WHEN IT COMES to Martin O’Neill’s squad announcements, there is an element of predictability about which names appear on his panel so tomorrow’s press conference in Dublin is unlikely to spring many surprises.
The Ireland manager is back on the campaign trail as preparations begin for next month’s Euro 2016 qualifying double-header against Gibraltar and then Georgia.
O’Neill has had the summer to take stock and reflect on his sides’ progress under his stewardship but a run of four Group D fixtures without a win means there is now little margin for error.
The 1-1 draw with Scotland in June further threatened to derail Ireland’s bid to qualify for France 2016 and now anything less than six points from September’s outings would certainly end any remaining interest.
Given the current situation, it’s hard to imagine O’Neill veering from the tried and tested and the limited resource pool means there are barely a handful of players knocking on the door.
That being said, there will be a number of decisions O’Neill will have to make ahead of the trip to Faro on 4 September.
1. Is there room for Kevin Doyle?
On paper, Ireland’s options in attack are plentiful. In addition to Robbie Keane, Jon Walters and Shane Long, O’Neill has Ispwich duo Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick at his disposal.
Yet the manager doesn’t appear to know his best XI despite being in the job a little under two years. To be fair, time in camp is limited and the intervening period between games is often protracted.
But O’Neill regularly shuffles his pack and it will be interesting to see what combination he opts for against Gibraltar. You would feel it would the perfect opportunity to start Shane Long and let him rediscover his scoring touch while Murphy and McGoldrick will be keen to get up and running again.
In the immediate future, O’Neill will need to decide on whether to call Kevin Doyle back from America. The 31-year-old was the biggest name to miss out last time around but the Colorado Rapids striker has publicly stated his desire to return to the international fold.
In all likelihood, he won’t be needed. Having been left out of the squad for England and Scotland, it appears Doyle isn’t in O’Neill’s plans.
2. The goalkeeping situation
After coming out of retirement, Shay Given has quickly re-established himself as the number one again and is expected to continue between the posts next month.
It all means David Forde has fallen down the pecking order despite taking over as Given’s replacement when the 39-year-old originally called time on his international career after Euro 2012.
Given, who joined Stoke during the summer, has this week hinted that he’ll definitely walk away from the set-up at the end of the current campaign but his return has raised questions about the goalkeeping situation.
Forde has fallen behind Keiren Westwood with the Sheffield Wednesday shotstopper handed a start in the dour friendly draw with England. Given came off the bench that day too.
Forde’s last appearance for the Boys in Green was in Glasgow last November and now that the 35-year-old is plying his trade in League One with Millwall, his international days could be numbered.
It’s unlikely that Forde will be left out on Tuesday but with both Darren Randolph and Rob Elliot hoping to become regular members of the squad, there are certainly doubts surrounding his future.
O’Neill favours Westwood, who was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year, and certainly the 30-year-old appears to be the longer-term option.
3. Arter’s fitness problems
After a memorable season with Bournemouth, Harry Arter was rewarded with a first senior call-up in May but he’s played just 27 minutes in a green shirt after injury has plagued the early stages of his international career.
The 25-year-old made his debut against England in June but picked up hip and groin injuries during the game and wasn’t able to partake in Bournemouth’s pre-season programme.
Arter missed the Cherries’ opening day defeat to Aston Villa and won’t be involved against Liverpool tonight with manager Eddie Howe unable to put a date on his return.
During his time on the pitch against the Three Lions, Arter certainly staked his claim and provided fans with a brief glimpse of what he can do during his impressive cameo.
Unfortunately he’s been sidelined since and O’Neill will have to consider whether Arter will be fit enough to merit inclusion in the panel.
Meanwhile, Arter’s club team-mate Eunan O’Kane is another option available to O’Neill. The 25-year-old represented Northern Ireland at underage level before switching allegiances and has been a key part of Bournemouth’s rise to the Premier League.
Although there is no shortage of midfielders in the set-up, Kane could be worth looking at as he could add some different to an engine room often criticised for lacking creativity.
As it seems is always the case when the Irish squad reconvene, there are more questions than answers over who will be given the nod this time around.
