Ahead of one of the biggest matches in years for the Irish soccer team, JOE runs the rule over the health of the eleven men Giovanni Trapattoni has picked to slay Slovakia.
By Niall Delaney
Shay Given: He’s been excellent for Villa so far this season. The 35-year old has conceded only one goal and has kept two clean sheets after three Premier League games.
An outstanding goalkeeper who will no doubt perform far better this season than the grossly over-rated (because he is English) Joe Hart, Given was a truly astute purchase by the much maligned Alex McLeish. Although struggling with a groin injury, the fact that the Lifford legend is back playing regularly is good news for Villa and Ireland fans alike.
John O’Shea: Playing at right back is never an issue for the versatile O’Shea. Comfortable on either foot and hardly ever skinned by a rampaging winger, JOSH offers us defensive solidity and heading prowess at set pieces.
The main downside is that he offers little as an attacking threat from the wings and this is without doubt the reason Fergie decided to finally cut him loose and flog him to Sunderland. He started last week and almost scored with a header against Swansea, but could be lacking a little sharpness.
Richard Dunne: If we do qualify for Euro 2012, Ireland fans everywhere will be hoping big Dunney has a big season at Villa Park. His form over the past few seasons has been up and down from one season to the next, but if this continues, at least this season he is due an up.
As mentioned earlier with Shay Given, he has been at the heart of a defence that has only conceded one goal thus far, so the omens are good.
Sean St. Ledger: Having moved to Leicester during the summer for £1.2 million, he seems to have suffered from the Sven Goran Eriksson-induced malaise that has infected this newly created Foxes squad.
St. Ledger has been in and out of a team that has truly failed to live up to its billing as potential championship winners. However, he has rarely put a foot wrong for Ireland and seems to revel playing alongside Richard Dunne. Let’s hope that continues over the next week at least.
Stephen Ward: He has been a revelation at Wolves in the last year and fair play to Mick McCarthy, who saw something in him a lot of Wolves fans didn’t. Very quick and good on the ball, the former striker has adapted quickly to life at left back.
He’s in the form of his life at the minute and fully deserves his place in the team ahead of Kevin Kilbane. He should offer Ireland additional width and an over-lapping option which will help us take the game to the Slovaks.
Aiden McGeady: It says much about McGeady and how his stock has risen in the Irish team set up that he’s an automatic pick on the right wing after playing a total of three minutes competitive football in almost four months.
Once derided as Aiden McGreedy, the Spartak Moscow man is now a key member of Trap’s starting XI
Although he has his detractors among Irish fans, McGeady has the speed and skill to set the Aviva Stadium alight tonight. We will have to see how his match fitness is, but a good 70 minutes out of Aiden is far better than 70 hours of Liam Lawrence trying to outrun an as usual much quicker full back. All Ireland fans should be very grateful we have the Spartak Moscow player in our ranks.
Glenn Whelan: The solid but unspectacular player is in solid but unspectacular form for Stoke. Expect a solid but unspectacular performance tonight then.
Keith Andrews: See Glenn Whelan above, and then add in two goals at Championship level for Ipswich so far this season. The central midfield area is without doubt Ireland’s weakest link and how a gifted and attack minded player like James McCarthy is treated with disdain by Trapattoni says more about the Italian than the young Glaswegian.
Except toil and laboured endeavour, but not much of an attacking platform from Messrs Whelan and Andrews.
Damien Duff: Everyone’s favourite Ballyboden man and many people’s favourite Irish footballer has had an odd start to the season. He sparkled in Fulham’s pre-season and Europa League qualifying campaign but has remained inconsistent during the Cottagers’ Premier League campaign so far.
His old ailment, namely a complete inability to hit a right footed shot with any sort of power or accuracy, has been on display in both the home game against Aston Villa and the away game at Newcastle. Still, there is nothing like a crucial qualification game for his native country to get the Duffer buzzing and the awkward Slovak defence will find him suitably awkward.
Robbie Keane: One joke goal, one joke game and one joke league pretty much sums up Robert’s start to the season. Still, the man is a living legend, and two crucial goals in our last qualification game away to Macedonia make him completely undroppable.
Yes, he is not the player he used to be and yes, his decision to move to the MLS is a backward step in terms of his footballing career, but the guy has showed a pedigree and instinct for goalscoring no other Irish player living or dead has even come close to. Goals win games; Robbie Keane goals usually win Irish games.
Kevin Doyle: With Shane Long ruled out because of a calf injury nobody in the Irish set-up saw fit to mention before this morning, Doyler comes in to take his old mate’s place and that is absolutely fine by us. The Wolves man was hard done by to be dropped in the first place and although Long deserved his chance thanks to his magnificent start to the season with West Brom, Doyle is a quality replacement, as he has proved time and again in a green jersey.
Arguably more clever and more adept at holding the ball up and bringing others into the game than Long, but often when the aforementioned others are Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews, you might be better off keeping the ball yourself!
Still, Doyle and Keane know each other’s games inside out, it’s just a pity that Long won’t be available to come off the bench and make things uncomfortable for Skrtel and company at the back at some stage.
Overall: Believe it or not, this is actually one of the strongest Irish teams on paper in the last five years. Outside of the central midfield pair, the rest of the team looks pretty tasty and has a good feel to it. There is no doubt that James McCarthy would make this team stronger and his inclusion over Keith Andrews, especially in a must-win home game would have been the icing on the cake.
Prediction: Ireland 2-0 Slovakia
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