U21s aim for slice of Madeira cake

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 manager Don Givens has called on his new-look team to out-Portugal Portugal when the two teams meet in the opening game of the Madeira International tournament this morning (11am).

The new year heralded the end of the Under-21 careers of players like Liam Miller and Andy Reid and the introduction of a new hungry side made up largely of last year’s World Youth Championship squad.

And despite at least 12 first choice players missing from the tournament because of club commitments or injury, Givens believes that there is still the ability within the side to outclass one of the traditional purveyors of possession football, Portugal.

“We’ve got players of quality who can pass, control and move and we’ve got to use them.

“We can never be sold short when it comes to effort but we can’t get by on just that,” he said.

“They will be good opposition but I think it is very rare that you get weak opposition anymore. They are sure to have very good technical players. We’re going to come up against good quality, that’s for sure.”

The quality at Givens’s disposal has certainly been diluted but Givens believes that Ireland still have a strong squad available.

“We’re without a dozen who would normally be in the squad, but it’s a chance for the younger ones and the fringe ones to stake a claim,” he said.

“We are building towards the European qualifiers in September and everyone here has a chance of being in that team.”

The squad’s age profile is also lower than expected with five of the 20 players who reported for duty still eligible for the Under-19s.

“The circumstances have meant that that is the case. But I don’t really have too much of a problem with that. I brought John O’Shea and Graham Barrett in very early because of their ability.

“This tournament will be a test for the whole group. It’s three games in four days so they will all play. These tournaments give you a chance to see everybody and learn a lot more very quickly.”

For this morning’s game though, Givens has decided not to experiment wildly and instead stick largely with the players who performed so well for Gerry Smith in the World Youth Championships last season.

Eight of the starting XI were in Smith’s squad with seven starting regularly, though Givens insisted he will experiment as the game goes on.

“We are allowed to make five substitutions, but two must be before the start of the second half. We will probably make two changes at half time and see how things go in the second half.”

IRELAND U21s: Henderson (Aston Villa); Kelly (Spurs), Fitzgerald (Blackburn), Paisley (Longford Town), Kohlmann (Borussia Dortmund); Flood (Man City), Keegan (Leeds), Whelan (Man City), Foley (Liverpool); Doyle (Cork City), Yeates (Spurs).