There must be coaches and administrators in just about every middle-ranking association across the continent who are sick to the teeth of hearing about Iceland, the country whose name has now, among so many other things, become a byword for getting the best out of the available pool of footballing talent.
In a year of remarkable stories, theirs at Euro 2016 was good as anyone’s, and they are determined, it seems, to keep writing new chapters for themselves. Heimar Hallgrimsson’s side currently lie second in their qualifying group and so, with leaders Croatia coming to Reykjavik in June, are very much still in the hunt to make their World Cup debut next year in Russia.
More than half of the side that beat Kosovo at the weekend is expected to start in Dublin, comfortably higher than the percentage of Irish who will survive from the draw with Wales, but a couple of the team’s more familiar names will be missing. At full strength, their win over England in France gave an idea of what they can achieve, but it is far from clear that they will be much more focused here than their hosts who, Martin O’Neill suggests, have been more than a little distracted by the events of Friday night.
“Séamus’s injury has obviously cast a shadow,” admits the manager. “It’s cast a shadow over everything. I think it cast a shadow over Friday’s game, and that was an important competitive game. So you can imagine the shadow it would cast over a friendly game.”
Still, among other things, this match provides an opportunity to let Cyrus Christie settle a little into the role he now seems likely to be performing in the summer and autumn qualifiers.
Inspirational
“Séamus is very hard to replace,” says O’Neill. “He is one of the best full-backs in Europe and has been inspirational, particularly since taking over as captain, but Cyrus is a very good player, very talented player and strong going forward.
“So it’s really up to him. I think he’s capable of taking that step and the times he’s played for us before he’s done well. He scored an important goal away to Gibraltar and a few minutes later headed one off the line. He’s made a contribution and it’s up to him.”
In addition to being without Coleman, Jon Walters, John O’Shea and Glenn Whelan have returned to their clubs, while several of those who remain are likely to sit the night out, according to the manager.
Robbie Brady returns to captain the team, while Aiden McGeady and Kevin Doyle will hope for starts, but there will, perhaps, be more interest in the more marginal players who might come in, with John Egan, former Dundalk pair Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan, as well as Aston Villa's Conor Hourihane among those in contention to feature.
“This is their opportunity,” said the manager. “It’s an international game of some standing and it’s up to them. The best way to try and impress is to go out there and try to do it on the international stage. Iceland were brilliant in the Euros and won on Friday and will pose us problems, but I hope the lads who start and come on will stake a claim for future international appearances.”
O’Neill emphasised that he is not in the business of throwing caps about lightly, but at least a couple of people seem set to get their first here. How much the manager will take from it remains to be seen, although a strong performance from Christie would certainly provide encouragement ahead of Austria’s visit in the summer.
The 24 year-old still only has seven caps, including the one earned when he came off the bench for Coleman, and he has little enough exposure to playing against players of the very top level.
Less assured
The goal O’Neill mentions came on a decent competitive debut, but he had some less assured moments when starting against Germany a month later before gradually finding his feet in the game. He has, in any case, played a lot of club football since and clearly has the potential to hold his own over the second half of this campaign.
O’Neill is certainly hopeful that the Derby County defender can fill Coleman’s boots, but he did not sound any less unhappy yesterday about somebody having to step into them.
“I will reiterate, and I don’t think anyone can disagree, that both challenges were very, very poor.
“It’s a terrible blow for the player. I think he’s coming to terms with it, but he’s down, as you would be. The realisation that he is going to be out of action for a very long time has dawned on him.
“As a manager your first reaction is that you have lost a very important player, but you feel for the player and the pain he is going through. It’s a major blow, not just for him but for his family.”
For his club too, of course, and the Ireland manager says that, after some initial contact between the two staffs in recent days, he will be calling Everton himself in the coming days.
