FROM THE COUNTRY that brought you Sexton versus O’Gara comes the latest in a new series, Bazunu versus Kelleher.
The press conferences held earlier this year with Kelleher weren’t complete without a few mentions of Bazunu, and the opposite proved true at the Aviva Stadium on Monday.
Bazunu was speaking to the media as the Irish international squad are together to prepare for a double-header of friendlies against Norway and Malta to round out 2022 and begin preparation for next year’s daunting Euro 2024 qualification campaign.
It’s also a chance for the rest of us to wallow in our remarkable strength in depth at goalkeeper, where Bazunu and Kelleher are also competing with Mark Travers, now back in the Bournemouth team following injury to first-choice Neto.
The final competition for the number one jersey is between Bazunu and Kelleher, though and, barring any last-minute injuries, Thursday’s game against Norway will be the first fixture of the year for which both have been available.
After Travers’ debut away to Serbia went awry, Bazunu was first choice for the rest of 2021, but he missed the double-header of friendlies in March with illness and then withdrew from the squad in June with a back issue. This meant Kelleher had six-straight starts having been injured at the start of 2021, when the starting jersey might have been handed to him rather than Travers in Darren Randolph’s absence. Kelleher then missed September’s Nations League matches with the injury that caused a minor spat between his managers, and Bazunu was restored to the starting line-up.
Stephen Kenny always insists there is no number one choice, perhaps to keep all three goalkeepers on their toes.
Bazunu, meanwhile, says he doesn’t feel he is defending the jersey in training.
“No, I don’t really feel that way”, he said. “I’m just coming in here and no matter what I’ve done previously in club football, I’m coming in and I’m just looking to train as hard as I can coming in here.
“I’ve done all the work I can do up to now and it’s the manager’s choice, whatever he decides to do. If I’m going to be playing, I’m just going to go out there and perform like I normally do. I don’t try to think too much about the politics or what the manager is thinking.”
Bazunu did admit that Kenny has a headache, given the quality of goalkeeper at his disposal. The trio work under coach Dean Kiely, and Bazunu says the atmosphere is good.
“We’ve got a really good group between myself, Mark, Caoimhín and Dean. We’ve got a really good, strong goalkeeping group. We’ve been working together for a number of years now and anyone who watches the sessions will see that whoever’s playing, the other two will support. We all have each other’s back and we really enjoy training together.
Bazunu and Kelleher spoke briefly after last Saturday’s game at Anfield, in which Bazunu played all 90 minutes of Southampton’s 3-1 Premier League defeat. Kelleher looked on from the bench – Alisson’s string of stunning saves accentuating his place in his club’s lofty pecking order – but days earlier saved three penalties in a League Cup shootout victory over Derby, having scored the winning penalty in the final of the competition last season.
“When I see Caoimhín do well like that it’s brilliant, because it pushes me on”, says Bazunu. “I’d like to think the others think the same: when I do well I hope it pushes them on. As a group I want both Caoimhín and Mark to be playing in the Premier League week in, week out. I want to be coming up against them every few games in the Premier League because that is what’s special about your fellow countrymen, you want to support them and you want them to be playing at the highest level as well.”
Bazunu left Manchester City in the summer to join Southampton, for whom he has been first choice all season, a status that weathered their recent change of managers as Nathan Jones has entrusted him with the same level of trust as Ralph Hasenhuttl did.
It’s been a difficult season for Southampton – they are 19th in the table, with the third-worst defensive record in the league – but you won’t be surprised to hear the unflappable Bazunu remains, well, unflapped.
“It’s been a busy couple of months, I’ve enjoyed it. Getting to play Premier League football and adapting to the speed and the level of the players, it’s been really enjoyable. It’s been hard work, and it’s a long road ahead. It’s a challenge but it’s a challenge that I’m looking to face head-on. Inside [the club] we’ve been trying to address how we can be a lot stronger and compact as a team and concede less goals. It’s the whole team’s effort and we have to keep working hard on that.”
Asked to reflect on how the experience has improved his game, Bazunu replied, “I think there have been many different ways: coping with the speed of the games, but also the pressure, the crowds, the scrutiny that comes with Premier League level. I am just taking it my stride and enjoying every moment of it.”
His confidence and assurance has also survived Ireland’s horror Euro 2024 qualifier draw, which has pitted them with Netherlands, France, Greece and Gibraltar. His initial reaction to the draw? Excitement.
“I want to play against the best in the world. I want to challenge myself against the best, so to see the to quality of nations [paired with Ireland] was exciting.
“It’s the anticipation of facing these players and knowing that if these guys are the best in the world, they are the best to compare yourself against. If there had been an easier draw sometimes that can add even more pressure. To be up against the best is where we all want to be.”
One of those top players against whom Bazunu won’t be tested this week is Erling Haaland, who, having recently missed game-time with injury, has been left at home by Norway for Sunday’s friendly with Finland (ie the game they have to sell tickets for.)
“As a player I want to face the best quality opposition I can. But as I said before they have many other quality players that they’ll have at their disposal on Thursday.”
