Martin O’Neill to experiment in friendlies
That’s good news for the likes of Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter, Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot, Brentford playmaker Alan Judge, and Aberdeen striker Adam Rooney. Arter has made just one appearance in green, Elliot three, while Judge and Rooney are still to make their debut.
However, the games in March could provide that quartet with a chance to stake their claim for inclusion in O’Neill’s final 23-man squad for France.
“In the games in March, I wouldn’t mind trying some of the players who have been on the periphery,” O’Neill said yesterday. “So maybe one or two who have not had a chance to play at all [could figure]. There’s an opportunity in March for the use of those games to do that. I think some of the players that go in will be excited enough to stake a claim, or at least make it difficult to be left out.”
Ireland face a mammoth task in France after being pitted in a group that includes Belgium, Italy and Sweden, and O’Neill conceded the draw earlier this month was a far from enjoyable experience.
However, the fact the four best third-placed teams will go through provides encouragement as does the fact that Ireland’s final group game, against Italy on June 22, will be the last clash of that section of the competition.
Consequently, Ireland will be aware of exactly what they’ll need to do.
When asked on Goals On Sunday if he felt that would be advantageous, O’Neill said, “I think it will be.
“I haven’t given it too much consideration just at this moment. We’re trying to make some plans now as in what we’ll do in terms of the number of days we spend together beforehand.
“But I do think that might be some sort of an advantage.”
O’Neill also spoke of his delight that Versailles will be Ireland’s base in France.
“I think the backroom staff did wonderfully well because we were late entries, we were playing in the play-offs,” O’Neill said. “Roy, myself and John Delaney went out to look at the place last Sunday following on from the draw. It’s terrific, we’ve secured this spot and it couldn’t be better.”
Reflecting on the qualification campaign, O’Neill conceded he would have been “apoplectic” if the contentious penalty Ireland was awarded in the home leg of the play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina had been given against a side he was managing.
“I think it was a harsh penalty. Was I delighted we got it? Absolutely. But it’s a harsh penalty. If I was the Bosnia coach I would be apoplectic.”
Maintaining discipline will be crucial to Ireland’s hopes of success in the Euros, so it was unfortunate timing for O’Neill to be on a show reviewing Saturday’s Premier League action on a weekend when West Brom’s James McClean was sent off: “I like James, I like James a lot and this is red mist,” O’Neill said as he watched replays of McClean’s shocking tackle on Adam Smith. “He’s a great character but that was reckless.”
O’Neill was also before the TV cameras on Saturday night where he couldn’t resist what he called “a slight dig” at RTÉ’s soccer analysts.
Speaking during the RTÉ Sport Awards, O’Neill stated that, if he’d been listening to the punditry team, he would have given up all hope of qualifying for the Euros.
“Thankfully I didn’t listen to them,” he said, “particularly a couple who should be possibly looking for other jobs now, because they get it wrong so often.
“They’re not even here tonight. At least I’ve turned up and I’m the one that’s been the butt of the criticism for the last 14 or 15 months.”
Meanwhile, Michael O’Neill was named RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year after he guided Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals.
SSE Airtricity Premier Division and FAI Cup winners Dundalk took the RTÉ Sport Team of the Year award while Kilkenny hurling legend Henry Shefflin was honoured with the RTÉ/Sport Ireland Hall of Fame award.
Boxer Michael Conlan was named the RTÉ Sport Person of the Year after a stunning 2015 in which he became the first Irish World Championship gold medallist.
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