Conor Hourihane highlights Ireland's Premier class as Kenny contemplates options

Conor Hourihane reacts after Ireland conceded the first goal during the Nations League B match against Bulgaria in Sofia. Picture: Alex Nicodim/Sportsfile

It wasn't just the 2,500 kilometres of European expanse that separated the two games in League B, Group 4 of the Nations League when they kicked off in Sofia and Helsinki on Thursday evening.

Bulgaria's hosting of the Republic of Ireland at the Vasil Levski National Stadium was a meeting of the pod's put upons. Two sides seeking a new way under new management and with their respective hopes of places at Euro 2020/21 next summer dependent on play-offs to come.

Finland and Wales have been doing much better for themselves. Perennial nobodies in the international game, the pair are now playing above their station, the Welsh having qualified for a second straight continental championship and the Finns joining them in 2021.

Ryan Giggs, minus the odd key player and eager to blood some youth, started only four players with Premier League experience. His counterpart had Norwich City's Teemu Pukki, two Bayer Leverkusen players and the midfielder Glen Kamara who joined Rangers last year from Dundee. The rest are scattered around Scandinavia and Belgium.

Then you look closer to home.

Stephen Kenny was bigging up the talent at Ireland's disposal long before he took over from Mick McCarthy earlier this year. Conor Hourihane has found that refreshing because it's the Aston Villa midfielder's take that the quality available to the national squad simply “isn't appreciated enough”.

“He definitely believes in us and believes that there is quality in this squad. If you go through the team (Thursday) night, bar Callum (O'Dowda), we're all pretty much playing in the Premier League. 

"You look at the bench and you've Seamus Coleman, Shane Long, Callum Robinson, Robbie Brady. All Premier League players. So there is quality in the squad.

“Yes, we may be missing that Gareth Bale for Wales, let's say, at the top, top level but there are very good footballers here throughout the squad. 

"That quality is being recognised by this manager and it's why we are going about it in the style we are, because he believes we can pass the football and that is always great to hear.”

Ireland passed the ball almost 550 times in Bulgaria, claiming nearly 60% possession and a 1-1 draw after Shane Duffy's injury-time header cancelled out an opener from Bozhidar Kraev. 

It was a revolutionary change in approach capped off with the most familiar of endings and scorelines.

The squad takes two tomorrow evening against the Finns at the Aviva for another Nations League appointment and, if we know now how Ireland will play, then the main question to ask is whether Kenny will stick or twist with the personnel.

He intimated earlier in the week that wholesale changes wouldn't be required just because players have limited football under their belts but options have been extended by the arrival in Dublin by David McGoldrick last night after treatment for a foot injury.

Once again, eyes will drift to the right-back slot when he releases his team. Matt Doherty's presence ahead of Seamus Coleman two days ago didn't produce unanimous approval but then this is an issue that will persist for a time to come whatever way the coin falls.

The highlight for Ireland on Thursday was the attacking trio of Callum O'Dowda, Adam Idah and, in particular, Aaron Connolly but Kenny has other options in that department as he fine tunes things ahead of that Euro playoff in Slovakia next month.

Others will likely be offered their auditions and the same theory applies in midfield, not least because Jeff Hendrick, James McCarthy and Hourihane were no more than so-so in Sofia despite all the time spent on the ball.

And it was Hourihane's careless pass that led to the concession of the goal.

“Yeah, afterwards in the dressing room I was disappointed with myself because I felt like it was a sloppy pass, a needless pass from myself, I suppose. We have spoken about it and I had my hand up in the dressing room after it.”

There were similar mea culpas from Shane Duffy and John Egan given the room Kraev had to score and Kenny accepted afterwards that the side had been too open at times against an opponent that looked to defend in numbers and strike on the counter.

It was an odd game in that sense, more like a fixture in Dublin where the onus lies with the Irish to create. Ireland have rarely been equal to that task but then the hope is that the days of being dominated in D4 are over.

There will be no crowds streaming down Lansdowne Road tomorrow but the players and coaching staff are perfectly aware of the expectation that trails them into a first home game under Kenny's care and, as with the gaffer, Hourihane is perfectly happy with that.

“We’re experienced enough and we are all playing over in England and there is always pressure on us in all our clubs in a certain way. Listen, the Irish soccer team, it is massive in Ireland. We know that, we are well aware of that.

“No matter if it was a previous regime or this regime, there has always been pressure on us. 

"Maybe it might stick out a little bit more because it’s a completely different style of play and we are going in a different direction, so maybe that’s standing us out a little bit as well.

“We’ll all take it in our stride.”