SCRATCH THE B-SIDE, for it’s where Ireland find themselves once again.
As the world’s attention trains on Qatar, Ireland plough forth on the outer reaches of the football world, first with a home friendly against Norway and then another away to Malta.
The latter kicks off after the World Cup opens, and in the country where Ireland first sealed their qualification back in 1989. The Norway game, meanwhile, has been stripped of its little glamour by the fact Erling Haaland hasn’t travelled. Recent injury and this technically unsanctioned international window has led to a compromise whereby Haaland only plays one of Norway’s two games: they have held him back for the home tie with Finland on Sunday – the game for which Norway have to sell tickets.
The FAI’s ticket sales for this game have apparently been healthy, which may partly be a result of using Haaland to promote it. There wasn’t anything wrong with that ploy: the FAI had been verbally assured by the Norwegian FA that Haaland was eager to play in both games – perhaps he cast a glance at Ireland and saw the prospect of another couple of goals to add to the haul – and it might have been different had he not missed time recently with injury.
On a different timeline, Norway might not have been Ireland’s opponents tonight, either. Italy were initially lined up as Ireland’s opponents in March for the FAI’s centenary game, before Italy went and spoiled it all by double-booking it with the World Cup play-offs. Plans to resurrect the game this November foundered first as Italy sought friendly opportunities in the Middle East, and when those plans fell through, they returned to the FAI who told them ‘Sorry folks, we’re dancing with Norway instead.’ (Italy played Albania last night – we are not alone in this pre-World Cup wilderness.)
Thus Ireland are back gazing at the world through a telescopic lens: this friendly is the latest brick in the wending path to Euro 2024 qualifying. Last month’s draw, of course, didn’t so much mock this plan as pull its pants down and jam its head down the toilet.
France! Holland!
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Nonetheless, Ireland must abide.
To Stephen Kenny’s credit, he has maintained a clear sense of direction on that path to the Euros, and the squad selection for this match is testament to that. He deluged the squad with debutants in 2020 and fit them into a balanced, coherent system in 2021, and has had 2022 to identify the programme’s recurring glitches. (A failure to hold onto leads; coughing up goals shortly after half-time; an inability to deal with too much individual rustiness).
The squad is now its phase of evolution, with midfielder Will Smallbone and teenage striker Evan Ferguson the only new call ups for this window.
Kenny has admitted Ferguson’s call-up is “premature”, with injuries to Scott Hogan, Will Keane, Troy Parrott and Adam Idah depleting options to the point it became worthwhile assessing what Ferguson might add were he to go on loan from Brighton in January and put himself in the picture for next March.
Ferguson’s precocity went before him in Dublin: he was talked about at the Kennedy Cup before he played at the Kennedy Cup, and by 14 he had played in a pre-season friendly against Chelsea and made his League of Ireland debut. He moved to Brighton at 16 and has both played and scored for the first team.
Kenny’s intimations are that Ferguson probably won’t play tonight, as he is keeping changes to a minimum. Norway won’t offer a preview of next March’s qualifier against France, but the game at least offers a chance for Ireland to build a little more cohesion.
All of the back five that started against Armenia in September are fit and will probably start again, though James McClean and Seamus Coleman are playing well enough at club level to push for inclusion.
Josh Cullen was suspended and greatly missed against Armenia, so he will return to midfield with Jayson Molumby likely to keep his place too. Jason Knight isn’t available – League One continues as normal so Derby didn’t have to release him or Conor Hourihane – with Alan Browne and Jeff Hendrick vying for his place in midfield. Smallbone can play there too, but Kenny does not grant caps easily and was qualified in his praise for Smallbone last week.
Michael Obafemi will start – if he is fit, he must start – and with Parrott out, we should finally see him partnered by Chiedozie Ogbene. Callum Robinson will push Ogbene, and will be seen off the bench if that’s where he starts.
Martin Odegaard in training at the Aviva Stadium. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Haaland isn’t here but Norway are not without talent. Most obviously Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, a man whose participation in this game could never be doubted given he has GAA in his surname.)
Norway are coached by former Wolves manager Staale Solbakken, and his 4-1-4-1 system is unlikely to offer much of a preview of what comes against the French next March. Kenny described them as “one of the better sides” not to qualify for the World Cup, and no European nation has been as outspoken against it. Grassroots clubs petitioned the federation to boycott the tournament – a motion which was ultimately defeated – and speaking at the Fifa Congress in Doha earlier this year, Norway FA president Lise Klaveness said the awarding of the tournament to Qatar was “unacceptable.”
“Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football were not in the starting 11 until many years later.”
Kenny himself hasn’t been shy in speaking out – doing so around those bizarre friendlies with Qatar last year – but, unlike Solbakken, will travel to the tournament to scout France and the Dutch.
Those scouting missions may be a better part of preparation than tonight’s dance beneath the World Cup’s long, gloomy shadow.
Republic of Ireland (Possible XI): Gavin Bazunu; Nathan Collins, John Egan, Dara O’Shea; Matt Doherty; Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Jeff Hendrick; Robbie Brady; Michael Obafemi, Chiedozie Ogbene
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Ireland step up Euros prep against Haaland-less Norway in B-Side friendly international
SCRATCH THE B-SIDE, for it’s where Ireland find themselves once again.
