Dynamic duo could be vital for Ireland
I SETTLED down to watch Match of the Day 2 on Sunday evening, and two players discussed at length by Republic of Ireland fans in recent weeks were very much to the fore for their clubs – Declan Rice and Matt Doherty.
The will he, won’t he, saga surrounding Rice has unquestionably been tiresome, but one thing’s for sure: we’re crying out for a player of his calibre in the engine room of the Irish side.
There’s certainly no doubting Dubliner Doherty’s dedication to the cause, but whether or not Martin O’Neill can find a place for the talented defender in his team is the million-dollar question.
Speaking of under-fire managers, Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini turned 65 on Sunday and he’s probably not a good advertisement for the stresses and strains of his chosen profession.
Despite having a head of hair thicker than mohair rug, I always thought he was older.
Maybe it’s just his laid back demeanour which makes him appear like a gentle old grandfather, who should have his slippered feet up as he sips on cocoa, rather than relaying instructions from a sideline.
I’m hardly one to talk though as while decluttering over the weekend I happened upon holiday pictures from more than a decade ago and the bright hues from those days have been replaced with greying hairs that look more like a badger’s backside than the barnet of someone still with a bit of youth on their side.
Anyway, the Chilean definitely would have been feeling young at heart after the Hammers gave him the perfect birthday gift, by picking up their first win of the campaign to release some of the building pressure that had been enveloping around him, and Rice was certainly one of the stars.
Up front, Andriy Yarmolenko and Marko Arnautovic tormented the Everton defence, while the hard-working Rice along with Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang brilliantly pulled the strings.
The brooding Arnautovic always gives the impression that he thinks he’s better than he is, but he’s a decent player nonetheless, one that would cause any defence problems when he’s in the mood.
Thankfully Declan Rice doesn’t have the cockiness of the Austrian, but what he does have is unwavering confidence in his own ability, assuredness on the ball and a workrate to match, all commendable attributes for a 19-year-old.
We need ball players like him, who can dictate the pace of a game, in the heart of the Irish team, and anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.
So if the London-born teenager chooses to throw his lot in with the Boys in Green, he should be welcomed with open arms (and a bowl of glistening shamrock if needs be).
Anybody who is precious about the birthplace of members of our national squad, preferring dyedin-the-wool Irish only, need look no further than Rugby Union or pretty much any international sport for that matter. It’s not just small countries like Ireland that spread the net far and wide, as England and their ilk welcome all-comers into the fold in the oval ball game.
Matt Doherty was another player of huge interest to the Republic Ireland faithful who was shown strutting his stuff on the BBC highlights show, as he continues to impress for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It’s certainly exciting times at Molineux and among a host of continental stars, the Irish man shone as bright as any with a positive attacking display from wing-back.
He is a vital cog in the wheel for manager Nuno Espirito Santo, but unfortunately the more cautious Martin O’Neill doesn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm for the player as the Portuguese maestro.
Footballers of Doherty’s ability, one of the few Irish playing regularly in England’s top flight, have to be starting for Ireland, and O’Neill simply has to find a place for him in his first eleven.
That said, the Derry man could well overlook the obvious and leave him with a bit part role.
You can accuse O’Neill of many things, but you can’t deny that he has the courage of his convictions.
He’ll choose his own tried and trusted players, ones that suit his mindset, so you’re more likely to see Cyrus Christie haring up the wing, rather than Doherty linking up with the front men to cause fresh problems for international defences.
Doherty’s club manager allows him the freedom to drift where the wind takes him, something that almost certainly wouldn’t be tolerated in the rigid Irish set-up, where the plan will always suffocate the street footballer within.
The Rice situation may be out of O’Neill’s hands, but Doherty has to be in the team with a licence to cut inside and go on rampaging runs. It’s the only sensible thing to do.
Then again, when has sense ever come into it.