Ireland take on the mighty Germans in an ominous-looking clash in Cologne tomorrow night, but with a new boss, a new-look squad and nothing to lose, what can we expect from the Boys in Green? Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on.
What role does Noel King have in mind for the (not so) new kids on the block?
We’re not likely to know the team until close to kick-off so it is hard to predict just how much of a role recalled trio Darron Gibson, Andy Reid and Anthony Stokes will have to play in Cologne.
The reaction to their recall has generally been positive, however, while at the same time, the exclusion of Andy Keogh, Simon Cox and Darren O’Dea (in a squad shorn of our two most experienced centre-halves), all Trap regulars, hasn’t raised much of a stir.
Whether those calls will have a positive impact or not is yet to be seen but the fans certainly seem happier and that cannot be underestimated considering the negative attitude that developed towards the manager (and, as a result, the team) in many quarters towards the end of the previous reign,
Playing an experimental team against a side as good as Germany, especially away from home, could be a recipe for disaster so we shouldn’t expect sweeping changes but there is a chance all three could feature at some stage. King has already spoken about the possibility of using Anthony Stokes in a wide role and Gibson could feature in a three-man central midfield if Ireland try and nullify the influence of the German midfield.
Reid is the least likely of the three to play against Germany, but in the form he’s in at club level (five goals in 11 league games) he’s definitely worth a shot against Kazakhstan on Tuesday night. Overall, the return of Gibson, Reid and Stokes should have a positive effect on the squad and hopefully their return is more than a temporary one.
The case for Ireland’s central defence
We can’t qualify so it hasn’t been as much of a concern as it might, but Lord knows if there was still a chance we could qualify for Brazil we’d be sh*tting ourselves at the prospect of facing one of the best teams in the world without our two most experienced centre-halves.
The fact that Germany don’t have many recognised strikers – Max Kruse is the only one in the squad – shouldn’t lull whoever plays in Ireland’s defence into believing that their job is going to be any easier; they’re going to have to put up with a wave of some of the best midfielders in the world coming at them from a variety of different angles instead.
You might see Ciaran Clark in this position quite a lot tomorrow night
Ciaran Clark’s international career has had a few false starts but he’s playing regularly for Villa and seems certain to start and with Sean St. Ledger returning to full fitness, Crystal Palace’s Damien Delaney looks like his most likely partner at the heart of the Irish defence.
With 15 caps between them it is not a partnership that screams experience, so they’ll need a big game and a lot of help from midfield to ensure that the horrorshow of the Aviva this time last year doesn’t happen again.
Can we dare to dream about the upset of all upsets?
The fact that it would ultimately be meaningless would take away from it somewhat, but defeating the current Germany side on their own turf in a competitive game would rank up there with the best results ever achieved by an Irish team. So, it is possible? Well, in a word, nein.
Aside from the obvious gulf in class between the two sides, there are a few things worth considering. For one, Germany have lost only two World Cup qualifiers. Ever. In their entire history. Saying that, the two they have lost (Portugal 1995, England 2001) have both been at home so maybe there’s reason for optimism there.
While you’re letting that sink in, try digesting the fact they have scored three more goals in the current campaign (28) than anyone else and have equal the most amount of points (22) amongst the European nations.
Sprinkle that ominous cocktail with a number of players from the all-conquering Bayern Munich side along with the likes of Marco Reus and a man who’s currently tearing it up at Arsenal and as the object of his affection once said to Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber, our chances are less like ‘one out of a hundred’ and more like ‘one out of a million’.
