– Paul Dollery reports from Cardiff
THE UEFA NATIONS League may represent a step into the unknown for the Republic of Ireland, but they’ll begin their campaign in familiar surroundings this evening (7.45pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
Eleven months ago at Cardiff City Stadium, Ireland recorded one of their best results on Martin O’Neill’s watch by scoring the only goal of a crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales.
Their opening game in the inaugural Nations League has served up a swift return to the Welsh capital for O’Neill and his squad, yet the build-up has been shaped by the players who aren’t here instead of those who are.
James McClean, Ireland’s goalscoring hero during their last visit to Cardiff, and midfielder Alan Browne are the latest additions to a lengthy list of injured players which also includes James McCarthy, Robbie Brady, Shane Long, Sean Maguire and Scott Hogan.
However, the most notable absentees are fully fit. English-born youngster Declan Rice has had his head turned by interest from his country of birth, while Harry Arter has also stepped away from international football indefinitely, just over three months since he was involved in a verbal altercation with assistant manager Roy Keane.
Arter, who arguably produced his best performance in an Irish shirt in Cardiff last year, is one of four starters from that win who aren’t available this evening. McClean, Brady and the retired Daryl Murphy are the others who’ll need to be replaced.
“We’re a little bit stretched but that’s a challenge for us now. It’s a proper challenge,” said Martin O’Neill at last night’s pre-match press conference at Cardiff City Stadium, where he was accompanied by captain Seamus Coleman.
“Yes, we are stretched,” O’Neill continued. “But I’ve got a world-class player beside me here and I think that we have a number of quality players still in our ranks. Not only will they have to play extremely well, but anybody who comes in who wouldn’t be as experienced as the lads will have to really step up. This is international football. It’s a high calibre. That’s the nature of it. Let’s go for it.”
Just one change will be required for Wales from their previous encounter with Ireland, but new manager Ryan Giggs certainly won’t resent the need to make such an adjustment.
Welsh football has lamented the international retirement of striker Hal Robson-Kanu, but the return of Gareth Bale transforms the hosts into a much bigger threat. Bale, who missed his nation’s last competitive fixture due to injury, returns in good form after scoring in each of Real Madrid’s three La Liga games this season.
“Gareth Bale is a world-class player. It’s worth emphasising that,” O’Neill said. “I think everyone knows how brilliant he is. He proved that in the Champions League final. I’m not surprised that Welsh people are obsessed by him. He’s a terrific footballer; a really, really great player.
“He didn’t play in the game here [last year] but he did play in Dublin. Outside of one fantastic run that he had in the game, he was reasonably quiet. But he can change the game with the flick of a finger. He’s a top-class player and Wales have a couple of others too. But we’re really looking forward to the challenge. We’ll get up for the match and be as prepared as we possibly can.”
The Nations League was initially dismissed in some quarters as a series of glorified friendlies, although O’Neill has insisted that these outings will be taken as seriously as any World Cup or European Championship qualifier. The truth can probably be found somewhere in between.
Cardiff is obviously devoid of the sense of big-match tension and occasion that gripped the city for a few days last October, when a sizeable cohort of Irish supporters arrived to boost the local economy. Understandably, for a variety of reasons, green-clad football fans have been comparatively thin on the ground over the past 24 hours.
Nevertheless, these Nations League results will matter, even if their significance won’t be felt until Ireland are further down the tracks. The winners of the three-team group, which also includes Denmark, are guaranteed a play-off place at the end of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, which will be essential in the event of missing out on an automatic spot.
There are also implications for Ireland should they finish below the Welsh and the Danes after the three teams have faced each other at home and away. As well as being relegated to the third tier of the Nations League, the Boys in Green would be downgraded from second to third seeds for the Euro 2020 qualifying draw in Dublin on 2 December.
Concerns have been raised ahead of this game over the lack of Irishmen playing regularly in the English Premier League. While those issues are certainly valid, that’s also a problem the Welsh are being forced to contend with.
In fact, the eight Premier League players in Ireland’s 24-man squad have amassed 24 starts between them so far this season in England’s top-flight. There are nine Premier League representatives among the 25 players available to Wales, but they’ve only managed a total of 17 starts.
Ireland’s Championship contingent have also seen more action lately, with 13 players clocking up 53 starts in comparison to 40 starts made by 12 players on the Welsh side. However, it is necessary to scratch beneath the surface of these statistics.
One of Wales’ Premier League players is influential Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey. Another crucial caveat is that drawing parallels between the two teams based on their performances in England doesn’t take into account the Welsh talisman, the aforementioned Bale.
What is particularly worrying from an Irish perspective is that only one of the 12 midfielders/forwards in this squad — Jeff Hendrick — is currently a Premier League player. Ireland’s level of inexperience at international level is also noteworthy.
Despite boasting a squad whose average age (24.9) is nearly three years younger than Ireland’s (27.7), the Welsh are averaging 27 caps per player, whereas Ireland’s average tally is 15.3. Only five Irish players — Stephen Ward, Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark, Jeff Hendrick and Jonathan Walters — have represented their country more than 30 times at senior level, which is an achievement that 11 Welsh players can lay claim to.
“These are great games,” Seamus Coleman said. “I suppose they’re a little bit different to playing other nations. In a way it’s kind of like a Premier League game because you do know the players that you’re playing against.
“We’re all very proud to play for our countries. There will be a little bit more competitiveness because you know the lads you’re playing against. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s a great game for the fans and the players.”
After extending his contract in January, Martin O’Neill — whose side will also face Poland in a friendly in Wroclaw on Tuesday — would have earmarked this game against Wales as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf following Ireland’s heavy defeat to Denmark in the 2018 World Cup play-offs.
Declan Rice, billed as the poster boy for a potential new era, may be at risk of switching allegiance, but the absence of so many frontline players also provides an opportunity for others who have been progressing with their clubs to stake a claim at international level.
Graham Burke, who scored in the friendly win against USA in June, will be eager to continue his meteoric rise, while Preston team-mate Callum Robinson is also in contention for a competitive debut after obtaining an Irish passport via his Monaghan-born grandmother.
Another player showing good form is Daryl Horgan. Since leaving Preston for Hibernian, the former Dundalk winger has enjoyed a new lease of life in the Scottish Premiership, having chipped in with two goals and an assist in his three starts for the Edinburgh club.
Martin O’Neill has been vexed by off-the-field issues which have put the past 10 days among the most challenging periods he has endured as Ireland manager. A positive result tonight would give the Ireland boss a much-needed boost, but as rank outsiders at 4/1 with some bookmakers, avoiding defeat in Cardiff will be a tall order.
“Obviously we want to try and be as strong as we possibly can, but if we weren’t beaten in the game, considering the circumstances, that would be a decent enough result for us if that’s the case,” O’Neill said.
“But anybody who tries to plan for something like that is going to come a cropper. We’ll attack if we can, we’ll try to deal with the ball, we’ll try to see out the big moments at one end of the pitch and try to make it happen at the other end.”
Ireland are scheduled to host Denmark and Wales at the Aviva Stadium next month — 13 and 16 October respectively — before concluding their Nations League campaign against the Danes in Aarhus on 19 November.
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