O’Neill is desperate to avoid repeat of Rice conundrum
ADJACENT to Leopardstown racecourse, Martin O’Neill was saddled up for a rough ride yesterday. From Declan Rice’s dithering to the poppy position of James McClean, O’Neill knew his final squad announcement of ‘a tough year’ was going to be anything but straightforward.
It helped that there were a few newcomers to chew over for the games against Northern Ireland and Denmark which underlined the manager’s desire to cover as many bases as possible for the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Already, his eyes are fixed on the December 2 draw in Dublin and the qualification which begins in March. As for the criticism of where Ireland are right now — one win in eight games in 2018 — it isn’t keeping him up at night.
Clearly, he has received the imprimatur by the FAI top brass to continue as manager and not worry about a Nations League blow-out or the implications of a third seed slippage at the Euro draw.
At 66, he seemed energised by the challenge in front of him and spoke of attending four club games between Friday night and Sunday afternoon as he sifts for nuggets in an increasingly stony soil. ‘I need to see players for myself,’ he said.
One player above inspection is Rice, whose stature as a footballer grows with every game he misses for Ireland. All the signs point towards an England switch, even if O’Neill remains defiant.
He said he intends to speak with the West Ham teenager, and his father Sean, again as he combines diplomacy and persuasion for a final time.
A decision on Rice’s future is due before the end of the year and O’Neill knows the odds are against him, as England manager Gareth Southgate holds the high ground, as well as a folder full of statistical data on the player.
‘Showing someone stats and someone actually playing games, as Declan has for us, is totally different,’ he observed, a tad testily.
O’Neill took issue with a suggestion that he could have Rice bagged and tagged by now, had he capped him against Moldova 13 months ago in a World Cup qualifier.
While he’d already invited Rice to train with the senior team by then, he seemed taken aback by the suggestion that the player may have been ready for a competitive debut at 18.
‘When could I have capped him? The Moldova game at home before we played Wales where we were desperate to win the game? It’s kind of crazy,’ he said.
‘That had not entered my head at the time. You have to merit getting into the side for a start. I have no qualms on that whatso-
ever. I might as well try and cap 16-year-olds then playing competitive football, you are trying to win football matches.’
O’Neill ventured that had he tried to play Rice in the Moldova game, which Ireland won 2-0, the player might have demurred because of the consequences.
‘I think he would have been aware of it (the rules) and he may well have said: “Well if I go on here I’m making a choice.” I wouldn’t have just sneaked him onto the pitch.
‘He might have thought: “By the way, I don’t want to be included here because it might affect me.” I think Declan must have had these thoughts in his head for some time.’
When pressed, O’Neill acknowledged that he may have to consider capping unproven young players in competitive games just to tie them to Ireland for all time.
His provisional squad for the upcoming games includes Michael Obafemi, the Dublin-born Southampton striker, who is eligible for Nigeria, while defender Jimmy Dunne of Hearts is the subject of Northern Ireland attentions, even though he was born in Drogheda.
Asked if those outside suitors influenced his thinking, O’Neill acknowledged, ‘It would be ridiculous of me to say that there wouldn’t be a part of that.’
When O’Neill first played for Northern Ireland in 1971 there was no option to switch, whether the game was a friendly or not. He feels returning to the old method is worth a consideration by FIFA.
‘Maybe the rules are worth looking at. Maybe if someone plays at senior level — friendly or not — that should be enough,’ he said.
Ryan Manning, the Rotherham striker and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who travelled with Liverpool to Serbia for last night’s Champions League game, are the other uncapped players in the provisional squad who may get a Euro 2020 audition.
After one win, a last-gasp one at that against the USA, O’Neill is casting a wide net in search of players, chiefly forwards, to provide a much-needed spark.
In June, there were high hopes for Graham Burke, who scored in that 2-1 win and earned a move from Shamrock Rovers to Preston through his international exposure, but he has fallen back since. So too have Ireland, with three losses and a draw.
Asked to assess the international year, O’Neill didn’t spoof. ‘It’s not been good, no. It’s been a tough old year, we have to fight back.
‘We’ve fought back before and qualified for a tournament in France. We were beaten in the (World Cup) play-offs but we qualified for them, that’s the point.
‘Let’s see where these games take us and try to roar back.’