Martin O’Neill has plenty of time to reflect these days on what must be the least busy international calendar year in recent memory.
With no World Cup to enthuse over, no Euro 2020 qualifiers to get stuck into, these 12 months are perhaps a welcome period of downtime for the Ireland manager following two ferocious qualifying campaigns, sandwiching that memorable Euro 2016 adventure in France two summer's past.
There are, of course, three matches coming up at the end of May and into the start of June, and while their significance ranges from none whatsoever to fringe festival, a squad still needs to be named.
O’Neill will announce that squad next Thursday and with France, the United States and a Celtic XI to cater for, over a two-week period, the manager has hinted that he would be using the matches to hand more experience to the players on the periphery of the senior side.
The manager allowed some players to miss the recent trip to Turkey and will again make an exception for some senior members to miss some of the international fortnight in order to facilitate family holidays.
And while O’Neill’s side lost their last encounter, the aforementioned friendly in Turkey, the manager believes that the week-long camp in the resort town of Antalya proved a most worthwhile exercise.
"I was pleased," said O’Neill, speaking to RTÉ Sport at the launch of the 2018 SportsDirect FAI Summer Soccer Schools.
"I’m trying to use these games for that particular purpose. I’m trying to blood some players coming through, which we will almost inevitably need for the matches coming up in September, October and November.
"If you have one or two of these players who have been in the camp then they don’t feel out of place coming into a competitive environment.
"The environment in Turkey was pretty relaxed, the weather was good and we got a bit of training in and there were things that we tried to work on. And it was a great exercise."
And while the side were beaten 1-0 by the hosts, the real shining light of the March encounter was the performance of young West Ham defender Declan Rice, who started the game in defence and moved into midfield when Ireland were chasing the game.
O’Neill has repeatedly changed his side throughout his tenure, but has certainly established some favourites over the past two years with the central defensive partnership of Ciaran Clark and Shane Duffy particularly pleasing to the manager.
Rice has been playing regularly for West Ham in a three-man defence and that is exactly how he lined out for Ireland on his debut with the senior side, which will surely be something to work on in the coming games to take into the competitive matches in the autumn.
"I think it is something you should practise and I think you should use the friendly games to do it," explained O’Neill.
"Because if you have to change formation during the course of a game, then it is not something that is alien to players.
"It is not a problem, but players need to be adaptable."
O’Neill, no doubt, is trying to keep the Rice situation low key to keep the pressure and spotlight off the teenager’s shoulders, however, he reiterated that the three-man defence is something that has served him well at club level and could be a real option for the future.
"I have played every system imaginable. I played three at the back at Leicester and continued to play it at Celtic because, certainly at home, we were dominating the games and the wing-backs were causing all sorts of problems, giving great service to the likes of Henrik Larsson, John Hartson and Chris Sutton.
"But then we changed it back to a four because some of the gaps we had were being exposed in some of the early European games.
"With young Rice at West Ham, he has got a chance to play for West Ham, perhaps because of injuries, but I think it has been great for him.
"And if West Ham survive, which I hope they do, I think the experience of playing for West Ham at this stage under that sort of pressure can be nothing but good for him."
The manager again emphasised the need for his side to improve their ball retention throughout matches.
And the former Sunderland boss believes that the future of Irish football – making reference to the impressive Under-17 side – will bring through these type of players, albeit perhaps not during his own tenure.
"We are still trying to improve our retention of the ball, which is very important.
"With the younger players coming through, I’m hoping that they will have the ability to do just that.
"It probably won’t happen in my time but I see the younger generation coming through and hopefully we will have three or four world class players."
One young player who looked to be out of O’Neill’s reckoning for Ireland is Reading midfielder Liam Kelly.
The former underage international was "leaving his options open" when called into a recent squad and declined the invitation, however, it would appear that the door is not completely closed on seeing the talented playmaker in the green at some stage in the future.
But it would be up to the player to make the first move on that particular scenario as O’Neill again recounted the recent communication with the player.
"It is up to him," O’Neill confirmed. "There was a little bit of talk after I made the announcement saying that there had been a little bit of confusion. No there wasn’t.
"The word that came across was that he wanted to keep his options open in case England came calling. I haven’t got a problem if that’s the case.
"But if some player changes his mind and says, 'I’m now committed', I think that’s a different issue."
O’Neill also added that a player would have to be really special for an international manager to go chasing him to play for his side, as he believes that it should be the player’s decision who he wants to represent at that level.
"There has to be a genuine feeling that you want to play, players have to show that want to play.
"First of all you have to be a good player, and if someone is going to improve your team then I think that managers will chase the players.
"If some players, who are not all that brilliant, are humming and hawing about playing, I’m not so sure if the chase is worth it."
Another player who the manager definitely won’t be chasing – nor has ever chased – is Northern Ireland prospect Paul Smyth, who has impressed for QPR this season and scored on his international debut in a recent friendly for the North.
"He’s a nice footballer but I’ve never chased him," emphasised O’Neill.
"There’s no point me saying something to Michael O’Neill and then doing the opposite. I think he’s perfectly contented at Northern Ireland."
One player who might be assimilated into the squad in the near future is another off the Preston North End production line, 23-year-old Callum Robinson.
The former England youth team player and underage international has declared for Ireland and is looking to complete the relevant paperwork to be eligible to play for O’Neill.
"Not only has he expressed it, I think he wants to come across and do it," confirmed O’Neill.
"He’s a nice little footballer who was at Aston Villa as a kid and now wants to lift his game.
"And Preston have a chance of getting into the play-offs. It’s been remarkable, so well done to them.
"Young Horgan isn’t getting a game at the moment but I’m sure his time will come."
O’Neill was an interested spectator at Tallaght Stadium on Monday night as he watched Shamrock Rovers beat league champions Cork City 3-0.
And while the manager was a little late getting to his seat at the west Dublin venue, he did make it in on time to see Graham Burke’s spectacular third-minute strike to hand the Hoops the lead.
It was a big night for @shamrockrovers as they humbled champions @corkcityfc 3-0 at Tallaght Stadium. Watch the goals here #SoccerRepublic #greatestleagueintheworld pic.twitter.com/898AYRLrOW
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) May 1, 2018
Burke is the leading goalscorer in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division at the moment and has impressed throughout in what has been a mixed bag of results for Rovers, however, the Ireland manager was not indicating that the former Villa youngster was on his immediate radar.
"I saw it, and it was a great goal," said O’Neill
"There are a number of players who have gone over to England early on and have come back.
"And this might be an opportunity for the lads to regroup, go again, get a bit of confidence and he is doing very well at this minute and if he wants to try again, that’s all well and good."
Of course, O’Neill selected Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle while still at Dundalk, however, it would appear that the manager would rather some of the league’s top performing players make a return across the water to have a better chance of an international call-up.
"I remember when I came into this job, I went to see some players in England, the little lad playing left wingback for Shamrock Rovers, Sean Kavanagh, who played for Fulham. He played quite a number of games for Fulham.
"As Fulham improved, they didn’t think he was to the standard, but he has come back now and you never know, let’s see if he wants to try to get back again."
