MARTIN O’NEILL FACES some difficult decisions over the coming days.
The deadline to finalise his Euro 2016 squad is looming, and while it was confirmed yesterday that Paul McShane, Alex Pearce, Jonny Hayes and Anthony Pilkington had all been cut from the original 35-man squad to play the Netherlands on Friday, a number of others will follow before Ireland fly out to France.
Yet with two wingers — Hayes and Pilkington — omitted, one player who now appears in a strong position is Aiden McGeady.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Scottish-born winger was part of Ireland training yesterday, despite his club facing a crucial Championship play-off final this Saturday.
And O’Neill confirmed that Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal told McGeady he was surplus to requirements for this weekend’s big game.
“Aiden and his agent told me that he would be available this week and the manager had decided between themselves that he will not be with them in the matches.
In an ideal world it would be nice for him to have had another game, so when Sheffield Wednesday had reached the play-offs, thinking there was a possibility of them being involved in a final, I wouldn’t have had any real problem with him being involved with Sheffield Wednesday. Now that he’s here, we might as well get some work out of him.”
Yet while it appears not to have fully worked out for him, O’Neill still feels McGeady’s decision to go on loan in search of first-team football was the right call.
He made the effort to go out in January on loan, and that was commendable — if he wasn’t going to get a game at Everton, he wasn’t going to sit around and Sheffield Wednesday looked ideal for him.
“I could understand the manager maybe not starting him in some games, maybe getting on a run or playing him and taking him off, because he didn’t think his match fitness was there. So for whatever reason it is, he’s not going to participate. He didn’t play at Brighton (in the play-off semi-final) and was told by the manager that he wouldn’t be involved in the final.
I know he might feel that that might not be the case, but he was not going to play at Everton and at least (from what) he’s done in January, he’s got some games played, which is important for him.
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“We did a little bit with him today, we’re going to do some proper work with him in the next few days. There are about five players that I want to do a lot of extra work with and he’s one of them. He might not like that, but better me telling him than him finding out tomorrow morning.”
McGeady has struggled to get in the Sheffield Wednesday side of late. Richard Sellers
Richard Sellers
And while McGeady’s place looks secure, one player who definitely won’t be featuring at the Euros is Marc Wilson.
It was confirmed yesterday that the Stoke defender would be unavailable for the games this summer after he aggravated a knee injury.
“I asked him how he was, he said ‘not great,’” O’Neill said.
He had this setback in his knee a few weeks ago when he was kicking the ball.
“So it’s disappointing for him actually because he’s been a big part of the squad.
But once someone has not played for quite some time, you have to think of alternatives. He’s going to come over here on Wednesday, join up with the lads for a day or two, because he’s pretty popular with the lads.”
Despite Wilson’s enforced absence, O’Neill still feels Ireland are well covered at left-back, with Robbie Brady and Stephen Ward both expected to feature in the 23-man panel, while O’Neill cites Cyrus Christie and Seamus Coleman as two other players who could potentially do a job there.
Obviously, (the players left on standby) are disappointed, but I had to narrow the squad down at some stage or another. I have to say that young Duffy has come to the fore, done fine, and he’s got a chance over the next few days to try to stake a (claim for a) place. He got the game at the end of March and I thought he did really well.
“I’m not going to put everything down to one game he’s played, but… he’s played well all season. Alex Pearce went to Bristol City on loan and maybe didn’t get the number of games that he thought he might get. And I know what Paul can do. Paul was obviously disappointed, but I think he feels that the other players were in front of him at this minute.”
O’Neill confirmed that James McCarthy sat out training on Monday having picked up a knock in Everton’s final game of the season, but added that scans suggested the injury didn’t look too serious.
Should he prove his fitness, McCarthy is certain to travel, and the same goes for the majority of the players that O’Neill has at his disposal currently.
“I’d say we would all sit around here and we could agree on 90%, injuries apart, between now and Tuesday night. I think there are a few players taking into account if they have played, if they haven’t played, number of players coming back from injury. I think we could name them without going into too much detail. I think this week will be important and judging from this morning’s training, I think they feel that too.”
One player whose place is not totally certain is Stoke veteran Shay Given, though O’Neill seemed to hint that the 40-year-old will travel provided he can prove his fitness.
With Shay’s great experience, if he thinks he’s properly fit and has played… He did play the last (Stoke) game, which was encouraging anyway. But we’ve often said before, sometimes players are not the best judge of these things and something that is as crucial as this, you might say ‘well, I’m properly fit’. I might have an idea by the time Friday comes round how he is physically.”
In addition, with Forde and Westwood in play-off action, O’Neill suggested that Dundalk FC number one and SWAI Goalkeeper of the Year Gary Rogers could again come in if Given also can’t play against the Netherlands on Friday — the League of Ireland star was previously invited to train with the Boys in Green last March.
