When Martin O’Neill was installed as Republic of Ireland manager on the 5th November 2013 he knew he was accepting a difficult task. Perhaps that is why he appointed Roy Keane as his assistant… anyway, the duo have a huge task on their hands; they have to rebuild an aging Ireland side but without any standout replacements.
Under Giovanni Trapattoni, Ireland ended their 10-year exodus from international football by qualifying for Euro 2012. The side finished rock bottom, taking no points and conceding nine goals and scoring one. However, the alarm bells were ringing after Ireland’s stuttering World Cup qualification campaign. They ended up finishing fourth in the group and it was decided that Trapottoni should step aside. That brings us up to now.
Robbie Keane, always a favourite in the Premier League odds for first goalscorer, has been central to Ireland since making his debut in 1998, but the LA Galaxy forward turns 34 this year and plays in America, which is hardly the most competitive environment. The first task for O’Neill and Roy Keane is to find a forward who can shoulder the burden that Keane has carried since his debut. The only problem is there is no standout option to replace Robbie Keane. Shane Long and Jon Walters both play Premier League football but neither are prolific scorers, while every other striker plays at a much lower level; Kevin Doyle plays in League One for Wolves. For Ireland to stand any chance of qualifying for Euro 2016 they desperately need to unearth a proven goalscorer.
Defence is the other most pressing concern for the management. It is an old defence centred around 32-year-old John O’Shea. Now O’Shea is putting in some decent performances for Sunderland, and is one of the reasons that bookmakers Titan Bet have lengthened the odds on Sunderland being relegated. You can read their betting tips for relegation online. However, O’Shea is one man, and he drastically needs a partner. Richard Dunne is too old and every other centre-back, bar Paul McShane, plays outside the English top flight. Again, this flags up the fundamental problem with Irish football at the minute: too many of the players are not playing football at the highest level.
As for midfield… O’Neill can breathe easy. The midfield is actually pretty talented. The Everton contingent of Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy and Darren Gibson (currently injured) are all very good players. In fact most of the Ireland midfield play in the English top-flight and are all relatively young. Ireland’s strength is primarily found in midfield and they should build up and out from there.
In short, Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane have accepted a monumental task. The Ireland national team at the minute is in a downward spiral. The key players are either in their Indian summer or entering it, while there aren’t enough youngsters making a lasting impression. Luckily O’Neill is a great judge of potential and hopefully he can unearth a few emeralds. He has to if Ireland are going to become a serious mainstay in international football.
