THERE WAS A sense of deja vu about some of the topics that needed to be covered with John O’Shea as he announced his squad for the friendlies with Belgium and Switzerland later this month.
The interim Republic of Ireland manager may have needed to call an impromptu get together last Sunday for his newly-assembled coaching and support staff at a hotel in Dublin, with technical advisor Brian Kerr, along with coaches Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan on hand to ramp up preparations, but some very familiar issues remain when it comes to players.
A mixture of possibilities and concerns that have felt like a constant.
Like the need for Ireland’s players to actually be performing for their clubs.
“The big thing is you want that healthy competition to know that if you’re fit and firing for your club, it’s a huge thing when coming in to make a difference at international level,” O’Shea said.
“You need to be doing it at your clubs really, as long as you’re getting game time but the bonus then is if they are creating and scoring goals as well too.”
There was the eligibility case of English-born Sammie Szmodics and whether the Blackburn Rovers forward was truly committed to taking the plunge and representing Ireland when he also had advances elsewhere.
O’Shea insisted it was a “straightforward” conversation to include the English Championship’s top scorer – 21 goals – despite the possibility of representing Hungary at Euro 2024 this summer.
On the agenda was even a case of the youngster who “is concentrating on his club stuff”, with Leicester City’s Tom Cannon keeping his options open at senior level in case he comes on the radar of England, despite having played and scored for Ireland’s U21s.
Where have we heard all that before?
Still, at least England are the ones who have to actually deal with an established Premier League star preferring to stay away after Arsenal’s Ben White snubbed a call-up from Gareth Southgate.
Ireland have two new arrivals and they provide hope to youngsters of the different paths that are possible to reach this point.
Jake O’Brien and Finn Azaz both worked with O’Shea at U21 level but emerged in different ways – playmaker Azaz earning a move to Middlesbrough in January after impressing while on loan from Aston Villa at Plymouth Argyle.
O’Brien, a towering centre back “part of the defensive club”, as O’Shea put it, ticks a fair few boxes.
League of Ireland graduate with Cork City. Check.
Earned a move to a Premier League academy with Crystal Palace. Check.
Moved to Europe for further experience with Belgian side Molenbeek. Check.
Now a first choice defender with French giants Lyon. Erm, check.
And he’s still only 22.
As The 42 detailed last August, O’Brien’s move to Ligue 1 was a very modern transfer, one which involved rival multi-club models, an American billionaire, and the power of an Irish passport in a post-Brexit landscape.
But what he has achieved in forcing his way into the starting XI is a story as old as time in the game – getting a sniff of an opportunity in a struggling side, grabbing it with both hands and not letting it go.
O’Shea can’t quite do the same in the gig he has.
The Ireland centurion was told when taking the job by FAI director of football Marc Canham that it would be for these two games only.
When he was unveiled it was then made clear that the permanent manager would be confirmed in early April once “contractual obligations” had been honoured.
Another appointment with a view to shaping the future of the senior team is coming after these two games, and you can be sure that the new person in charge will end up dealing with a lot of those same issues that don’t seem as though they will ever change for Ireland.
