Former Republic of Ireland winger Keith Treacy believes a temporary switch to a back five would give the Boys in Green a degree of much-needed security when they open up their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Hungary at Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The road towards North America next summer will be quickfire with six group fixtures against the Hungarians, Armenia and powerhouses Portugal to be played out between now and mid-November.
With Portugal expected to top the group and qualify directly, the battle for the second-place play-off spot is likely to be hotly contested and Treacy is concerned about Ireland's vulnerabilities defensively.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Burnley player believes a back four, with Josh Cullen and Jason Knight sitting ahead in central midfield, could leave Ireland exposed against a Hungarian engine room spearheaded by Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai.
With that in mind and with injury ruling out experienced left back Robbie Brady, Treacy is keen to see Heimir Hallgrimsson consider a back five with Matt Doherty and Ryan Manning as wing-backs, flanking Jake O'Brien, captain Nathan Collins and Dara O'Shea, and Cullen and Knight in conservative roles sweeping ahead against Hungary in a match that will be broadcast live on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio 1.
"Without even worrying about Hungary, I'm worrying about us and the first thing we need to do is keep a clean sheet," he told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
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"If you've got four at the back, and Cullen and Knight possibly in front of them, Cullen and Knight are good players - Cullen scored a goal in the Premier League against Sunderland and he got an assist and done really well but we haven't seen any evidence of that in an Ireland shirt - so when we get him in there and Jason Knight who at times can go wandering and leave the back four, we can get exposed really easily.
"I'd love to see Doherty as a right wing-back, Jake O'Brien just inside him as the right-sided centre-half, Collins, O'Shea and Manning as the back five.
"Doherty would be allowed off the leash because he has O'Brien behind him, Manning would be allowed off the leash because he'd have O'Shea behind him."
In terms of attacking intent, the onus will be on the link man in midfield and Treacy expects to see two forwards starting even in the injury-enforced absence of the in-form Troy Parrott.
"I'd like to see Szmodics ahead of them," he said.
"And I think it's going to be Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah up front and I would have Cullen and Knight just behind them with Szmodics in front and I'd be saying to Szmodics, 'come back, sit on the deepest-lying (Hungary) midfielder but when we get a sniff of going forward, you're going to be the one that's going to go with the wing-backs'.
"Recovery speed will be everything because as much as we're saying we can counter-attack them, they will be thinking that as well."
While Ireland's last encounter with Hungary was a 2-1 friendly win in June 2024, Treacy said elements of the attritional approach that day could be replicated to good effect in a competitive environment.
"The one little thing that gives me a little bit of hope is my mind goes back to the friendly we had against them not so long ago," he said.
"I know it was only a friendly, I know Hungary were going on to bigger things but Seamus Coleman rattled Szoboszlai's cage early and he never really recovered. It was all a little bit sassy between the two of them and it never really calmed down.
"Ireland obviously came out on top in that one, so I think that's the type of game we need to make it to get any sort of rewards against this Hungary team."
Watch Republic of Ireland v Hungary in World Cup qualifying on Saturday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
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