Like Given, another player whose place in the 23 is far from certain is Harry Arter. In a squad that contains several central midfielders, even someone as talented as the Bournemouth star could miss out. Nevertheless, O’Neill indicates Arter will be given a chance to prove himself, after an injury-interrupted season in the Premier League.
I’ll have a think about that, because I do like Harry. I like him as a player. I think he gives us something. Again, we got him in at the back end of the season. We will have a look at it — if he doesn’t start (against the Netherlands on Friday), he will be getting some time on the field anyway.
“If it means that there is pressure on certain players to try to go and do well for a period of time that you’re on the field, well if it’s coming down to this late hour, they just have to live with that pressure. It might not be ideal, but if you haven’t been involved with the team for quite some time and you’re trying to prove a point, the best place to prove it is on the field.”
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'Sheffield Wednesday looked ideal for him' - O'Neill on McGeady's woes
MARTIN O’NEILL FACES some difficult decisions over the coming days.
The deadline to finalise his Euro 2016 squad is looming, and while it was confirmed yesterday that Paul McShane, Alex Pearce, Jonny Hayes and Anthony Pilkington had all been cut from the original 35-man squad to play the Netherlands on Friday, a number of others will follow before Ireland fly out to France.
Yet with two wingers — Hayes and Pilkington — omitted, one player who now appears in a strong position is Aiden McGeady.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Scottish-born winger was part of Ireland training yesterday, despite his club facing a crucial Championship play-off final this Saturday.
And O’Neill confirmed that Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal told McGeady he was surplus to requirements for this weekend’s big game.
“Aiden and his agent told me that he would be available this week and the manager had decided between themselves that he will not be with them in the matches.
Yet while it appears not to have fully worked out for him, O’Neill still feels McGeady’s decision to go on loan in search of first-team football was the right call.
“I could understand the manager maybe not starting him in some games, maybe getting on a run or playing him and taking him off, because he didn’t think his match fitness was there. So for whatever reason it is, he’s not going to participate. He didn’t play at Brighton (in the play-off semi-final) and was told by the manager that he wouldn’t be involved in the final.
“We did a little bit with him today, we’re going to do some proper work with him in the next few days. There are about five players that I want to do a lot of extra work with and he’s one of them. He might not like that, but better me telling him than him finding out tomorrow morning.”
And while McGeady’s place looks secure, one player who definitely won’t be featuring at the Euros is Marc Wilson.
It was confirmed yesterday that the Stoke defender would be unavailable for the games this summer after he aggravated a knee injury.
“I asked him how he was, he said ‘not great,’” O’Neill said.
“So it’s disappointing for him actually because he’s been a big part of the squad.
Despite Wilson’s enforced absence, O’Neill still feels Ireland are well covered at left-back, with Robbie Brady and Stephen Ward both expected to feature in the 23-man panel, while O’Neill cites Cyrus Christie and Seamus Coleman as two other players who could potentially do a job there.
Moreover, Wilson’s absence, coupled with the omissions of Alex Pearce and Paul McShane, means Blackburn’s Shane Duffy appears to have done enough to have won a place in the squad, having produced a man-of-the-match display in the recent friendly with Switzerland.
“I’m not going to put everything down to one game he’s played, but… he’s played well all season. Alex Pearce went to Bristol City on loan and maybe didn’t get the number of games that he thought he might get. And I know what Paul can do. Paul was obviously disappointed, but I think he feels that the other players were in front of him at this minute.”
O’Neill confirmed that James McCarthy sat out training on Monday having picked up a knock in Everton’s final game of the season, but added that scans suggested the injury didn’t look too serious.
Should he prove his fitness, McCarthy is certain to travel, and the same goes for the majority of the players that O’Neill has at his disposal currently.
“I’d say we would all sit around here and we could agree on 90%, injuries apart, between now and Tuesday night. I think there are a few players taking into account if they have played, if they haven’t played, number of players coming back from injury. I think we could name them without going into too much detail. I think this week will be important and judging from this morning’s training, I think they feel that too.”
One player whose place is not totally certain is Stoke veteran Shay Given, though O’Neill seemed to hint that the 40-year-old will travel provided he can prove his fitness.
In addition, with Forde and Westwood in play-off action, O’Neill suggested that Dundalk FC number one and SWAI Goalkeeper of the Year Gary Rogers could again come in if Given also can’t play against the Netherlands on Friday — the League of Ireland star was previously invited to train with the Boys in Green last March.
Like Given, another player whose place in the 23 is far from certain is Harry Arter. In a squad that contains several central midfielders, even someone as talented as the Bournemouth star could miss out. Nevertheless, O’Neill indicates Arter will be given a chance to prove himself, after an injury-interrupted season in the Premier League.
“If it means that there is pressure on certain players to try to go and do well for a period of time that you’re on the field, well if it’s coming down to this late hour, they just have to live with that pressure. It might not be ideal, but if you haven’t been involved with the team for quite some time and you’re trying to prove a point, the best place to prove it is on the field.”
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Euro 2016 Friendly Interview Martin O'Neill Ireland Republic Netherlands