TIME TO PLAY IT COOL, JAMES
I need you for both games – don’t ‘lamp’ anyone, says O’Neill
THE pewter skies above Abbotstown were blotted out as screeching rooks began their evening procession to their wintry roosts.
It was akin to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ and many Republic of Ireland players paused during their warm-up to observe the din overhead.
Some, if so disposed to the legend of storm crows, may have considered the interlopers a harbinger of trouble before World Cup battle. Others, more sensibly, focused on the training drills under the corvine eye of Roy Keane, the only person wearing black boots, and a woolly hat.
It’s November football for the Republic of Ireland, which means one of two things — either a meaningless friendly or a play-off for a major final. For the third time since the turn of the millennium, it’s a World Cup play-off, and every player is aching to be involved.
The likes of John O’Shea, Paul McShane, Aiden McGeady and Shane Long were around in 2009 against France, while Keane played his part against Iran in 2001 before making his excuses after the first leg and slipping back to Manchester at dawn.
Keane was the talisman of that team under Mick McCarthy, in much the same way James McClean has become the go-to player for Martin O’Neill.
He has made the most appearances under O’Neill, spent more minutes on the pitch than any other outfield player in the World Cup, and has scored the most goals in this campaign, three.
Improbably, McClean is second to Robbie Brady of all people, in the yellow card table.
Significantly, McClean is one of eight likely starters on Saturday in Copenhagen who need to be wary of shipping a caution which would rule them out of the return leg next Tuesday.
O’Neill, who regards his leftwinger in much the same way a benevolent uncle has his favourite nephew, is aware of the red fuse which matches McClean’s red footwear.
He watched through his fingers from the back of the sofa on Saturday night as McClean, just on as a substitute for West Brom, ran ‘70 yards to lamp a lad’ (Tom Ince), for which he was cautioned.
The week before, McClean thundered into Kyle Walker who hurdled clear at the last second, while he conceded an injury-time free against Watford, which led to a late equaliser. For Ireland, he was booked late on in Cardiff.
McClean is desperate to start games, for club and country, so much so that the red mist tends to get the better of him, which has prompted O’Neill to have a quiet word in light of his challenge on Saturday.
‘According to James, he’s told me he’s missed him [Ince]. I said to James “what about the intention? You might have missed him — had you hit him you probably would have put him over the stand.’
For the play-offs, O’Neill simply can’t afford a repeat of McClean’s angst when introduced as a substitute against Poland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers and he promptly cleaved Arkadiusz Milik.
‘He [McClean] came on as a sub that night and even Roy Keane said to him “just be careful.” And James acknowledged the fact that he would be careful and 30 seconds later he has just “done” the fella!
‘He can see a bit of red mist and sometimes that’s what makes him. Other times he needs to just cool down, cool it for a second as he has been great for us and we need him in these two games. ‘We have the utmost regard for him, as a person and a player. He just needs to cool down, get his head right for the game. That lad that he tried to lamp is okay, he’s just got out of hospital, or out of the imaginary hospital.’ O’Neill steered clear of the Remembrance Day poppy issue, save to say he knows where McClean ‘comes from.’
Of the bottles, coins and lighters flung at him last weekend by Huddersfield fans, O’Neill said, ‘things are thrown at James most weeks, so you just have to cope with it.’
Coping without McClean would be a concern for O’Neill, who desperately needs 180 minutes against the Danes from his fellow Derry native, whose crucial goals away from home have brought Ireland to their date with destiny.
Chisinau, Vienna, Cardiff, each time McClean has delivered.
At 28, McClean has become a senior player very quickly under O’Neill and is on the short-list for the captaincy in Copenhagen along with midfield veteran Glenn Whelan, who is currently level with Paul McGrath on 83 caps.
Whelan and Harry Arter were made the fall guys for Ireland’s struggles in Georgia in September but both could be back in harness in the engine room on Saturday as O’Neill is without David Meyler and James McCarthy.
Ireland scored first on the road in all their Group D qualifiers and the Danish capital is where they will seek to take flight once more.