Updated at 10.00
1. McCarthy must silence critics
WHETHER IT’S DESERVED or not, there’s no doubt that there seems to be extra pressure on Everton’s James McCarthy to perform well against Poland tonight.
Ex-Ireland star Liam Brady has questioned the midfielder’s passion in the build-up to the game, while assistant boss Roy Keane probably didn’t help matters previously by hinting that Everton are putting pressure on the player to avoid international duty.
Furthermore, he has been less than impressive on the rare occasions when he has worn the green jersey. In the one qualifier McCarthy actually took part in against Georgia, he delivered a noticeably subdued display.
Meanwhile, another ex-player, John Giles, has suggested McCarthy needs to demand the ball more and indicated that games all too often pass him by — an opinion shared by other critics who have been underwhelmed by the player’s still relatively young international career.
With the stakes perhaps higher than they’ve ever been for McCarthy in a green jersey, he must show the type of form that has prompted so many in the game to rate him so highly, particularly on account of his performances since joining Roberto Martinez’s Everton last season.
2. What formation will Ireland play?
(O’Neill previously suggested he would play Wes Hoolahan in the home games)
During his tenure so far as Ireland manager, Martin O’Neill has tended to prefer a 4-5-1 over a 4-4-2 formation.
Stoke striker Jon Walters, who has netted 10 times this season, has featured in three of Ireland’s four Euro 2016 qualifiers, but has generally tended to play in a more withdrawn role on the wing or behind the striker, rather than in a natural attacking position.
Consequently, Robbie Keane or (as was the case against Scotland) Shane Long have generally operated as the lone frontman.
Even at home to minnows Gibraltar, O’Neill stuck with a 4-5-1, though in that game, Norwich’s Wes Hoolahan enjoyed a rare start in the number 10 role.
And O’Neill, having hinted that he would select the in-form Hoolahan at home, may well opt for a similar team at the Aviva on Sunday.
Whether Robbie Keane starts is another big question. The captain was surprisingly omitted from last November’s clash in Scotland, but in what is widely believed to be a must-win game, O’Neill may feel he can ill afford to leave out the squad’s most prolific goalscorer.
Moreover, in training on Saturday, O’Neill’s men even tried out 3-5-2, with McGeady and McClean on the wings, and Keane and Walters up front, so the 63-year-old manager may be about to spring yet another unexpected call.
3. Can Lewandowski and Milik be stopped?
With 20 goals in all competitions this season, Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski is the obvious danger man from Ireland’s perspective on Sunday.
However, Lewandowski is far from the only talent in Adam Nawalka’s side.
Indeed, the 26-year-old star has arguably been outshone by teammate Arkadiusz Milik in the qualifying campaign thus far.
While Lewandowski has failed to score in every game apart from the Gibraltar match, Milik has managed a goal in every match except for the aforementioned encounter, while 15 goals for Ajax proves his international form is no fluke.
Ireland at least don’t have to worry about one star name, however, with Dortmund’s Jakub Blaszczykowski only just back from injury and reportedly out of favour at international level.
4. Set pieces could be vital
It would no surprise if Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane paid extra attention to set pieces in training this week.
The Irish team were badly caught out from one against Scotland, with Shaun Maloney taking full advantage of their lackadaisical marking (see above).
Furthermore, Poland emphasised their efficiency in this regard, as Kamil Glik and Grzegorz Krychowiak both scored from corners to put their side in control against Georgia.
Torino’s Glik, in particular, who (impressively for a defender) has managed seven goals this season, will need to be watched.
Conversely, as Ireland are usually not the most creative of teams from open play, they will likely need to be better than they have been in an attacking sense from free kicks and corners.
Hull’s Robbie Brady, despite limited game time with Ireland, demonstrated his potency from set pieces against both Scotland and USA, hence such qualities may be enough to earn him a place in the team to face the Poles.
5. Will home advantage prove telling?
On more than one occasion in recent weeks, Martin O’Neill has emphasised the importance of Ireland’s home games in this campaign.
While a draw against teams of Germany and Poland’s calibre away from home is generally deemed acceptable, winning as many home matches as possible is usually considered crucial to ensure progress is achieved.
During his Celtic days in particular, O’Neill’s sides thrived at home, beating teams of the calibre of Juventus, Liverpool and Lyon in Europe, even if their away record — like Ireland’s — was pretty dismal by comparison.
Consequently, with a positive mindset and a team set up to attack on Sunday, the Aviva Stadium could at last start to look like the fortress that the old Lansdowne Road once was.
