Former manager Brian Kerr believes that Ireland need to begin the match against Scotland the way they finished the game against Poland if they are to have a chance of winning Saturday’s EURO 2016 qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.
Kerr remains optimistic that Ireland can beat their Group D rivals in Saturday’s must-win encounter but is convinced that the opening exchanges will be key if Ireland want to dominate the game and gain the early momentum against Gordon Strachan’s side.
Speaking at the Aviva Fan Studio on Thursday night on RTE 2FM’s Game On, Kerr referenced the last meeting between the sides where Scotland took the early initiative and subsequently dominated proceeding and secured the all-important three points in the 1-0 victory at Celtic Park last November.
“So is McGoldrick one that he is going to throw in to this match." Brian Kerr
“We have got to start the match the way we finished against Poland to get the momentum and get on top of the game,” said Kerr. “We have to win the midfield battle and use the ball well in the middle of the field.
“Can we get on top of it this time? Start the match well, get on top in the full back positions. Seamus Coleman was pinned down in Scotland. Stephen Ward was pinned back.
“It’s a hard one to call. Scotland are in good form. Not an awful lot happened in the match over in Scotland in terms of nice football or build-up play. But the best of it did come from the middle of the park through Charlie Mulgrew and Scott Brown and they outplayed us in that area of the pitch.
“Steven Naismith ran the show, just playing off the front. It was like it was a surprise that our team didn’t know he was a very good player. Then Ikechi Anya on the left and Shaun Maloney on the right. That trio caused us huge problems.”
The RTE analyst believes that there will be a host of changes from the side that lost to Gordon Strachan’s side at Celtic Park and that the manager has some big selection calls to make for this all-important fixture.
“There are decisions to be made about whether Wesley (Hoolahan) will play or not,” added Kerr. “Whether Robbie Keane plays. Then it’s between Jonathan Walters, Aiden McGeady and James McClean. All those things are very important decisions and are very tight calls.
“But we’ll have a different team for this match. We could have possibly six changes in the team. There’ll be a change in goal, a change at centre-back, change at left-back, two changes in the middle of the field as neither James McCarthy or Glen Whelan played in Scotland as it was Jeff Hendrick and Darron Gibson and they were off the pace in the match.
“McGeady didn’t get going or McClean. Up front, Shane Long and Walters didn’t really work.”
And Kerr is also expecting the unexpected, as the former Faroe Islands boss thinks David McGoldrick could be utilised by the Ireland boss.
“He’s thrown in a few flyers in some of the previous selections,” said Kerr. “He started Stephen Quinn in Georgia, which was a bit of a surprise. Then in the last match, Shay Given started, Robbie Brady started. Even Robbie Keane starting in the Poland match was somewhat of a surprise.
“Almost every game there is one surprise, like Aiden McGeady playing off the front in Germany behind Robbie Keane, that was real surprise and David Meyler was picked at right back.
“So is McGoldrick one that he is going to throw in to this match because he took him off at half time against England? It’s very hard to read what the starting team will be.”
Kerr does, however, have some empathy for the Ireland manager as he has yet to find his best XI with injuries leading to different selections for the vital games so far in this qualifying campaign.
“You get to a settled team when you start performing and the team are producing results and you have a settled squad,” said Kerr. “He’s had the problem of different players being injured. James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan didn’t play in Scotland and he has to wait for them to come back. So it’s hard to pin down a team and say, 'now, there’s your team and I’m going to stick with it'."
But some of those surprise selections could be paying dividends for the Ireland manager as Kerr admitted that he is starting to see the potential of Robbie Brady as a permanent left-back for Ireland.
“I would have been sceptical about Robbie Brady at left back,” said Kerr. “But I went to see two Hull matches at the end of the season and he was the best player on the pitch, playing at left back, so maybe he is learning how to play left back but whether or not he’s good enough for international level remains to be seen.”
One thing that Kerr cannot understand is the manager’s team-naming policy with the squad not knowing who is playing until an hour before the game.
“It doesn't help to wait until an hour before the game to tell a player whether he is playing, or when you have Aiden McGeady, saying before the game against Germany, that he had to ask someone what position he was playing against the world champions. Shay Given didn't know he was playing until an hour before the Poland game. That is just too loose.
“Martin’s answer is that they are all professional but players like to know they’re playing and like to know they are in the team for their mental preparation and to be on the ball."
But Kerr still believes that Ireland have the quality to win the game and said that he remains the eternal optimist ahead of Saturday's fixture.
“Always the optimist. I’ll go for a narrow win for us, but without any great conviction. I think we might just sneak it.”
