WITH EURO 2016 fast approaching, Ireland boss Martin O’Neill will hopefully by now have a good idea of the starting XI he intends to field in their opening game against Sweden on 13 June.
One position which has proved difficult to fill in recent years is left-back. There is no doubt that Norwich City’s Robbie Brady will play a pivotal role in France after becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet during the last qualifying campaign.
The 24-year-old, who scored that all-important away goal in the play-off first leg against Bosnia-Herzegovina, featured at full-back as well as in a more advanced midfield role and proved an important attacking outlet, although his defensive capabilities came into question at times.
Stephen Ward had held the number three jersey before losing it to Brady, but the Dubliner has got his club career back on track after a difficult period and was a regular in the Burnley team which secured a return to the Premier League with automatic promotion.
Marc Wilson, who can operate at centre-half or full-back, was given the chance to prove his fitness this week having sat out large chunks of the season through injury, but it was revealed today that he will miss the tournament after suffering a set-back.
Matt Doherty of Wolves hasn’t been called up to the latest squad, and while Cyrus Christie is also an option, the decision looks to be between Brady and Ward as O’Neill sees the Derby County defender as back-up to Seamus Coleman on the opposite flank.
Kevin Kilbane earned 110 caps for Ireland under Mick McCarthy, Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton and Giovanni Trapattoni and played in a number of positions including as a makeshift full-back in the latter stages of his career.
Now retired, the pundit believes you have to go back as far as Ian Harte to find the last time the country produced a player naturally fitted to the role.
We haven’t had a natural left-back since Harty, it’s fair to say that because it’s true,” said Kilbane. “10 years now really.
“What I used to do when I was playing was try to play to position and it probably helped the way that Trap played. He didn’t want me getting forward so I wasn’t really going to get exposed at times.
“Martin is maybe trying to play more expansive and try get full-backs into games. That might not play into either lads’ hands.
“From an attacking point of view, great, but defensively it’s how you get back into position and that’s where we could conceivably struggle as they’re not natural left-backs.”
And Kilbane feels it could be a case of horses for courses in terms of who will be the best option for Ireland over the next month.
“Robbie will definitely play (somewhere in the team),” he adds. “I’ve seen Stephen play a few times this season for Burnley and I think he’s playing to position more now.
He’s looking at lot more comfortable in that position as a left back, maybe supporting from behind, which Martin might want in certain games.
“If we have to go and get at sides, where Martin has spoken about full-backs getting into games and being our wide men, it might be a case of Robbie, like we did against Slovakia.
“That might be when you look at Robbie playing left-back and you can maybe play someone more attack-minded ahead of him, that’s the way it might be.”
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