EYEBROWS WERE RAISED when Martin O’Neill named both Stephen Quinn and Jon Walters in the Ireland team to face Georgia — but they ending up justifying the manager’s faith in them.
It may have been Aiden McGeady who departed from Tbilisi with the plaudits following his superb brace in the 2-1 victory on Sunday night, but Quinn and Walters certainly caught the eye in that opening UEFA 2016 European Championship Qualifier.
Selected ahead of fan’s favourite Wes Hoolahan, there was a lot of pressure on Hull City midfielder Quinn on what was his competitive international debut. Yet the 28-year-old didn’t look one bit out of place and even outshone fellow midfield patrolmen James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan.
Boasting an 87 per cent pass completion rate, the flame-haired Dubliner covered a huge amount of ground across the pitch as he pressed Georgian defenders high, dropped deep to make himself available, and made five key tackles to win possession back for Ireland at crucial stages.
Something of a latecomer to the international scene, Quinn looked like a man determined to make up for lost time. By making clever support runs, consistently trying to execute penetrating passes, and delivering three crosses into the opposition’s penalty area, he was a real livewire in an Irish attack that was generally slow and unimaginative.
Stephen Quinn stats versus Georgia
- Minutes Played: 78
- Passes Attempted: 32
- Passes Completed: 28
- Crosses Attempted: 3
- Crosses Completed: 2
- Tackles Won: 5
It was a bold move by O’Neill to opt for Quinn ahead of Hoolahan, who is by far Ireland’s most creative player, and he has given himself a selection headache ahead of next month’s qualifier at home to Gibraltar. Both Everton’s Darron Gibson and Derby County’s Jeff Hendrick should also be in the mix for a midfield spot then, but Quinn’s profile has now reached a new all-time high.
With only nine caps behind him, he lacks experience in a green jersey. However, the form guide suggests that he warrants a chance at staying in this Ireland team with 10 goals and 26 assists in 162 games over the last four seasons at club level. They are impressive numbers, but it is Quinn’s energy and decision-making that his team-mates appreciate the most.
It is a similar case with Walters, who rarely gets the credit that should flow his way and is constantly battling to stay in the starting XI. He too starred against Temuri Ketsbaia’s Georgia, who struggled to contain the 6ft attacker who operated out wide on the right flank.
Walters is far from a rookie though as he has amassed 27 senior caps and featured at the Euro 2012 finals when O’Neill’s predecessor, Giovanni Trapattoni, used him as an aerial target. Not much has changed in that regard as most long balls were aimed at the Stoke City man — and he won seven of his headers.
Extremely selfless and versatile, Walters is often misused by managers and, just like an actor who has become typecast, he can’t seem to shake the perception that he is nothing more than a battering ram who is most effective when using his body rather than his feet. He is a lot more than that though.
Yet, Walters is unlikely to complain about his role (hugely admirable when so many players have to ‘consider’ whether or not to represent Ireland) and that is why he excelled last Sunday. Powerful and direct, the 30-year-old cut inside at the right times and narrowed space when Ireland were forced onto the back foot.
Jon Walters stats versus Georgia
- Minutes Played: 90
- Passes Attempted: 18
- Passes Completed: 16
- Crosses Attempted: 4
- Crosses Completed: 4
- Headers Won: 7
O’Neill has already hinted that his team will set up differently when playing at home, so that may see Walters lose out to James McClean, Robbie Brady, Anthony Pilkington, or even Shane Long on the right wing. But should he not be considered for a place up front? Or is he simply not prolific enough for that position?
A lot will depend on how Walters fares with Stoke over the coming weeks, where he should feature more following an injury picked up by Peter Odemwingie. But, just like Quinn, there is little more that he could have done against Georgia to show that he merited inclusion for the first qualifier.
On the evidence of their latest performance, there is little to suggest that O’Neill will spring many surprises during this qualifying campaign (certainly when it comes to style of play) but selecting the likes of Quinn and Walters shows that he is willing to give the right men a shot that they deserve.