Revitalised Brady is pick of the bunch...
AFTER Robbie Brady returned from the shadows to throw Stephen Kenny a lifeline on Tuesday, the Republic of Ireland’s standing in European football has been laid bare. As the cordite cleared the Nations League battlefield, Ireland finished 26th of 55, sandwiched between Slovenia and Albania. Had they topped the group and won promotion as Scotland did, they’d have been 20th while second place would have merited a ranking of 22nd.
If 26th is bad, it could have been a place worse but for Russia’s positioning at the foot of the League B teams. A bit like the LIV golfers, Russia are sliding like a stone as they don’t play matches that count.
The Nations League rankings are relevant as they decide seedings for the Euro 2024 qualifiers and also the 12 playoff places following the conclusion of the qualifiers. Ireland will know their opponents on Sunday week when the Euro draw takes place in Frankfurt.
Four teams, Netherlands, Croatia, Spain and Italy, will be in a fiveteam group to allow them compete in the Nations League finals in June 2023. As third seeds, Ireland have to take what they get. The top seeds include unlikely lads Hungary and Poland while Pot Two has beatable teams such as BosniaHerzegovina, Israel and Finland. Kenny would take any of that quintet, you suspect. On the flip side, Ireland could be drawn with Belgium/Italy, England/France and Turkey/ Greece. Nothing easy there. The matches will be played in five windows next year, March, June, September, October and November with the play-offs in March 2024 where 12 teams will joust for three places in the finals. The play-offs slots have been provisionally allocated to the group winners of League A, League B and League C, should they need them.
If not, they will be passed out to those teams highest in the rankings who don’t come first or second in their group. It looks like a 50-50 call for Ireland on the play-off front. Should teams below Ireland, such as former power houses, Sweden, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, get their act together and challenge for a top-two place in the qualifiers, it could get tight for a play-off pass. By the time the qualifiers kick off in March, some familiar faces may be absent from the Ireland squad. Seamus Coleman and Shane Duffy, two of the great lionhearts of recent times, were hardly seen in the window and clearly are not first choice under Kenny any more. Coleman was available for selection for both games but had to make do with 15 minutes as a substitute against Scotland in Glasgow, during which time Ireland conceded a goal and he was cautioned. He didn’t figure at all against Armenia and while there are friendlies to come in November, by which time Coleman will be 34, come the start of the Euros he will find it hard to regain his place if everyone is fit.
Coleman has only featured ten times in 27 games for Kenny, having been dropped for the opening two games in the Nations League. He has captained Ireland in 26 games and led by example each time.
Duffy, 30, didn’t get a minute during the window and has also slipped back in the standings under Kenny having been a mainstay for so long.
In contrast to Coleman, Duffy has started 21 games for Kenny, was captain for the first eight and chipped in with vital goals, including late equalisers against Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, and the opener in Luxembourg.
If he plays at Fulham between now and March he could return but he’s not as comfortable on the ball as other central defenders, and Kenny knows it. Brady has hardly been seen as part of Kenny’s vision but his potential value in the Euro qualifiers is obvious. Without his goal and assist on Tuesday, Ireland would have been humiliated by Armenia. Brady is 30 and eager to make up for time lost through injury. Should he stay fit, he would represent the greatest threat to James McClean reaching 100 caps, as both play in the left wing-back position. McClean started in Scotland but Brady got the call on Tuesday and seized his chance.
While he may not be as strong as McClean defensively, Brady offers more on the ball, both in general play and set pieces. His joy at tucking away that penalty was evident and brought back memories of his great moments in Euro 2016, in Lille and Lyon. On a grey night for Kenny’s vision, Brady was one of the few shining lights.