Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has some big decisions to make ahead of Saturday evening’s World Cup qualifier against Austria in Vienna.
O’Neill’s side are enjoying a very good start to this World Cup qualifying campaign, picking up seven points from nine in the opening three games.
But the manager finds himself with a serious lack of attacking options going into this game, with Serbia goal-scoring hero Daryly Murphy, and fellow striker Shane Long, who grabbed the opening goal in the recent victory over Moldova, both missing through injury.
Throw the ‘will he, won’t he’ perennial selection headache of Wes Hoolahan into the equation, and it is fair to say that the manager will be thinking long and hard about the selection for this tough task against the group’s number two seed, Austria.
"The manager will be happy to leave Vienna with a valuable away point, but there is a chance that his side may come away with all three"
On matters Hoolahan, the manager will have already made up his mind and will need good reason to leave the Norwich playmaker out of the team following his sublime performance against Moldova, most notably his pass for Long to score the opener in the 3-1 victory.
But O’Neill will have a plan in mind for this game and there is a very strong possibility that the manager will, once again, overlook the magical midfielder and rely on strength and energy to attain his goal of remaining unbeaten in the qualification group going into the extended break.
Hoolahan will, of course, be primed and ready to play the last half-hour should Ireland need a get out of jail card.
Not playing Hoolahan might seem like O’Neill is taking a negative approach to this Group D clash, however, the manager was in jovial mood at the pre-match press conference and might be privately thinking that this is a good time to be playing one of the group favourites, as they are not playing their best football.
O’Neill rightly stated that an away point is a great return in international football, especially against the potential calibre of Austria, yet he also admitted that he could never send a team out looking to draw a match.
The manager also said that he expects his side to start on the front foot and hinted that Jonathan Walters may lead the line in the role where he proved most effective in that recent Moldova match.
James McClean will be looking to maintain his good run of international form and looks to have recovered from a back injury in time to start, while Seamus Coleman, Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick and Harry Arter, if selected, will also be looking to get forward at opportune moments in the game.
Ireland’s approach will still remain cautious, knowing how players like David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic can punish a moment’s lapse of concentration in the Ireland side.
However, the manager will target several weaknesses in this Austria side and hope that his team’s momentum and ever-growing maturity can take their chances and bring home a positive result.
The manager will be happy to leave Vienna with a valuable away point, but there is a chance that his side may come away with all three.
Harry Arter’s chance to shine
James McCarthy’s absence through injury looks set to open the door for Harry Arter to finally make his competitive debut for Ireland.
The midfielder has been plagued by injuries since his first involvement in the international set-up, resulting in just two friendly appearances for Martin O’Neill’s side.
Arter’s most recent involvement was playing alongside Glenn Whelan in the middle of the park in the final friendly before Euro 2016, where Ireland earned a deserved draw with the Netherlands in Dublin.
On that occasion, Arter’s game appeared to complement the Stoke stalwart, who playing in a slightly deeper role, allowed the Bournemouth man get forward when Ireland were in possession of the ball.
Arter was instrumental in bringing Bournemouth to the Premier League from the Championship, and just as the Cherries have adapted well to life in the top flight, Arter’s game has also come on and the 26-year-old is a constant in the team, when fit.
Should Arter start, he must be told to stay on his feet throughout, as the tough-tackling midfielder has a habit of partaking in the odd wreckless challenge or two, which will not sit easy with European officials.
Otherwise, expect Arter to look totally at home at this level and his return to full fitness has arrived at the perfect time, as he is set to go to battle with Bayern Munich’s David Alaba in the middle of the park.
Places Available for Fringe Players
With so few games to stake your place in the international squad, Ireland’s injury list will have certainly alerted the fringe players that there are places up for grabs in the starting eleven as well as coming off the bench later in the game.
Arter, of course, looks set to snatch one of those midfield jerseys but there is another place in the presumed 4-3-3 formation and O’Neill must decide whether to return to an old head like Aiden McGeady or Kevin Doyle or give youth a chance to shine.
Callum O’Dowda has really caught the eye of the manager since impressing on his debut in May and the Bristol City midfielder was trusted to help Ireland to victory in Moldova last month.
Naturally a left footed player, O’Dowda is very comfortable playing on the right side of a three-man attacking unit and that is the position where the midfielder initially impressed O’Neill, playing for the Ireland Under-21s.
O’Dowda is certainly not lacking in confidence and would bring real energy into the Ireland attack, while being very aware of his defensive duties.
The former Oxford United man spoke during the week about how much Seamus Coleman has helped him learn about the game in and around the Ireland set-up, and perhaps the captain is the man to guide him through his first competitive start, playing just behind the exciting 21-year-old.
Dundalk Duo Enjoying First Taste of International Squad
Dundalk’s remarkable season was certainly acknowledged as Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle were called into the Ireland squad for this clash with Austria.
Both players also made the final selection and travelled in the 27-man squad for the game in Vienna.
Only 23 players will tog out for this game and both players will be eager to experience this highest of stages in front of a packed arena in the Austrian capital.
Much will depend on how the players fared in training throughout the week as to give the manager a better idea of how either or both could be utilised in this or upcoming games.
Boyle is probably unlikely to jump ahead of some very experienced players ahead of him in the centre-half pecking order, but don’t be surprised to see Horgan get a run for the final ten minutes if Ireland are looking for a moment of magic.
Horgan certainly possesses the attributes to do something special and it would certainly round off a near-perfect year for the Lilywhites hero, who is likely to be plying his club trade elsewhere by the time the next international squad is named.
The Opposition
David Alaba announced himself to Ireland supporters during the qualifying stages for the Brazil World Cup, as the midfielder scored both home and away as Austria took four points from Ireland.
The Bayern Munich man remains one of coach Marcel Koller’s key players and his understanding with Stoke City attacker Marko Arnautovic is one of Austria’s best routes to goal.
This Austria side have real quality when their star players get the team going, however, Zlatko Junuzovic is ruled out of the clash with Ireland, which takes away a vital component as the Werder Bremen man sits in that vital number 10 slot pulling the strings, with Alaba a little deeper in midfield.
The towering Marc Janko is set to lead the line but he is the type of player that the Irish defenders would be happy to play against and Shane Duffy will certainly match him for size and strength.
Martin Harnik returns to side having missed the Serbia and Wales games and will certainly add quality to the midfield.
Koller’s side will line out in 4-2-3-1 formation, while right back Florian Klein is certainly one to watch bombing forward from defence.
Austria have a habit of looking ordinary for large stages of the game but when they come to life they can look very dangerous, especially with Arnautovic drifting in from the left, making him very difficult to marshal.
As mentioned above, the Ireland manager will have targeted several weaknesses in this Austria line-up and they are certainly lacking quality in the centre of defence where Aleksandar Dragovic is often a liability, while Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer has not yet proved that he can perform at this level.
Resident keeper Robert Almer has been ruled out of this game, which leaves Andreas Lukse or Ramazan Ozcan in line for the number one spot.
Neither keeper would inspire confidence as Ozcan let in three goals against Serbia, while Lukse only made his competitive debut in the recent clash with Wales, coming on as a sub for the injured Almer.
Ireland XI (possible): Randolph; Coleman, Duffy, Clark, Brady; Whelan, Arter, Hendrick; O’Dowda, McClean, Walters.
Watch Austria v Republic of Ireland on RTÉ2 from 4pm and listen on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport from 2.45pm
