There was a real first-day-of-term atmosphere about the FAI Headquarters on Monday morning as Ireland manager Martin O’Neill ambled in for his press briefing and the build-up began for next month’s European Championships.
And while O’Neill was quick to admit that Monday felt like the start of a big adventure, you also got a real sense that his job this week is one that he is not particularly relishing as he decides on his final squad of 23 for France.
“Difficult decisions,” emphasised the manager at the thought of telling players that their service will not be required next month.
“The players seem in very good form and good spirits, while some of them are obviously carrying over some problems from club football, psychological problems more than anything else, but after a day or two of training they will all be concentrating on the Euros.”
“I just need to try to get Aiden back to that swagger that he has. I don’t think he ever loses that"
The manager could have been talking about anyone of many in his provisional squad who have endured difficult seasons at club level, but remarkably it was a player’s presence rather than absence that turned the focus on Everton’s on-loan midfielder Aiden McGeady.
McGeady moved to Sheffield Wednesday in the January window and while it has not proved the catalyst to kick-start the midfielder’s disappointing season, it was assumed that he would still be on club duty as the Owls prepare for next weekend’s play-off final against Hull City.
But it transpired that McGeady’s services are no longer needed at Hillsborough and as a result, he was marked present at this morning’s rolecall at Abbotstown.
The manager spoke about having filled 90 per cent of his squad ahead of this week, so the question was posed whether McGeady’s place was in doubt due to these club upheavals and disappointments.
O’Neill has certainly been looking at similar players to McGeady, whether Alan Judge, who was utilised in that wide position against Switzerland, or Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes, who also featured in those March friendlies, while the manager has now brought Oxford United’s Callum O’Dowda into the squad.
O’Neill was quick to point out, however, that McGeady took the gamble midway through the season to go out on loan in an attempt to find first-team football, while also referencing his important international goals at the start of the campaign, which he stated were every bit as crucial as Shane Long’s strike against Germany or Jonathan Walters’ goals.
“I just need to try to get Aiden back to that swagger that he has. I don’t think he ever loses that so I just need to get him back to what he is best at, taking players on in the final third of the field and using his magical feet to go past players.
“It is something that not that many people in this country possess and he can give us something that we might not have in that area of the field. But, I agree, it is a big week for him.”
Strong words of support for the often-frustrating winger and O’Neill implied that O’Dowda had just been brought in this week to get to know the surroundings and the players should be he required in the next World Cup qualifying campaign.
But O’Neill is most certainly dealing in the here and now and should the Oxford winger put on a real show at training this week as well as impressing in Friday’s international against Holland, he would certainly give the manager another dilemma to ponder ahead of the final cull.
McGeady, you would imagine, should still make it into that final 23, but perhaps only because the manager has not found what he is looking for elsewhere.
"Eventually the squad has to be narrowed down to 23, so there will be a few more difficult decisions still to make between now and the end of the Belarus game.”
The Ireland boss, however, has wasted little time by already making four of those difficult decisions ahead of last night’s gathering in Dublin as Paul McShane, Anthony Pilkington, Alex Pearce and the aforementioned Hayes were cut from the squad and placed on the stand-by list.
But it was clearly a task that he did not enjoy performing as he explained: “It was very difficult to leave some of these players out. Players who have given up a lot of time, energy and enthusiasm to be part of the squad over the last two years.
“And eventually the squad has to be narrowed down to 23, so there will be a few more difficult decisions still to make between now and the end of the Belarus game.”
McShane will probably hurt the most from that quartet as he has been an important squad member for several campaigns now and his infectious personality will certainly be missed around camp for the next five or six weeks.
Those two matches in March proved decisive for the Reading centre-half as defensive rival Shane Duffy put in a sterling performance against Switzerland, while McShane’s decision making came under extreme scrutiny after his performance against Slovakia when he was blamed for both goals – his honesty in the post-match interviews probably didn’t help his cause either.
Pilkington and Pearce have spent a huge chunk of the season on the sidelines and were probably resigned to their fate, while Hayes will take this on the chin, knowing that a good attitude and more impressive performances will lead to inclusion in future squads.
The news came later that Marc Wilson was also ruled out as he has not recovered from his knee injury. The manager confirmed that they had spoken and mutually agreed that Wilson’s best course of action was to concentrate on coming back fit and strong for the start of next season.
You sensed that Wilson’s absence is one that upset O’Neill the most as he obviously rates the Stoke defender who can play in any of three positions, especially at a time when the left-back role is still under the spotlight.
And then there were 30.
O’Neill now just has seven players left to cull and the manager fully expects things to happen in training this week that could cause a player to go over on an ankle or pick up some kind of knock, so it is understandable why he has named an extended squad.
And the former Celtic boss has other dilemmas this week as he will have no contact with the play-off trio of Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood, Hull City’s David Meyler and David Forde whose Millwall side are playing in the League One final.
There is also a situation with Kevin Doyle who has been told not to report for duty until the build-up to the Belarus game.
It is widely reported that the Ireland manager will name his final 23 on Saturday to allow the Euro 2016 squad begin preparations properly at Fota Island on Monday.
But with the play-off contingent and Doyle not available for scrutiny this week, coupled with the fact that psychological issues need addressing, while others are still nursing niggles, do not be surprised if the manager takes as long as he is allowed to make that final difficult decision on 31 May.
