There has been a lot going on this international week; new head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson finally got to meet his squad, while the country prepares for a first competitive outing against old foes England since 1991.
The new manager has been frantically trying to instil the main points of his philosophy into his new squad, while in opposition, a former Ireland international is in charge of the visiting England team, complete with two former Boys in Green.
Lee Carsley was capped 40 times for Ireland, but now holds the interim manager's job with England following a successful run with their Under-21 side, while Declan Rice played three times in green before returning to declare for England, and Jack Grealish represented the country at underage level.
So many sideshows, but none really that can really distract from the spectacle of such a big occasion, as the sides go head-to-head in the opening game of the UEFA Nations League campaign.
For a man who prides himself on the philosophy of realism, it appears that Heimir Hallgrimsson must have enjoyed a positive introduction to his new position as he spoke about a template to beat England tonight.
It came with a caveat, of course, as he spoke about the quality of the world number four-ranked side who are coming into the game off the back of a Euro 2024 final appearance – losing out 2-1 to Spain in the decider – while also playing down his own previous achievements from 2016 stating the current England side have a lot more quality than the team beaten by Hallgrimsson’s Iceland at that tournament.
And even without some key players who have been ruled out of the game, including Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, the England squad is packed with quality ahead of this Dublin decider.
.@CorkTOD heard from the Republic of Ireland and England camps ahead of the renewal of a historic rivalry in Dublin #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/E4x8X0IFKD
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 6, 2024
The manager admitted that Ireland would have to play their "best game" to be competitive with this star-studded England squad, and it would take a serious collective effort to pull off an unlikely victory.
England, for all their quality, are far from perfect as they come to Dublin off the back of the tournament in Germany during the summer, which included several suspect performances.
And yet the team stuttered and stumbled all the way to the final, which shows that they possess plenty of gamechangers within the squad, who can provide those moments of magic to win games.
They are also a team in transition who have been relegated from League A of this Nations League competition, so it remains to be seen if Carsley can add the cohesion needed to get this team performing to their potential.
The former Everton midfielder is expected to maintain the momentum of his victorious Under-21 side and name some of his key players to start against Ireland.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is tipped to get a run, while young Chelsea defender Levi Colwill is expected to start at left back.
The English media were reporting a leak from Carsley’s camp, suggesting that Harry Maguire would start in the centre of defence alongside Marc Guehi, with Trent Alexander-Arnold slotting in at right back.
Jack Grealish is also tipped to come back into the starting eleven after missing out on the Euros, and no doubt, Declan Rice will sit in the midfield holding position.
No such leaks from the Ireland squad who have been busy cramming and attending meetings in these first days of Hallgrimsson’s reign.
One thing that is abundantly clear, however, is that all 23 squad members have had a chance to impress the new manager in training all week as Hallgrimsson looks to build a starting eleven in his own image.
The aforementioned gamechanger is top of the manager’s wish list as he challenges his squad to step up and shine on the biggest stage, while also searching for those who can leave their mark on the game by way of leading by example and making things uncomfortable for their opponents.
Shape, selection; it’s a blank canvas for Hallgrimsson who raised a few eyebrows ahead of the game suggesting that his squad is very similar, while adding that he felt that the underperforming team were too nice.
Quotes, it has to be said, that were uttered before he had had any time to work with the squad, however, he is slow to change his tune as he echoed them somewhat at the pre-match press conference suggesting that the players need to be playing at a higher level.
With almost all of the focus on the defensive shape of the side, the manager was asked if he could promise a level of entertainment and excitement for the packed arena.
Contrary to the speculation of a return to archaic, bus-parking tactics, Hallgrimsson expects his side to attack when the opportunity presented itself.
"Probably we will be defending more than attacking," responded the manager. "But when we get it, we have our solutions going forward. Hopefully we will score some goals.
"Whether we will have more possession than them is irrelevant if we score goals from our chances."
So it will be very interesting to see who the manager will opt for to start this tough test, and while he has constantly spoken about the input of John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy, there is a sense that he will put his own stamp on the team from the start.
Caoimhin Kelleher (above) was one of the few players referenced by Hallgrimsson, being at Liverpool, a club playing Champions League football, and no doubt the Cork man will start in goal, despite the fact that he remains second choice at Anfield.
The manager said before that he had no set formation of preference; however, he could certainly make a statement by returning to an old-school back four for the England game.
The obvious dilemma being that he has five very solid central defenders playing in the top flight of their respective leagues and such riches have swayed other managers to opt for three at the back.
Yet one of the problems Ireland have encountered in recent years is that the progressive three-man defence has morphed backwards into a five-man unit camped on the edge of the box, which has tended to pull the under-pressure side out of shape.
Seamus Coleman (below) looks certain to start at right-back, and it really could come down to this week’s training to see who else lines up along the defensive unit.
Andrew Omobamidele lacks the game-time this season and missed training on Tuesday, and Jake O'Brien has also been on the bench at Everton, which leaves Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea, and Liam Scales as the three most likely to feature.
Scales, of course, has the advantage of offering more options on the left side and could even be deployed as a left-back who can move back into a three when required.
There is a sense that Hallgrimsson’s main focus this week is to find the right combination for his midfield unit.
Energy and aggression will be fundamental and with Josh Cullen missing, it is a real chance for someone like Jayson Molumby to stake a claim for selection.
There is a sense that Molumby who "likes to leave a bit" on the opposition midfield is exactly what the manager is looking for, however, it will certainly have to be a collective effort to neutralise this potent England formation.
Alan Browne would offer experience and composure in the middle of the pitch, while Will Smallbone would also be someone who could be trusted to work hard but also maintain possession when on the ball. Jason Knight, likewise, would bring real energy to the middle of the park, while able to link midfield and attack.
Hallgrimsson has plenty of attacking options, while also having the personnel to work the flanks or disrupt centrally.
There is also an abundance of energy among the squad with Chiedozie Ogbene renowned for his unselfish workrate up either flank, while Sammie Szmodics has also shown similar in his fledgling international career.
Adam Idah could certainly work the English defence, while Evan Ferguson and Troy Parrott possess that quality on the ball in and around the penalty box, and the manager will be hoping either player can produce that moment of magic.
Kasey McAteer (above) is an unknown quantity at international level, however, there are great expectations regarding his potential, and Hallgrimsson would have been keeping a close eye on the exciting winger, who can also play off the striker in the number 10 position.
On such an emotional night for Irish football fans, the manager stated that it was not his job to get involved in the politics of the coming together of two countries with such a shared and storied history.
The players and the fervent home support, however, do not have such a luxury and the atmosphere is expected to be white hot for the coming together of the two sides.
Seamus Coleman stated ahead of the game, it was more important to focus on the 23 who do want to play for the country, and the captain will be hoping his words can inspire a gamechanger to step up and hand the manager the perfect start in his new role.
His comments, obviously, referencing the returning duo Rice and Grealish, and while the captain is no longer concerned, it being "a few years now", unfortunately, for the two players, both are likely to share the brunt of the crowd’s pent-up ire, and it will certainly be interesting to see how they handle the situation at a jam-packed Lansdowne Road.
Watch Republic of Ireland v England in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
