O’Neill cites impact of Coleman absence in response to Bale injury boost
NO Christian Eriksen, and now no GarethBale.
The unavailability of the opposition’s star men has given Ireland a helping hand for this UEFA Nations League double-header.
But Martin O’Neill feels any suggestion that the hosts have been lucky should be countered by the acknowledge mentthatt hey area l so without their best player in the form of Seamus Coleman.
The Ireland captain was foremost in the Derryman’s thoughts in the aftermath of Saturday’s draw at the Aviva Stadium.
He was aware of the view that Denmark were a softer touch minus Eriksen and was faced with a similar query in light of the negative bulletins about Bale’s fitness – the Real Madrid star’s absence from the travelling party to Dublin was eventually confirmed last night.
Did this news level the playing field ahead of tomorrow night?
“Well they (Wales) may feel the same about Seamus Coleman and with Robbie Brady,” said O’Neill, before honing in on the Everton player.
“I know you keep forgetting about these things and that you mentioned it before. Seamus Coleman is as important to us, in every aspect, as a captain and player – a world-class player.
“He can play in any full-back position in (any team in) Europe, we would all agree with that. And he is as important to us as Gareth Bale is to Wales.”
Coleman and Ba le were both involved in last month’s one-sided encounter, but the Ireland manager does feel that his team are in a better place overall ahead of the rematch with Ryan Giggs’s charges.
The visitors will also be shorn of Ethan Ampadu, the teenager who was so influential in that encounter.
Ireland newcomer Callum Robinson suffered a difficult education in Cardiff, but he’s in contention to come back into the starting team after a sprightly showing off the bench on Saturday.
O’Neill acknowledged that he gave the stadium a bit of a lift.
“I thought that he gave us a little bit of life, which was nice,” he said.
“He was taking some players on and the crowd took to him.”
Ireland have other matters to consider. Callum O’Dowda was taken off at the interval due to the aftereffects of an earlier collision which left him feeling unwell.
James McClean came through 90 minutes and Shane Long lasted 83 even though both had slightly
interrupted preparations. They will be assessed.
The position of Jeff Hendrick will also be considered. He started close to Long but was placed back in a deeper role after the withdrawal of Harry Arter.
Hendrick was at the centre of controversy for playing on and running through on goal when the Danes had stopped play thinking Arter was injured.
O’Neill said that Ireland would likely have allowed Denmark to score from the restart if Hendrick had converted.
He suggested that the Burnley player’s overall display left room for improvement.
“I thought when he was trying to play off Shane to begin with, he found himself going back a little farther than he would have wanted to because we hadn’t got the possession.
“When I took Harry off, Jeff went in there and I think that’s probably the position he feels most comfortable in.”
O’Neill conceded that Ireland will have to retain possession better against Wales.
“We obviously want to beat them,” he said.
“After getting confidence from a clean sheet, I think we can go on. We definitely need to have more possession of the ball.
“When we did have possession and kept it for a little while, we looked fine. We looked comfortable with it. So the idea is, rather than to have little pockets of that, to extend that play. That’s what I’m looking to do.”
O’Neill has chosen to add to his striking options by drafting in Portsmouth’s Ronan Curtis who has left the U-21 panel ahead of their final European Championship qualifier with Germany.
Thursday’s defeat in Israel ended any hope of Noel King’s side reaching a play-off so Curtis has been allowed to link up with the senior squad for the second time; he also travelled to Poland last month.