Ireland’s defensive trio are in early stages of a long journey

Laying foundations for the future could be a legacy of international window shrouded in manager uncertainty

AstrangeSaturdayattheAviva Stadium. Encouragement from the football but confusion about the meaning of it all. The game on the park providing the opportunity for all sorts of heads from within the sport to catch up and chat about matters off it. Inevitably, it meant the rumour mill swirled in the hours after the match.

At this stage of the game, it’s become clear that taking the bush telegraph word as gospel is dangerous, even if it can be traced to members of the football family.

Increased chatter about Georgia manager Willy Sagnol has to be tempered by his representatives denying any contact and the fact that he is 24 hours away from a fixture – a Euro playoff with Gus Poyet’s Greece – that will give him the chance to manage at a major tournament this summer. What kind of character would commit to walking away from that?

Some other links have made no sense at all, but a vacuum exists that allows any theory to gain weight if a few voices row in behind it.

Over the weekend, more than one source relayed FAI-driven gossip that the apparent done deal in the background had met with a bit of turbulence. Sometimes, the whiff of crisis can be convenient for those seeking to benefit from it, especially with the FAI hierarchy under fire, but it’s certain that a degree of scepticism will remain until the big reveal.

There will be people close to John O’Shea making the point to him that HR matters in football aren’t always straightforward. Snags are common. For the caretaker boss, it’s wise to prepare for any eventuality.

Attractive

While the FAI have been at pains to point out that the interim team are just that, it’s clear that the incentive is there for O’Shea and his staff to prove they can be an attractive fallback. Perhaps it’s wrong to declare that these matches were rendered completely meaningless by Marc Canham’s statement that prevented momentum building behind the temporary ticket.

For all that the performance in the scoreless draw with Belgium was satisfactory overall, the atmosphere was quite flat. International friendlies are now fewer in number because of the arrival of the UEFA Nations League, so it’s even harder to manufacture a certain intensity that simply doesn’t exist.

Sammie Szmodics’ debut was eye-catching and the returns of Séamus Coleman and Robbie Brady were noteworthy. Caoimhín Kelleher was steady between the sticks and Will Smallbone performed with maturity.

But while the shelf-life of the whole setup remains uncertain, there is a union from Saturday that might just endure. Unfortunate injuries that have taken

Shane Duffy and John Egan out of the equation allowed Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea and Andrew Omobamidele to play together for just the second time.

The friendly with Latvia 12 months ago will always be remembered for Evan Ferguson’s first goal, but it also allowed management to see arguably their three brightest defensive prospects on the same pitch together. While O’Shea (25), Collins (22) and Omobamidele (21) are close in age, their paths didn’t quite overlap on the way up.

Omobamidele was thrown into the fray in Portugal in September 2021 because of a serious first-half injury to O’Shea that proved long-term. When he returned, Omobamidele had gone missing and he’s only finding his way back now with Nottingham Forest. Collins has had the clearest run, but he did lose his place under Stephen Kenny in the autumn.

The trio share some things in common. They are active in the Premier League but have all experienced relegation from the top flight with their former clubs – and they are battling to avoid it again. Versatility is an attribute they share. Even if Ireland revert to a back four in the future, there’s still scope for all three to play, with O’Shea an option at left-back and Collins and Omobamidele possessing attributes to shift right.

But there’s a healthy balance in terms of their skill-sets, with Collins confident in the heart of the back three – even though he’s still got improving to do to own that responsibility – and Omobamidele and O’Shea comfortable with covering space on either side, although the latter has also featured in the centre.

Belgium sent out athletic options who tested recovery speed and the ability to close gaps, and the youthful trio coped pretty well.

All the usual warnings that accompany deep analysis of friendly games should apply, and O’Shea spoke of how he was keen to play experienced wingbacks Coleman and Brady because of the age profile of the options inside.

He was also quick to reference Duffy, Egan, unused sub Jake O’Brien, the injured Liam Scales and promising Derby option Eiran Cashin in the aftermath.

“It’s a solid area, as it normally is for Ireland,” he said. “There’s big foundations.”

He will rotate for the Switzerland game, with Gavin Bazunu stepping in for Kelleher and at least one wingback change on the cards.

Mikey Johnston will fancy a run too, but there is a compelling argument for giving the defensive three another try to develop their chemistry.

Whatever happens in the immediate term, only bad luck can prevent them from having a big say in the fortunes of the team over the next decade.

Accelerating their collective development is a legacy of this gathering that could stand the test of time.

‘Even if Ireland revert to a back four in the future, there’s still scope for all three to play’