Forget
the fanfare and ceremony that surrounded once of the worst kept
secrets in Irish football that Steve Staunton was to become the
new Ireland manager, the hard work begins for Staunton on March
1st when a new look Republic team are set to take on Sweden at
Lansdowne Road.
A lot has changed since Ireland drew nil-nil with Switzerland back
in October 2005, thus meaning they failed to qualify for the 2006 World
Cup.
Gone is Brian Kerr. Hailed as the saviour of Irish football when he
was made manager in 2003, but in the end was sacked following two poor
qualifying campaigns, along with a trial-by-media character assassination.
Gone is Roy Keane. Those who said that he should never have played
for Ireland again after his infamous bust-up with Mick McCarthy four
years ago will have a sense of smugness and could well say that they
told us so.
But when Keane trudged off the pitch against the Swiss, for all the
headlines that had been written about him, he was still one of the
most talented footballers to ever play in a green shirt and his inclusion
in the Irish midfield meant the opposition would know that they were
in for a battle.
Did he come back for his own personal gain or for the team? Either
way, the only time you’ll see him in a green shirt from now on
is when he plays for Celtic.
Gone is Kenny Cunningham. Quite simply the most underrated Ireland
captain in a very long while. The wily centre-half had played for his
country all over the world and was Mr. Dependable. Although his pace
may have left him a few years ago, his uncanny knack of making last-gasp
tackles or being in the right place at the right time meant he became
the rock upon which the Ireland team was built.
A quiet man off the pitch, but a loud one on it. A natural leader,
it seems likely that when the season is over for Birmingham City, Cunningham
will hang up his boots on a fantastic career which deserved silverware,
but will be remember for dedication and commitment.
Gone is Matt Holland. Considering the experience that he has for Ireland,
it is possible that he may have been made the next captain. Never one
for the crunching tackle, Holland was a playmaker and when paired with
a holding midfielder, could create lots of trouble for the opposition.
However, if in a partnership with a similar type of player, then the
game could easily pass Holland by.
At only 31, it was a young age for Holland to call time on his international
career, however, he wanted to prolong his playing days with Charlton
Athletic. His goal against Cameroon in the 2002 World Cup will stand
as his proudest moment for Ireland.
So now it really is a case of out with the old and in with the new.
It is the start of a new era in Irish football and with someone who
is full of fresh ideas like Steve Staunton and a crop of youngsters
knocking on the international door, the squad for the Sweden game is
likely to mix of youth and experience.
Players such as Stephen Ireland for Manchester City and Reading’s
Kevin Doyle have put themselves in the shop window. Staunton has gone
on record to say that he will experiment with his team formation in
friendly games, which is refreshing.
While Brain Kerr’s friendly record was impressive (including
drawing with world champions Brazil) this didn’t mean a thing
when it came to competitive matches, which is when Ireland seemed to
falter the most.
So with Staunton using friendlies as a springboard for the younger
players, it will install confidence in them that if they play well
in these games, they could be chosen for the Euro 2008 qualifiers,
on which they will play a major part in.
If Ireland are to make it to the championships in Austria and Switzerland
for the first time in 20 years, they are going to have to produce some
spectacular performances to get out one of the toughest qualifying
groups drawn.
Ireland line up in the same group as Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Wales, Cyprus and San Marino and with only the top two placed teams
progressing from each group, Ireland are going to have to perform like
they did when the boys in green qualified for the 2002 World Cup against
all odds.
Although the draw is daunting, Staunton is looking on the positive
side as he feels that all the teams in the group have a chance of upsetting
the big guns.
“It could have been a lot worse. We always knew it would be tough.
Slovakia just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, and Cyprus
have caused us problems recently. I do not see any one team running
away with it. The Czech Republic, as number one seeds, will be favourites,” said
Staunton.
“Germany, like ourselves, have been in transition, but they still
qualified for the World Cup. Two places are up for grabs, you do not
have to qualify though the play-offs and I think everybody is happy
with that.
“I am a young manager and I am going straight home to contact
Bobby Robson. He has the experience of playing against most of these
countries, especially Germany. I will be using his expertise. I think
we can work well together against these teams.”
Find out how the Staunton and Robson team fare in the friendly game
with Sweden by grabbing a copy of The Harp next month.
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