Martin O’Neill faces a conundrum, as he will seemingly be forced to choose between Wes Hoolahan and Robbie Keane in attack.
If, as expected, he opts for Keane, Ireland will ostensibly pose a greater goal threat, but will probably enjoy less possession in the Norwich star’s absence. Of course, he could opt to play both, though that would probably mean losing the strength and pace of Shane Long in attack — two attributes that Keane, for all his class, cannot match.
Georgia may be 95th in the world rankings, but they will surely be a stern test for Martin O’Neill’s men — they caused Ireland plenty of problems during the Giovanni Trapattoni era, and were able to take points off a side as reputed as France in the most recent World Cup qualifiers.
Moreover, they have a number young, promising and technically accomplished players, such as 21-year-old Spartak Moscow star Jano Ananidze.
With a 4-4-2, Ireland have often struggled to keep hold of the ball, even against supposedly ‘inferior’ sides, so there is undeniably a case for Hoolahan’s inclusion to ensure they get more of the ball in midfield.
2. Who will start on Ireland’s left-side?
The two places where selection is most uncertain in this Irish team is on the left. There are ostensibly four contenders for two spots — Marc Wilson, Stephen Ward, Robbie Brady and Anthony Pilkington.
Wilson has done much of his best work at club level lately in central defence, and Ireland aren’t exactly blessed with quality alternatives there. However, there is even less competition at left-back, where Stephen Ward looks the only other obvious option, and the Burnley defender has looked well below international standard in the past, most notably at the 2012 Euros.
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Richard Keogh is the most likely man to come in at centre-half should Wilson be pushed out to full-back, but O’Neill has shown a preference for the Stoke man at centre-back in previous matches.
Similarly, who should start on the left wing is another topic of contention. Robbie Brady’s effectiveness from dead-ball situations, as illustrated in the midweek game against Oman, may be enough to win him a starting spot, though Anthony Pilkington’s positional intelligence and tendency to link well with the attack and score the odd spectacular goal makes him a viable alternative to the 22-year-old Hull man.
3. Can Georgia improve their lacklustre goalscoring record?
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
(Jano Ananidze, left, is seen as one of Georgia’s most highly-rated attacking stars)
Judging from previous recent matches, defence is Georgia’s strong point.
In two matches at home to European footballing powerhouses France and Spain, they conceded just one goal — a late Roberto Soldado strike that broke the hosts’ hearts as they narrowly missed out on a famous draw against Vicente del Bosque’s side.
On the flip side though, they managed to score just three goals in 10 matches for their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, while their latest squad features just two recognised strikers who have two goals between them at international level.
That said, most teams would find it difficult to score against high-quality opposition such as France and Spain, so perhaps the aforementioned statistics are somewhat deceptive.
4. Will Georgia be better than the last time the sides met?
Though Georgia have persistently caused Ireland problems in the past, the Boys in Green have always managed to eventually find a way past the opposition.
In five matches against Georgia, Ireland boast a 100% record, defeating them in two Euro 2004 qualifiers under Brian Kerr and two 2010 World Cup qualifiers during the Giovanni Trapattoni era.
Furthermore, they beat Georgia 4-0 in a 2013 home friendly towards the end of the Trapattoni regime, with the visitors significantly hampered by the early dismissal of goalkeeper Giorgi Loria.
The latter game is undoubtedly the most pertinent of the past fixtures, with many of the players that featured that day likely to start on Sunday, though in the build-up to this game, the Georgians have insisted that the Dublin encounter was not a fair reflection of their current standard.
5. Can James McCarthy come of age in an Irish shirt?
Whenever the future of Irish football is mentioned, James McCarthy’s name isn’t far behind.
Yet at 23, the Glasgow-born star is by no means inexperienced. He made over 100 appearances for Wigan, before sealing a big-money move to Everton and largely impressing ever since.
Despite being overlooked at times by Giovanni Trapattoni, McCarthy has already earned 23 caps for Ireland. Yet of those 23 appearances, how many stand out as memorable performances from the Everton man?
Consequently, a number of critics, including Trapattoni and Ireland legend John Giles, have consistently questioned whether McCarthy has the personality to impose himself on games and dictate the play. Against Georgia on Sunday, it is surely about time for the midfielder to deliver for Ireland and demonstrate why he’s been regularly earning rave reviews at club level since joining the Toffees.
