John O'Shea channels 'Jimmy's winning matches' mantra as Ireland look to turn corner

CHANNELLING JIM MCGUINNESS: John O’Shea is looking to Donegal manager Jim McGuinness for inspiration ahead of two friendlies that could go a long way to deciding if the former Manchester United star gets to manage his country on a full-time basis. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

John O’Shea is looking to Donegal manager Jim McGuinness for inspiration ahead of two friendlies that could go a long way to deciding if the former Manchester United star gets to manage his country on a full-time basis.

The Waterford man is serving as interim manager for friendly games at home to Hungary on Tuesday and away to Portugal later in the week having filled the same brief for the meetings with Belgium and Switzerland in the spring.

Ireland played some good football in patches in March but ultimately failed to score in either and lost to Switzerland. O’Shea countered any talk of pressure with the claim that wins are always the most valuable currency in football regardless of context.

“Whatever game we come in to, I’m always looking for good results. Belgium at home, we wanted to win. Against Switzerland at home, we wanted to win. And it is the same [now]. We want to beat Hungary, we want to get the Irish team winning again, it’s as simple as that.

“Get the mindset right in terms of winning the games at home especially, that’s the big thing, because if you know you are back winning matches… A Donegal man has that saying, I think… 

“Jimmy’s winning matches,” Killybegs’ Seamus Coleman offered.

“So that’s the big thing for me,” said O’Shea. “We’ve got to get winning matches.”

Whatever the performances and results this week, O’Shea is also hoping that there will be more clarity surrounding the identity of the next permanent manager by the end of the current international window.

FAI director of football Marc Canham had previously put February and April deadlines on the process of identifying and appointing Stephen Kenny’s successor. Missing both has placed enormous focus and pressure on him and the association since.

The rejigged plan now is to have the situation sorted by September, before the senior men’s team meet England and Greece in Nations League games in Dublin, and O’Shea hopes that picture can become clearer in the coming days.

“Let’s hope so. I think everyone, including myself, the staff the players, everyone would like clarity on it.” 

Canham has again been in and around the senior camp as it goes about its business at the FAI’s training base in Abbotstown and captain Seamus Coleman has again made the case for O’Shea to get the gig on a full-time basis.

The Everton veteran praised O’Shea and his support staff for the work done to date and stressed the point that he wasn’t simply trotting out the expected words of support for a man who was sitting beside him at the top table.

“All the staff have been very, very good and it has been exciting, refreshing. Like the manager touched on, we were not far away from winning some of those games and that is what it is about.

“That is what we are working towards. I have nothing to gain from (saying) that. I am 35. My time is coming short. I am speaking honestly. The manager has been brilliant and it has been really refreshing.” 

Winning a game, or even scoring a goal or two, would surely help O’Shea’s candidacy after the marginal gains but limited concrete results in the March international window but he will have to aim for them without key players.

Gavin Bazunu, Nathan Collins, Chiedozie Ogbene and Evan Ferguson are among those unavailable for various reasons after the long domestic seasons and Andrew Omobamidele has joined that list after suffering a hamstring injury.

Bosun Lawal, Celtic’s defender-cum-midfielder who spent the season on loan at Fleetwood Town, was already doing some training with the senior side and has now officially been promoted to the ranks from those of the U21 setup.

“Unfortunately, we lost Andrew Omobamidele,” said O’Shea. “He got a little nick on his hamstring, so that was unfortunate. He has had a decent enough season with Nottingham Forest and established himself for a good bit and then was out of the team a little bit towards the end of the season.

“He was one we were potentially looking to get some gametime into over the next two games but it’s just a case of at the minute, because of Bosun being involved in training with us, he’ll come into the matchday squad. He had done very well at training, he’s settled in well so he’ll be in the matchday squad tomorrow, Bosun.”