Irish silver lining hard to find but Bazunu was it

Ireland's Gavin Bazunu and Dara O'Shea dejected at the end of the game

At a time when everyone is miserable enough and struggling to cope with the interminable impact of pandemic, perhaps it’s best to desperately to search for a silver lining in the Republic’s depressing performance against lowly Luxembourg; but sadly, it isn’t easy.

The embarrassing defeat undoubtedly heaps pressure on manager Stephen Kenny, still without a win in his first 10 games in charge, and there was a dismal lack of creativity and belief at a hauntingly quiet Aviva Stadium, even against a side ranked 98th in the world.

To lose to a team with only five World Cup qualifying victories in their entire history, and to go more than six hours without scoring a home goal – even against a nation with a population a quarter the size of Dublin’s – is rock bottom in anyone’s estimation.

The consequences for the team’s chances of qualifying for the next World Cup, having already missed out so agonisingly on Euro 2020, is devastating; and heavy ammunition for critics who want Kenny replaced as a feeling of gloom engulfs the Boys in Green. Republic legend Phil Babb, for instance, has already called for an 'inquisition' into Kenny's appointment.

If there was one ray of hope, one small green shoot to hang onto – and let’s be honest it was a lonely one - it came with the performance of teenage goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, a youngster plucked from Rochdale in League One (where he is on loan from Manchester City) and given a chance to make an impact on the international stage.

Some said that at 19 he was too inexperienced to make the leap, but his assured performance included two excellent saves and, until a devastating late strike from Luxembourg’s Rodrigues made even those irrelevant, it brought back memories of Shay Given’s debut – also aged 19 – in 1996.

The legendary goalkeeper’s bow came in 2-0 defeat against Russia at Lansdown Road and, like Bazunu, he was not even a regular first-teamer for his club Blackburn Rovers at the time - playing on loan at Sunderland in what is now the Championship. But, as we all know, he went on to win 134 caps in a remarkable career that lasted until 2016 In fact, that friendly fixture was also the first match in charge for Mick McCarthy, who later took his team to the 2002 World Cup Finals, and who insisted before naming his squad: “It’s time for reappraisal.” 

It is certainly time for reappraisal again in 2021, but this time the options are uncomfortably few, and the reappraisal may be more about the manager than his selections. McCarthy’s problem was that the stars of the Jackie Charlton era were fading and goals were difficult to come by – his team failed to find the net in his first three matches in charge. But his problems were nowhere near as complicated or as big as the ones facing current incumbent Kenny after this devastating blow.

The personnel available to McCarthy that day 25 years ago highlight just how much more difficult the job has become.

Two-thirds of the squad came from Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal - and that’s not even including Tony Cascarino at Marseille and Packie Bonner at Celtic.

The Under 21 squad also provided hope, because the likes of Stephen Carr, Ian Harte, Mark Kennedy, Kevin Kilbane and Rory Delap all went on to be key players for the Boys in Green in future years.

Kenny does have young talent to turn to but it’s a shallower, less experienced pool and the demand for improved performances and more goals has now reached fever pitch. It’s hard, however, amiable and popular he may be, to see how he can survive it much longer.

At least his selection of Bazunu was not the reason for this miserable defeat, quite the opposite, and that's a blessing.

The young man distributed the ball well, caught crosses and made a fine save when he scrambled backwards to prevent a long-distance lob sailing over his head in the first half. A particularly poignant moment when you consider the way Aleksandr Mitrovic scored with a similar effort against Mark Travers in Serbia earlier this week.

Sadly, however, he won’t be able to remember the occasion with any great happiness because as a team, the Republic were woeful and humiliated. There simply isn’t the quality in midfield or up front to deliver goals and, even after only two ties, little hope of turning this qualifying campaign around.

The road to recovery looks like it will be a lot longer than it was back in 1996, that’s for sure. Let’s hope Bazunu is there when it eventually reaches a happier conclusion, but for Kenny to be there alongside him is now extremely difficult.