Martin O’Neill eventually named his Euro 2016 squad just 20 minutes before the UEFA deadline; but once those final 23 names were revealed, the first question that begged to be asked was, why the wait?
David Meyler, Stephen Quinn, Aiden McGeady, Daryl Murphy, all included, not forgetting the injured skipper Robbie Keane.
Harry Arter, of course, picked up a knock at training on Monday which essentially ruled him out of contention, and now perhaps it looks as though the Bournemouth man was the only player really within a shout of edging into that final 23.
No room for David McGoldrick, Eunan O’Kane, Darron Gibson, nor young Oxford United winger Callum O’Dowda, whose 15 minutes at Turner’s Cross proved the most, and possibly only, enjoyable moments of an otherwise forgettable night at the Cork City home ground.
The past ten days must have been very taxing on the management team as they searched for something that might give them an extra edge in France. And only O’Neill and assistant Roy Keane will know if the extended squad scenario proved the best way of preparing for the group games against Sweden, Belgium and Italy.
Apart from Arter’s performance against the Netherlands, there were only glimpses of the others’ potential and clearly not enough to take the place of a player who helped the side qualify for the tournament.
In fact, the only real surprise of the night was the apparent rethink of the goalkeeping department as Keiren Westwood made the final selection at the expense of David Forde.
From a footballing perspective, it makes complete sense, but back in March when Westwood was dropped from the provisional squad, it looked as though O’Neill wanted his trio to be Darren Randolph, Shay Given and the unlucky Forde.
"A real dynamic will be lost should Long or Walters pick up an injury"
Westwood’s club form has been exceptional and O’Neill obviously accepted that he could not justify leaving the Sheffield Wednesday keeper out of the squad.
Forde’s involvement with the Ireland squad has been a real rise-and-fall scenario as the one-time number one keeper was dropped for no good reason and he will probably feel hard done by even more now as he has fallen to fourth choice and misses the chance to go to the Euros.
But again, in footballing reality, the former Derry City keeper must acknowledge that he is plying his trade in League 1 with Millwall and has lost his place at the New Den, so Forde will at least be able to make sense of the non-selection.
The manager does deserve credit for making the late change, but you could tell after last night’s announcement that it was tough on O’Neill to tell those who did not make it, and Forde in particular.
And while the Millwall man will be leaving the squad in the morning, there are several players that were named in the 23 that could easily be in a similar scenario, having not performed at club level this season.
If McGeady, Meyler and Murphy were only being judged on last night’s performance, there is every chance that they would have been left out as all three failed to make a real impact in the disappointing defeat to Belarus.
The manager has rewarded the trio for their contribution throughout the campaign and O’Neill will be hoping that loyalty will be repaid in full at the upcoming tournament.
So on to France, and every player will certainly feel a lot more at ease now, knowing that they are part of the 23. And perhaps that McGeady swagger that the manager talks about will blossom at the Versailles training camp, while full fitness should return to Murphy and Meyler, which will improve their overall game.
The road to France started back in 2014 with a very hard-fought win against Georgia and this squad have steadily improved over the past 18 months and actually now look quite strong going into the championships.
There is real strength in the Ireland defensive unit with four very capable central defenders, while full backs Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady are two vital components to this Ireland team.
Likewise, the central midfield area is well-stocked, especially if the manager continues with this tight three-man unit patrolling the middle of the park.
Shane Long and Jonathan Walters are the final two pieces in this O’Neill jigsaw and they will cause serious problems for any defence in France this summer.
But while there is ample cover in midfield and defence, a real dynamic will be lost should Long or Walters pick up an injury during the tournament.
Two very different players yet both are now irreplaceable in the Ireland starting XI and the manager will have a real problem if one or both are unavailable for selection, as the quality of cover simply does not exist.
Another worry in the final 23 is that there are several players who, you would imagine, will not be considered to start a game in France.
Captain Keane will only be used in a cameo role if a late goal is required, while McGeady and McClean are two more that do not look like they will fit into O’Neill’s preferred system.
Similarly, Meyler’s involvement is only likely if Ireland are looking to hold on to a lead or are battling for a point late in the game.
But overall, O’Neill will be very happy with his contingent and considering that all of his key players look like they will be fit and ready for that opening game on 13 June, the manager can finally start plotting for Paris.
