Republic of Ireland v Gibraltar - Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm – Live RTÉ Two
The Republic of Ireland could have done without Gibraltar tonight. The pattern of Stephen Kenny’s 33 games in charge flow from crushing defeats that punctured chances of reaching a major tournament into displays of pure defiance.
None of the above is expected against a country ranked 201st in the world. The cornered Irish football animal can lash out at Parc des Princes on September 7th and when the Dutch come to the Aviva Stadium three days later.
In the meantime, the players must be pining for the summer break following an arduous 10-day camp in Turkey that yielded the worst performance under Kenny. Following the 2-1 loss to Greece last Friday, the streets of Athens and flight home proved instructive. The Green Army is contemplating their undying support for the Dubliner.
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Forty thousand people are expected at the Aviva providing the 23,000 season ticket holders swallow hard and embrace the opportunity to witness Evan Ferguson in bloom. And Michael Obafemi. After the Opap Arena slump, Adam Idah is almost certain to make way for the Burnley striker.
It is widely accepted that Kenny got his selection, the 3-5-2 formation and overall tactics badly askew against Greece. That the 51-year-old had torn up his own script by 53 minutes, hauling off Idah at half-time before Callum O’Dowda and Will Smallbone followed is damning in itself.
A repeat performance of last Friday’s collective malaise against Gibraltar, never mind a failure to secure three points, might prompt FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill to act. That Lee Carsley, the former Ireland midfielder and current England under-21 manager, is being widely mentioned as a potential replacement for Kenny must be heaping enormous pressure on the inhabitants of the Castleknock Hotel.
The standard 3-0 victory over Gibraltar, already attained by Greece, the Netherlands and France is the base expectation. But that might not be enough. Certainly, defeat to Ronald Koeman’s misfiring Dutch on September 10th feels like the point of no return for Kenny. Gus Poyet, fresh from doing a tactical number on Kenny, will be hatching a similar plan ahead of Greece facing the Netherlands in Eindhoven, also on September 7th.
“France I think will win the group, that’s pretty clear,” said Kenny. “Greece have to play Holland twice, we have to play Holland twice, play Greece in Dublin so there’s still a lot of football to be played.”
Enough football for Ireland to be beaten out of a three-horse race for the second automatic qualification spot to feature at Germany ‘24. Kenny’s claim that his squad has more potential than Poyet’s Greece and that their encounter was a close affair seemed far-fetched.
“We made life difficult for ourselves and we are just going to have to get some exceptional results between now and the end of the season.”
Kenny continues to lean into concerns about his players’ lack of game time at club level. He even offered a stout defence of Darragh Lenihan’s ability despite the Middlesbrough defender being at fault for Giorgos Masouras goal and looking miles off the required standard to play international football.
Lenihan is not alone. O’Dowda will struggle to win another cap when Irish wing backs are forced into full back duties because Josh Cullen and Jayson Molumby cannot gain a foothold in midfield. Smallbone struggled to cope in Athens yet his set piece delivery has suddenly become essential to the cause.
“I know people have other viewpoints but I believe in the players,” said Kenny in response to Liam Brady branding them the worst Irish group he’s ever seen. “Some of our better players are not playing for their clubs and that’s been difficult. That’s not an excuse, we wanted to win against Greece, we didn’t win but that is the reality.”
It sounded like an excuse.
“I’d be very stupid and naive for me to sit here and take on Liam Brady and criticise Liam Brady with the calibre of player that he was and what he was,” said James McClean, the stand-in captain tonight on the winning of his 100th cap.
“I’m not going to do that. In terms of results wise, there was disappointment, anger and frustration because we weren’t at our best. We prepared very well and were confident going into the game and it just didn’t happen but that happens in football. Bt look, we have a tendency, especially in this country, to get carried away.
“We are two games in now. This country in the past have shown that we have big results in us when no one has expected it. So there is a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the campaign, so we’re not naïve, we know it’s going to be tough, very tough, but we have to start somewhere.”
Friday’s meltdown temporarily overshadowed McClean’s magnificent innings as he joins a gang of six - Damien Duff (100 caps), Steve Staunton (102), Kevin Kilbane (110), John O’Shea (108), Shay Given (134) and Robbie Keane (146) – but this should be set right before kick-off even as hopes of qualification for Euro 2024 hang by a thread.
Ireland (possible): Bazunu; Collins, Egan, O’Shea; Browne, Cullen, Knight, McClean; Smallbone; Obafemi, Ferguson
Gibraltar (probable): Coleing; Sergeant, Chipolina, Lopes, Olivero, Britto; Casciaro, Pozo, Hartman, Ronan; El Hmidi
Referee: Marian Alexandru Barbu (Romania).