5 talking points ahead of Ireland's clash with Georgia
1. How much possession will Ireland have?
Martin O’Neill faces a conundrum, as he will seemingly be forced to choose between Wes Hoolahan and Robbie Keane in attack.
If, as expected, he opts for Keane, Ireland will ostensibly pose a greater goal threat, but will probably enjoy less possession in the Norwich star’s absence. Of course, he could opt to play both, though that would probably mean losing the strength and pace of Shane Long in attack — two attributes that Keane, for all his class, cannot match.
Georgia may be 95th in the world rankings, but they will surely be a stern test for Martin O’Neill’s men — they caused Ireland plenty of problems during the Giovanni Trapattoni era, and were able to take points off a side as reputed as France in the most recent World Cup qualifiers.
Moreover, they have a number young, promising and technically accomplished players, such as 21-year-old Spartak Moscow star Jano Ananidze.
With a 4-4-2, Ireland have often struggled to keep hold of the ball, even against supposedly ‘inferior’ sides, so there is undeniably a case for Hoolahan’s inclusion to ensure they get more of the ball in midfield.
2. Who will start on Ireland’s left-side?
The two places where selection is most uncertain in this Irish team is on the left. There are ostensibly four contenders for two spots — Marc Wilson, Stephen Ward, Robbie Brady and Anthony Pilkington.
Wilson has done much of his best work at club level lately in central defence, and Ireland aren’t exactly blessed with quality alternatives there. However, there is even less competition at left-back, where Stephen Ward looks the only other obvious option, and the Burnley defender has looked well below international standard in the past, most notably at the 2012 Euros.
Richard Keogh is the most likely man to come in at centre-half should Wilson be pushed out to full-back, but O’Neill has shown a preference for the Stoke man at centre-back in previous matches.
Similarly, who should start on the left wing is another topic of contention. Robbie Brady’s effectiveness from dead-ball situations, as illustrated in the midweek game against Oman, may be enough to win him a starting spot, though Anthony Pilkington’s positional intelligence and tendency to link well with the attack and score the odd spectacular goal makes him a viable alternative to the 22-year-old Hull man.
3. Can Georgia improve their lacklustre goalscoring record?
(Jano Ananidze, left, is seen as one of Georgia’s most highly-rated attacking stars)
Judging from previous recent matches, defence is Georgia’s strong point.
In two matches at home to European footballing powerhouses France and Spain, they conceded just one goal — a late Roberto Soldado strike that broke the hosts’ hearts as they narrowly missed out on a famous draw against Vicente del Bosque’s side.
On the flip side though, they managed to score just three goals in 10 matches for their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, while their latest squad features just two recognised strikers who have two goals between them at international level.
That said, most teams would find it difficult to score against high-quality opposition such as France and Spain, so perhaps the aforementioned statistics are somewhat deceptive.
4. Will Georgia be better than the last time the sides met?
Though Georgia have persistently caused Ireland problems in the past, the Boys in Green have always managed to eventually find a way past the opposition.
In five matches against Georgia, Ireland boast a 100% record, defeating them in two Euro 2004 qualifiers under Brian Kerr and two 2010 World Cup qualifiers during the Giovanni Trapattoni era.
Furthermore, they beat Georgia 4-0 in a 2013 home friendly towards the end of the Trapattoni regime, with the visitors significantly hampered by the early dismissal of goalkeeper Giorgi Loria.
The latter game is undoubtedly the most pertinent of the past fixtures, with many of the players that featured that day likely to start on Sunday, though in the build-up to this game, the Georgians have insisted that the Dublin encounter was not a fair reflection of their current standard.
5. Can James McCarthy come of age in an Irish shirt?
Whenever the future of Irish football is mentioned, James McCarthy’s name isn’t far behind.
Yet at 23, the Glasgow-born star is by no means inexperienced. He made over 100 appearances for Wigan, before sealing a big-money move to Everton and largely impressing ever since.
Despite being overlooked at times by Giovanni Trapattoni, McCarthy has already earned 23 caps for Ireland. Yet of those 23 appearances, how many stand out as memorable performances from the Everton man?
Consequently, a number of critics, including Trapattoni and Ireland legend John Giles, have consistently questioned whether McCarthy has the personality to impose himself on games and dictate the play. Against Georgia on Sunday, it is surely about time for the midfielder to deliver for Ireland and demonstrate why he’s been regularly earning rave reviews at club level since joining the Toffees.
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Analysis All-Ireland Senior HC European Championships Robbie Keane Talking Points Georgia Ireland Republic Wes Hoolahan