Building belief, creating confidence, it's amazing what a convincing win can do for an emerging team; securing a 3-0 competitive victory is good for the soul of an international side.
"Hitting our peak", declared Jayson Molumby, "confidence is really high all the time," beamed Matt Doherty, "the confidence out there is as high as I've ever seen it in an Irish team," chirped Scott Hogan; all week we have heard the players talking about everything being in place to fulfil their potential and achieve the goal of qualifying for Euro 2024.
No longer is it left to the manager to attempt to explain what his side is hoping to achieve, but now Stephen Kenny and his squad can point to performances over the past 12 months against Portugal, Serbia, Belgium, with the convincing victory over Scotland proof that the potential is there, and the results are starting to present themselves.
The latest edition of the UEFA Nations League comes to a close over the next four days, with Ireland looking to build on back-to-back impressive performances in June with the aforementioned convincing victory over the Scots followed up by a brave and bold away day against Ukraine, where the teams shared the spoils.
Ireland arrive at the iconic Hampden Park in Glasgow to take on Steve Clarke’s Scottish side, who will be expecting for a major response to their Dublin performance, looking a mere shadow of the side that qualified for the last European championships.
In truth, it was a summer to forget for the Scots, who arrived across the Irish Sea with the wind well and truly knocked out of their sails as a result of their World Cup play-off heartbreak, losing their semi-final to Ukraine.
But to their credit, they shook off the shackles of that Dublin defeat straight away by taking the long and winding road to Yerevan to make it two from two against Armenia, which left them on six points, two clear of Ireland coming into this international window.
On Wednesday night, Hampden Park was the venue for a re-run of that World Cup qualifier, and that summer slump was nowhere to be seen as the grand old stadium was rocking by full time, following a convincing victory by the home team.
As they say, a 3-0 competitive victory is very good indeed for the soul of an international football team.
It sets up an intriguing fixture tonight in what is set to become the battle of the brains, with both managers renowned for their attention to detail and ability to adjust accordingly, fine-tuning game-plans to the most minute detail.
Clarke, like Kenny, has had more than his fair share of critics, many still throwing shade at the former Chelsea man, the double defeat setting the Scots back more than a few paces from all the ground that they have made up in recent years.
And yet, the praise is also forthcoming for Clarke, credited with out-thinking Ukraine on Wednesday night by changing formation, while goal-scoring substitutes will always gain added kudos in the "inspired" category.
Familiarity can breed contempt, for certain, and for that reason, Clarke is in a quandary as to how best approach the Ireland game, when on paper, the return fixture with Ukraine on Tuesday is the more important.
The UEFA Nations League continues to grow in stature, however, the individual battles still have to be won, with pride coming before a group-deciding game on this occasion.
Not helped by his players, who are already ramping up the battle of the Celts into a revenge mission, a sequel of sorts to the restoration of pride in beating Ukraine, the side who killed their World Cup hopes in the summer.
Three games in seven days is a difficult dilemma for the Scottish manager to negotiate, while many of the same problems pop up as that of his Irish counterpart, where quality of player diminishing quite rapidly once outside the regular eleven – injuries and players not playing consistently at club level another thing in common with Kenny.
As a result, Ireland’s predicament is unusually straightforward coming into the Glasgow battle following a full week to prepare, while injuries and suspensions are at a minimum for the travelling team.
Kenny’s biggest headache may be trying to work out how Scotland will line up tonight, having employed a four-man defence midweek against Ukraine, with two holding midfielders protecting the last line.
With just one man up front, Che Adams, Scotland enjoyed success from the trio in between, running from deep, which led to a great number of chances for the home side – remarkably they did not make the breakthrough until the 70th minute.
Should Ireland attempt to mirror the Scots, it will take them away from the system that they have been getting used to over the past 12 months; the back three now very much a fixture of Kenny’s sides.
However, the trio will need to be well drilled on how best to cope with the runs from deep, while a three (defenders) against one (striker) scenario could leave Ireland short in midfield.
Ireland’s two wing-backs should prove crucial by playing on the front foot against two traditional full-backs who won’t have the same licence to roam the flanks. In such a scenario, the Ireland back three can close that gap in midfield and step into the space when called upon.
Nathan Collins could be instrumental in that eventuality; the Wolves defender does not need a second invitation to set off on a run beyond the half-way line.
If three at the back for the Irish is a certainty, the personnel is far from straightforward as Kenny would, no doubt, love to plonk Shane Duffy in the heart of the defence, commanding the aerial battle as he did in Dublin.
However, following Scott Hogan’s comments on Thursday, stating that he wasn’t ready for the physicality of international football in the Ukraine game as a result of lacking minutes with his club, the manager may reward those who are playing regularly.
Should that be the case, expect Nathan Collins to sit centrally with John Egan and Dara O’Shea either side – a trio that could easily become the bedrock of the side over the next four-year cycle with Andrew Omobamidele also vying for inclusion upon return from injury.
It looks more likely that Kenny will play a wing-back lacking minutes, yet declaring himself match-fit, as Matt Doherty will surely slide back into the right side of the team – the Spurs man looked even trimmer than usual in camp this week, although he claimed there was an element of illusion as a result of his latest shaving technique.
James McClean will surely edge closer to his 100th cap by slotting in at left wing-back, and while in-form Robbie Brady is mainly being considered for the same position, the former Burnley man may have to wait until the Armenia game on Tuesday, or beyond, to usurp the Derry man.
Decisions all over the field for Kenny, in truth, who admitted that it would be hard to drop Jayson Molumby following two excellent energetic performances against Scotland and Ukraine, and it looks set to be a toss up between the West Brom man and regular starter Jeff Hendrick to see who makes up the three in midfield with Josh Cullen and Jason Knight.
If it was a straight shoot-out up front on the basis of goal-scoring form, Scott Hogan and Chiedozie Ogbene would lead the line tonight, however, Kenny really is spoilt for choice in that department with Troy Parrott, Callum Robinson and Michael Obafemi pushing hard for inclusion.
But perhaps the simplest solution for the manager is the one that is staring him straight in the face, and he is certainly toying with the idea of sending the same side out to battle looking to replicate the summer showdown.
"Whether we can make any changes at all from the previous Scotland game," said Kenny at the pre-match press conference.
"It’s difficult to leave anyone out of that team. It’s something we have to consider."
Follow the Republic of Ireland v Scotland this Saturday (kick-off 7.45pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, watch live on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player, or listen to national radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
