others, may yet be summoned from the shadows.