How Stephen Kenny's Ireland squad is shaping up ahead of World Cup campaign

Ahead of Thursday's World Cup squad announcement, John Fallon crunches the numbers and breaks down the selection headaches facing Stephen Kenny

Mon, 15 Mar, 2021 - 07:00

John Fallon

Goalkeepers

Darren Randolph, for the first time in 39 competitive games since he famously came on for Shay Given and directly influenced the win over World champions Germany in 2015, won’t be in goal for the Republic of Ireland.

Ongoing injury problems have ruled him out of contention and his absence opens the door for a group of rookies to deputise. One of Kenny’s errors last year was failing to blood a back-up stopper in any of his eight games.

That means that the two favourites to start between the posts, Caoimhín Kelleher or Gavin Bazunu, would be beginning their senior international careers amid the heat of World Cup battle in the Belgrade bearpit.

Cork native Kelleher will get the nod, once he recovers from a stomach muscle tear by the weekend.

Fellow contenders Mark Travers and Kieran O’Hara were capped under Mick McCarthy but Bazunu is considered next in line despite his teenage years. The Manchester City custodian has had a busy spell at Brian Barry-Murphy’s Rochdale United.

Club games since November: C Kelleher (Liverpool): 5. M Travers (Bournemouth): 8 but last played on February 9. K O’Hara (Burton Albion): 9 but last played on January 2. G Bazunu (Rochdale): 16.

Defence

One of Kenny’s first bullish statements when appointed last April was declaring Ireland’s defence as among the best in Europe. That was soon tested when the manager’s preference for defending with a high line exposed faults in the central partnership of John Egan and Shane Duffy against Bulgaria and Finland.

Talk of Zoom call meetings between the duo to solve the problems seemed fanciful and circumstances meant others such as Dara O’Shea and Kevin Long got their turn.

The dislocated toe Egan suffered last month robs Kenny of his main defender for this window, putting O’Shea and Ciaran Clark in the frame to partner Duffy, whose loan move to Celtic has been a disaster. Although the manager has lamented the rise in hectic Sunday schedules approaching international games, Duffy is one of only three players in action next Sunday.

One of others is Enda Stevens. The Sheffield United defender a shoo-in to retain the left-back slot provided he reports into camp fully fit. Séamus Coleman and Matt Doherty, another involved on Sunday, will once again compete for the right-back slot but Kenny last week indicated his willingness to accommodate both.

Moving one into midfield to protect the other against what is sure to be a Serb onslaught could be Kenny’s plan of action.

Club games since November: S Coleman (Everton): 9 starts + 5 sub appearances. M Doherty (Tottenham): 13 + 3. C Christie (Notts Forest): 25. S Duffy (Celtic) 8 + 4 (last game Feb 14). C Clark (Newcastle Utd): 18 + 1. K Long (Burnley): 3 + 1. D O’Shea (West Brom): 15 + 3. D Lenihan (Blackburn): 23. R Manning (Swansea City): 8 + 4. E Stevens (Sheff Utd): 13.

Midfielders

Within Kenny’s sacrosanct 4-3-3 formation, he likes a combination of composure, physique and deadball specialism.

James McCarthy’s absence opens a window for Josh Cullen to start for the first time under the new manager in the holding role, though the Anderlecht schemer faces competition from rising star Jason Knight.

Jeff Hendrick looks a definite starter in one of the other berths, with the remaining slot between Cork duo Conor Hourihane and Alan Browne.

Robbie Brady also provides a similar threat to Hourihane from free-kicks and corners, a weapon potentially decisive in a tight contest, and he might be reserved as an impact sub. Jayson Molumby showed promise in November but his loan switch to Preston North End hasn’t so far been the success his previous Championship move to Millwall proved.

Club games since November: J Cullen (Anderlecht): 16. J Knight (Derby County): 23 +1 (two goals). R Brady (Burnley): 11+ 5 (one goal). C Hourihane (Swansea City): 13 + 2 sub (five goals). A McEneff (Hearts/Shamrock Rovers): 7+2 (four goals). J Hendrick (Newcastle Utd): 9 + 1 (one goal). J Molumby (Preston): 8 + 4. A Browne (Preston): 20 + 1 (one goal). H Arter (Notts Forest): 7 + 1 (Last game on Jan 9).

Attackers

For a side that hasn’t scored in its last 635 minutes, injury doubts over Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah compound Ireland’s problem area.

Connolly is confident he’ll be sufficiently recovered from a broken rib to play with a degree of pain. If so, the Brighton man will be in the team-sheet, deployed either wide left or centrally.

Callum O’Dowda’s scoring return at the weekend gives them an early edge over his namesake Robinson, who hasn’t kicked a ball at West Brom since February 2, for the other spot on the flank. Shane Long has yet to feature under Kenny but is getting minutes at Bournemouth while Troy Parrott’s first-ever senior goal, albeit in League One, is a timely reminder of his prowess.

Club games since November: D Horgan (Wycombe): 18 + 1. C O’Dowda (Bristol City): 9 + 2 (one goal). J McClean (Stoke City): 13 + 5. S Maguire (Preston): 10 + 7 (two goals). James Collins (Luton Town): 20 + 2 (5 goals). G Burke (Shamrock Rovers): 5 (one goal). T Parrott (Ipswich Town): 19 + 3 (one goal). A Idah (Norwich City): 0 + 9 (one goal). C Robinson (West Brom) 9 + 3. A Connolly (Brighton): 6 + 3). Last game Feb 27. S Long (Bournemouth): 6 + 9 (two goals). R Curtis (Portsmouth): 16 + 1 (four goals).

Predicted Ireland squad (25 players):

GOALKEEPERS (3): C Kelleher, M Travers, G Bazunu.

DEFENDERS (8): S Coleman, M Doherty, E Stevens, K Long, C Clark, S Duffy, D O’Shea, R Manning.

MIDFIELDERS (7): C Hourihane, A Browne, J Hendrick, J Knight, J Cullen, R Brady, J Molumby.

ATTACKERS (8): C O’Dowda, C Robinson, J McClean, A Connolly, A Idah, S Long, J Collins, T Parrott.