There’s a team that we should play and there’s a team that we’re going to play.
As with most cases around the Ireland XI, the difference is usually Glenn Whelan.
A lot of Aston Villa fans were excited at the Dubliner’s signature… at first. Shrewd, they said. Experience. He’ll do a job.
The job he does is sometimes unclear.
Glenn Whelan at his best 😂😂 #BIRAVL pic.twitter.com/ZsViptQqwn
— Killian O'Sullivan (@KSullivan147) October 29, 2017
After his ineffective performance in Georgia, Whelan was dropped from the Ireland team for the October games and David Meyler made the position his own again.
With every passing competitive international that Meyler gets, he shows to everyone just how much he has to offer his country and, game by game, his critics turn to genuine adorers.
But a late yellow card in the Wales game has ruled him out of the first leg of the World Cup playoff in Denmark but, hopefully, the manager won’t get too comfortable with that team by the time Tuesday’s home game comes around.
How Ireland will probably line up on Saturday
Ireland will likely stick with the 4-5-1 that served them so well in Wales. The only change they’d have to make for the game in Copenhagen is replacing a defensive midfielder for another.
Daryl Murphy started on his own that night in Cardiff with Shane Long ruled out by injury. Long is available again but could lose out as the Republic keep it tight for the first leg and, crucially, the away leg.
How Ireland should probably line up
Not since the Italy match have Ireland been as dynamic and as aggressive.
The 4-3-3 adopted that evening in Lille – and subsequently in Lyon against France – allowed a high press, it allowed total aggression in both the direct, fast play and the way in which Italians were hammered into when we didn’t have the ball. It also got the most out of Brady and Hendrick playing with more space in the middle three and it released McClean and Long to terrify defenders.
McClean has four goals already in this qualifying campaign and is going to be a threat anyway but he could really thrive in this shape, Murphy would finally have some service for once, and it’s not like the two wide men are the type to let full backs run free.
Wes Hoolahan could also come to offer more creativity, more support for the attack, and more time on the ball for Ireland but he needs to be kept for Tuesday night’s match and, if he plays on Saturday, the chances of him starting in Dublin are abysmal.
