Euro places up for grabs as ‘opportunity’ knocks, says Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill is not a man, or a manager, to use the phrase “last chance saloon”. Indeed, he even prefers to call the friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia “an opportunity” rather than “a trial”. 

But, however you word it, for a number of Irish players — from a veteran like Kevin Doyle to the uncapped Alan Judge — it’s clear that these back to back games could prove pivotal in determining if they make the final Euros squad of 23.

On Colorado Rapids’ Doyle, O’Neill said yesterday: “It’s not a case of going to America and being out of sight, out of mind, but perhaps I thought that he still had something to offer over in the British game. The MLS seems to be improving, every year it seems to be getting in better players, but I thought that maybe he had a little bit more to offer before heading out. But that’s only a personal viewpoint.

“It hasn’t prevented him from making a number of the squads. He hasn’t made a number of the 23s because I thought that other people were playing better than him at the time, it’s as simple as that. Now this is a possibility or a chance to go and do something.

“He was always in my mind for one of these games anyway, just to see how he’s coping. There are other people coming up — Daryl Murphy for instance has got ahead of him at the moment but, listen, Kevin’s got a bit of spirit about him, he’s a nice lad so I think he’ll want to take this chance.

“I don’t think he’d be all that happy to think that he’s actually on trial, having done something in the game himself. I think it’s more of an opportunity, I’d use that word: an opportunity to prove to me or to yourself that you’re worthy of a place. After these two games, the next opportunity that we get to have a getogether is a few days before we play Holland so time is pressing.

“But actually it might be a good time as well because if you get an opportunity here so late and you actually do well then it puts some thoughts into my head. I’m not just thinking about Kevin, I’m thinking of people in general, Alan Judge, people like this.”

O’Neill said he will definitely use goalkeepers Darren Randolph and Rob Elliot over the course of the two games – Dundalk’s Gary Rogers was also invited to train with the squad yesterday – and, if fit, Harry Arter will also be involved, although he is currently struggling with an Achilles problem. However, such is O’Neill’s regard for the Bournemouth midfielder, that he was able to confirm yesterday that, even if injury does rule him out of the games on Friday and Tuesday, he will remain firmly in contention for a place in the travelling party to France.

O’Neill is keen too to get a proper look at Alan Judge in an international setting.

“He’s got nice talent, good heart, great enthusiasm and wants to be part of it,” the manager enthused. “I think he has shown enough in the games for Brentford over the last year that it would be nice to give him a go.”

O’Neill also hinted that there could still be a way back into this week’s squad for Darron Gibson who is trying to overcome a hamstring problem at Everton.

Looking ahead to their pre-Euro Finals training camp at Fota Island, O’Neill revealed that he is hoping to fit in an extra game for his squad in Cork — after the official ‘farewell’ friendly against the Netherlands in Dublin on May 27 — although the opposition and venue have yet to be confirmed.

“I have got all these thoughts at this minute,” he said. “There is a possibility, in fact a fairly decent chance, that it will be down in Cork. There are a couple of things that we are looking at.

“It is only when you realise how difficult a season it is for the Championship players — you are automatically thinking that a number of them will be in the play-offs and that their season will carry through.

“But a number of them might not make the play-offs and that gives them a wee bit of extra time to recover from that league.

“Then, going into the matches, you might need that extra game. We will definitely be going 11 versus 11 and if we can organise it, then it will be definitely down in Cork.

“The Euros are just around the corner, you are talking about very little break-time after that and then going into the World Cup qualifiers. One or two players, I am quite sure — the older players — might feel as though this is their last tournament, so I just want players to be prepared and be ready so if they step into the international arena, they are not over-awed by it.”