NEW FACES PROVIDE A TIMELY LIFT FOR O’NEILL
FOR the first time since Cardiff, Martin O’Neill was in chipper form at a post-match press conference. The 2-1 win over the USA on Saturday night was badly needed by O’Neill, by Roy Keane, by the players and the FAI.
To sign off for the summer on a bum note would have drummed up all sorts of negativity.
But a win changes the mood and it was a deserved one, too, as Ireland showed some second-half pluck to lower the stars and stripes of a USA team ranked 24th in the world.
Not that Ireland were all that exceptional. Declan Rice had a terrific night, Callum O’Dowda was lively, and there were decent cameos from Darragh Lenihan, Daryl Horgan and match-winner Alan Judge, but Ireland were not where they need to be for the Nations League.
If either Ryan Giggs or Age Hareide had any spies in Lansdowne Road, they wouldn’t have been all a tremble at what’s coming down the tracks in the autumn.
At least Ireland signed for a win, the first in five games, and O’Neill knows he is getting somewhere with the 3-5-2 formation, which allows him to play two strikers.
One of them, Graham Burke, has been deliberately showcased by O’Neill, who reckons the 24-year-old has something about him.
Should a move from Shamrock Rovers to England come about this summer, you suspect O’Neill would be as pleased as anyone, for his attacking options remain limited.
‘Playing three at the back was about trying to give young Burke as much help as possible,’ explained O’Neill.
‘I didn’t want him isolated wide left or wide right. I didn’t want him to feel as though we were outnumbered in the middle of the pitch and we were just chasing the game.
‘I thought the game gave us another opportunity to look at it (35-2) and that if he was going to play then it was the best way for us to play.’ Along with Burke, O’Neill has capped Scott Hogan, Derrick Williams, Shaun Williams, Enda Stevens and Lenihan in the three games this year, while Callum Robinson looked a handful in the Celtic friendly. ‘When we are going into competitive mode as we will be in September, October, November time, if some of these players make it into the squad then they will not be overawed they will know what to expect. ‘That’s what these games were there for. I don’t want to end up with about 19 one-cap wonders, like the fellow in America, Joey Lapira, so famous I didn’t remember him,’ said O’Neill. Some of the rookies will come through for the Nations League, while there are calls to be made about the future of such senior stalwarts as Glenn Whelan (83 caps) and Aiden McGeady (93 caps). An overhaul was required after the World Cup woe and Saturday night offered hope, if not yet soaring confidence, that there is a way forward. Ireland don’t possess quality in abundance and goals continue to be difficult to come by — seven in nine games over the course of the international season is a concern. Maybe Burke will kick on, maybe Sean Maguire or Robinson will provide answers. And maybe O’Dowda will deliver on the potential which O’Neill has been tapping into for two years. ‘I’ve got a lot of time for Callum. I think he can drive forward with the ball, I think he can improve with time and I’m hoping that he can be a proper player for us,’ he said. While Cardiff is three months away, O’Neill knows the bones of his first XI, assuming everyone is fit. He still has to resolve the position of left back as James McClean is not suited to the wing-back role and it was significant he fared better when pushed into the line of attack deep into the second half on Saturday. Maybe O’Neill will revisit his decision to jettison Stephen Ward. For the moment, O’Neill will focus on his TV commitments at the World Cup finals. Going to Russia will be that bit easier now, as nothing is better for the well-being of any manager than a win.