As the world’s attention trains on Qatar, Ireland plough forth on the outer reaches of the football world, first with a home friendly against Norway and then another away to Malta.
The latter kicks off after the World Cup opens, and in the country where Ireland first sealed their qualification back in 1989. The Norway game, meanwhile, has been stripped of its little glamour by the fact Erling Haaland hasn’t travelled. Recent injury and this technically unsanctioned international window has led to a compromise whereby Haaland only plays one of Norway’s two games: they have held him back for the home tie with Finland on Sunday – the game for which Norway have to sell tickets.
The FAI’s ticket sales for this game have apparently been healthy, which may partly be a result of using Haaland to promote it. There wasn’t anything wrong with that ploy: the FAI had been verbally assured by the Norwegian FA that Haaland was eager to play in both games – perhaps he cast a glance at Ireland and saw the prospect of another couple of goals to add to the haul – and it might have been different had he not missed time recently with injury.
On a different timeline, Norway might not have been Ireland’s opponents tonight, either. Italy were initially lined up as Ireland’s opponents in March for the FAI’s centenary game, before Italy went and spoiled it all by double-booking it with the World Cup play-offs. Plans to resurrect the game this November foundered first as Italy sought friendly opportunities in the Middle East, and when those plans fell through, they returned to the FAI who told them ‘Sorry folks, we’re dancing with Norway instead.’ (Italy played Albania last night – we are not alone in this pre-World Cup wilderness.)
Thus Ireland are back gazing at the world through a telescopic lens: this friendly is the latest brick in the wending path to Euro 2024 qualifying. Last month’s draw, of course, didn’t so much mock this plan as pull its pants down and jam its head down the toilet.
France! Holland!
Nonetheless, Ireland must abide.
To Stephen Kenny’s credit, he has maintained a clear sense of direction on that path to the Euros, and the squad selection for this match is testament to that. He deluged the squad with debutants in 2020 and fit them into a balanced, coherent system in 2021, and has had 2022 to identify the programme’s recurring glitches. (A failure to hold onto leads; coughing up goals shortly after half-time; an inability to deal with too much individual rustiness).
The squad is now its phase of evolution, with midfielder Will Smallbone and teenage striker Evan Ferguson the only new call ups for this window.
Kenny has admitted Ferguson’s call-up is “premature”, with injuries to Scott Hogan, Will Keane, Troy Parrott and Adam Idah depleting options to the point it became worthwhile assessing what Ferguson might add were he to go on loan from Brighton in January and put himself in the picture for next March.
Ferguson’s precocity went before him in Dublin: he was talked about at the Kennedy Cup before he played at the Kennedy Cup, and by 14 he had played in a pre-season friendly against Chelsea and made his League of Ireland debut. He moved to Brighton at 16 and has both played and scored for the first team.
Kenny’s intimations are that Ferguson probably won’t play tonight, as he is keeping changes to a minimum. Norway won’t offer a preview of next March’s qualifier against France, but the game at least offers a chance for Ireland to build a little more cohesion.
All of the back five that started against Armenia in September are fit and will probably start again, though James McClean and Seamus Coleman are playing well enough at club level to push for inclusion.
Josh Cullen was suspended and greatly missed against Armenia, so he will return to midfield with Jayson Molumby likely to keep his place too. Jason Knight isn’t available – League One continues as normal so Derby didn’t have to release him or Conor Hourihane – with Alan Browne and Jeff Hendrick vying for his place in midfield. Smallbone can play there too, but Kenny does not grant caps easily and was qualified in his praise for Smallbone last week.
Michael Obafemi will start – if he is fit, he must start – and with Parrott out, we should finally see him partnered by Chiedozie Ogbene. Callum Robinson will push Ogbene, and will be seen off the bench if that’s where he starts.
Haaland isn’t here but Norway are not without talent. Most obviously Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, a man whose participation in this game could never be doubted given he has GAA in his surname.)
Norway are coached by former Wolves manager Staale Solbakken, and his 4-1-4-1 system is unlikely to offer much of a preview of what comes against the French next March. Kenny described them as “one of the better sides” not to qualify for the World Cup, and no European nation has been as outspoken against it. Grassroots clubs petitioned the federation to boycott the tournament – a motion which was ultimately defeated – and speaking at the Fifa Congress in Doha earlier this year, Norway FA president Lise Klaveness said the awarding of the tournament to Qatar was “unacceptable.”
“Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football were not in the starting 11 until many years later.”
Kenny himself hasn’t been shy in speaking out – doing so around those bizarre friendlies with Qatar last year – but, unlike Solbakken, will travel to the tournament to scout France and the Dutch.
Those scouting missions may be a better part of preparation than tonight’s dance beneath the World Cup’s long, gloomy shadow.
Republic of Ireland (Possible XI): Gavin Bazunu; Nathan Collins, John Egan, Dara O’Shea; Matt Doherty; Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Jeff Hendrick; Robbie Brady; Michael Obafemi, Chiedozie Ogbene
On TV: RTE Two; KO 7.45pm
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Norway Preview Republic Of Ireland