If Ireland’s approach is right, Bosnia are there for taking
In fact, I’m strongly of the opinion the only thing that can stop us is ourselves. It’s vital we approach this decisive game with the belief we are going to win. We have to take the pitch confident that we’re better than them – and I believe we are. Take Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic out of the equation – and I thought the latter was very much on the periphery on Friday – and Bosnia are not a team we should fear.
Dzeko apart, their temperament was suspect on Friday. In front of their home crowd, when they should have been really strong, I thought they lacked character. Pjanic, in particular, didn’t seem to fancy it. So in Dublin this evening, in front of their own supporters, it’s Ireland’s job to dominate their opponents. And if they impose themselves properly on the game, I really believe that a brittle Bosnia are there for the taking.
Not that I expect the match will end scoreless. That is unlikely to be the way we secure qualification, even with Robbie Brady’s away goal giving us a theoretical advantage. The Bosnians know they have to score to keep their hopes alive but the Irish are well capable of outscoring them, given that in Zenica we saw what looked to me to be a very ordinary Bosnian defence and, in Asmir Begovic, a nervous, error-prone and currently out of form goalkeeper.
That said, Martin O’Neill will also recognise he has to do something about the left side of our team where we did suffer on Friday night, with Edin Visca a constant menace on the that flank until his substitution. I would have thought Marc Wilson will come in tonight at left back for Stephen Ward who had a difficult night on Friday. A lot of people attributed that, in part, to Robbie Brady not doing enough to help him out defensively, but I don’t think that was really the case. Wilson starting tonight would be the right move for me.
Ward apart, Ireland’s defence and goalkeeper, the competent Darron Randolph, comprised the section of the team which emerged with most credit from Zenica, and so I don’t see any reason to change the Richard Keogh-Ciaran Clark centre-half partnership, even if John O’Shea is back in contention.
While it was good news to hear O’Shea and Shane Long trained yesterday, I wouldn’t expect either to start tonight, mainly because of the risk of one or both breaking down and a sub being required too early. But it’s certainly a good option to have Long on the bench, to come on and give us 30 minutes of his pace and power if needed.
Midfield is the area in which we need to see real improvement on Friday night’s performance and a proper expression of the belief we are going to win this match. And that means Jeff Hendrick, Glenn Whelan and James McCarthy doing far more than they did in Zenica, when Ireland hardly ever constructed a creative, attacking move of four or five passes ending up with a cross or a shot. It’s imperative that those players take the initiative tonight and start passing the ball forward.
I felt sorry for Wes Hoolahan. He occupied that position in behind the striker and, while a little guy like him is always going to try to feed off a big guy like Murphy, you’ve got to vary the approach. But we didn’t. I don’t remember Whelan and McCarthy attempting to play a single ball in between the lines – in between Bosnia’s midfield and back four. They never breached that area with a decent pass.
People have been beating the drum about McCarthy for a long time but I don’t remember him making a telling pass or being in the game in any meaningfully progressive way on Friday. But not just him. Glenn had a bit of a nightmare with his passing and Hendrick was, at best, erratic. If we are going to win tonight, those three will have to do much better than they’ve done not just in Zenica but also in the game before, away to Poland in Warsaw.
With the return of Jon Walters, I don’t expect Wes Hoolahan to start the second leg. Even though Wes wasn’t required to play the whole 90 minutes on Friday, going by what Martin O’Neill has said and done before, I’m not convinced he believes the lad can start two games in four days. I’m only trying to second guess him here, but my hunch is that, the manager will go for five across midfield, with Walters getting up to support Daryl Murphy, if fit, especially for those knock downs from Randolph’s goal kicks and long balls from the back. You’ll also have Robbie Brady, James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan in there, and Jeff Hendrick largely on the right, though not an outside right, more slotting across to occupy the space when Walters pushes up to help the striker.
I think Walters could really cause the Bosnian defence a few problems and, of course, when the opposition have the ball, he is also well-equipped to drop back and help with the midfield with its defensive duties. Should Murphy be ruled out with the calf problem that kept him out of training yesterday then – again, with Long being kept in reserve – Martin could well turn to Robbie Keane to play the striker’s role from the off, because I don’t think it really suits Walters to play as an out and out target man.
Those are all matters for the manager to decide, of course, but in the final analysis, I would stress again Ireland should have nothing to fear but fear itself tonight. For that reason, I was very glad to hear O’Neill talking yesterday about how his players need to be positive, to believe in themselves and to get on the front foot right from the start. That chimes with my view: our best chance of qualifying for Euro 2016 is by going out with the attitude we can and will win this game tonight.
Which I’m confident Ireland will do, maybe 2-1 – just so long as we play with the desire and positivity Martin is demanding. Anything less and I’m afraid we could throw away a really great opportunity to get to France next year.
