In the shadow of Cheltenham and the Six Nations conclusion, the biggest week of Stephen Kenny’s professional life has crept into sight.
Naming a tight 23-man squad and then being ravaged by withdrawals resulted in players who knew they weren’t rated highly enough for the original panel suddenly finding himself in the starting team. With Covid conditions and withdrawals and the downer of losing the penalty shoot-out in Slovakia already having hit the morale levels, it was far from ideal.
Hence the logic behind leaving it until the latest window possible to finalise his squad for the crunch trip to Belgrade and subsequent clashes with Luxembourg and Qatar.
In keeping with the Kenny era, fate had other ideas. Question marks around the well-being of Caoimhín Kelleher, Aaron Connolly and James McClean have resulted in the selection of a 29-man squad, a number that the former Dundalk boss wasn’t planning to call up for any match in an ideal world. But he doesn’t know what an ideal world is at this stage.
Still, the latest injury difficulty might just have focused minds on the importance of what’s coming in just five days’ time.
Kenny kept his silence through the early months of the year when the departures of Damien Duff and Alan Kelly were headline news. The anticipation was that his first press appearance since then might be dominated by Duff’s departure in particular but a positive enough reaction to the arrivals of Dean Kiely and Anthony Barry has taken some sting out of that and the Dubliner steered clear of getting drawn into deep discussion.
“Damien is a legendary player, a terrific coach, we were delighted to have him, he resigned obviously for private reasons,” said Kenny.
“Anthony has replaced him, we’ve forged a relationship which has been very bright over the last few weeks. It’s about players ultimately.”
A later query drew a response stressing his respect for Kelly and Duffy that was followed by a lengthy speech on the importance of the World Cup to his squad. In other words, time to focus on the front view mirror rather than the rear.
Kenny will know the easiest way to do that is secure a good result on the road. Otherwise, old criticisms and questions will rear their head.
It is striking the extent to which he is now sweating on two players who were once integral members of his U-21 squad and have yet to truly take on major responsibility for their country.
Caoimhín Kelleher has yet to play for Ireland at senior level, while Aaron Connolly has had a very stop-start career since he burst onto the scene. Their attempts to shake off knocks over the coming days will have a very big impact on the mood music around the Serbia build-up.
If Kelleher falls short, Bournemouth back-up Mark Travers is thrust into the spotlight.
Without Connolly – and with the understandable confirmation Troy Parrott is coming along as back-up – it’s most likely James Collins or Shane Long that will lead the line in Belgrade although there was a very positive mention for West Brom’s Callum Robinson too.
But there’s no doubt that the speed and exuberance of Connolly would give the Serbian defence a lot to think about, even if the young Brighton player has endured a tricky period and is in the dock with his club over a reported breach of Covid regulations.
“I do think he’s an important player for Ireland because he’s got other attributes, electric pace and a good attacking instinct, a real natural forward. He can play in wide areas or central, so he gives us that as well.”
On another day, a first call for Gavin Bazunu would have hogged the headlines. Certainly, it’s a significant moment in the progression of the former Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper who is currently on loan at Rochdale from Manchester City. Kelleher, Bazunu and Travers will be the names on the squad list for the next decade barring rotten luck and this is one area where Ireland are in safe hands.
Keiren Westwood’s unavailability is hardly a surprise, with Kenny detailing how he is playing through the pain barrier for Sheffield Wednesday at 60pc fitness. The fact he isn’t training means coming away with Ireland was a non-runner when he needs to rest.
Yet for all that a fit Westwood would add experience, there’s a sense it would be regressive to send out an SOS call and similar comments apply to the minor clamour for an Aiden McGeady reunion on account of his excellent displays for Sunderland in League One.
Maybe McGeady had a stronger case given the issues with creativity but with Ireland facing a challenge to qualify, the last thing Kenny needs to do is panic. Later in the year, he may need to point to the number of young players that he has thrown into the fray as evidence this campaign will stand to the game here in the long run.
The short-term picture is clouded and while Kenny did call for people to remember that Shane Duffy has never let down his country, he gave a strong mention to Ciaran Clark and the improving Dara O’Shea too.
“Nobody is an automatic starter,” said the manager. “I can honestly say there isn’t anyone in the squad that would be an automatic starter.”
That statement could be interpreted as both a strength and a weakness. Now is the moment for fresh faces to make themselves indispensable.
