It might be a game for McClean the warrior
STEPHEN Kenny has been making a point of how difficult it has been for the Republic of Ireland to win away games against opponents of a decent calibre.
It’s his way of keeping expectations on an even keel as the Euro 2020 play- offs finally approach, seven months later than scheduled.
Yet, top- notch triumphs on foreign turf are relatively recent – as the 1-0 win in Austria in November 2016 and the 1-0 win in Wales in October 2017 can confirm.
If Kenny wanted verification of how compact and competitive Ireland played in those World Cup qualifiers under Martin O’Neill, he could check with James McClean, who scored the winner on each occasion.
Under Kenny, little has been seen of McClean, just 13 minutes in fact, as a substitute when Ireland were flat against the Finns in Dublin last month.
And it’s unlikely Kenny will use McClean, 31, in anything other than back-up capacity against the Slovaks on Thursday.
At one level, this seems curious as McClean has played 31 games for Ireland since 2016, more than anyone bar Shane Duffy, and also scored more goals in that time, six.
With 65 caps and the experience of two European Championship finals, McClean’s blood n’thunder attitude could be most useful on the Bratislava battleground.
Yet, he appears to have shifted from centre- stage under Trap, O’Neill and Mick McCarthy to the s hadows under Kenny, t he manager who signed him for Derry City as a teenager in 2008.
Asked yesterday what sort of conversations he’s had with McClean about his future role for Ireland, Kenny’s reply was diplomatic. He promised nothing.
‘Because James has just turned the other side of 30, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to play as much; he probably wants to play more than ever now. You want to impact and he’s used to playing,’ he said.
‘I think James can still have a big role to play. I wouldn’t write off James at all.
‘James has been a great servant for Ireland, very consistent in his career. I know how much he loves playing for his country and so does everyone else.’
As for why McClean finds himself on the outside looking in, it’s because Kenny reckons he has better options on the left flank. Aaron Connolly for one, and possibly Callum Robinson too.
‘You pick the team that you think is right, the balance, the potency, you’ve enough possibilities to score goals. That’s most important. James is a serious option of course.’
When managers use the word ‘option’, players get their drift. They are no longer in the first XI, but rather ‘The Swifts’.
Under Kenny, Seamus Coleman is an option at right-back, Robbie Brady is an option in midfield, while Shane Long i s another option in attack. That’s the reality and players like McClean have to convince Kenny they have more to offer than an ‘option.’
As it stands, Connolly, a centreforward, is Kenny’s preference for the left-wing. It’s where he used him to telling effect in the U21s and again l ast month i n the Nations Leagues where he was probably Ireland’s most productive player.
Connolly brings youth, pace and trickery to the role. In contrast, McClean is more physical, and direct, qualities which the ‘old’ Ireland always leaned on.
For Kenny’s new way forward, there is a different emphasis, with skill encouraged over strength, possession over power.
‘Pace is important in international football and Aaron has that, it’s a great asset to us, that’s important,’ said Kenny yesterday.
‘I’ve played him on the right, the left and as a centre forward. When he’s playing in a wider area, he’s happier coming off the left than the right but long term he will most likely be a centre forward. ‘We’ve got to maximise the talent we’ve got in the teams and that’s what we’re looking at.’ DUE to Dundalk’s involvement in the UEFA Europa League group stages, two of their SSE Airtricity League f i xtures have been rescheduled.
The champions’ game at Waterf ord, originally scheduled for October 24, will now take place on October 25 ( 2.0) while Dundalk versus Sligo Rovers has been put back to November 1 (7.30). Finn Harps against Shamrock Rovers on Saturday next will be played on October 20 (5.45) while Bohs v Finn Harps has put back 24 hours to October 24 (7.30).