James McClean’s international future should be as a winger, not a striker, but there is goalscoring hope.
When many of us saw McClean playing just off target-man Daryl Murphy, in Ireland’s World Cup playoff with Denmark, it was rousing. Martin O’Neill and Ireland were going to take the fight to the Danes. We were going to show Pione Sisto and his mates we could, indeed, play football.
That we knew how to play football when we had been in Copenhagen, a few nights previous, but that we merely opted to back-pocket the notion and junk out a 0-0 draw.
It was all looking so rosy for the first 30 minutes, as Shane Duffy loafed us 1-0 ahead and both Murphy and McClean went close to doubling the lead. That was as good as it got for Ireland as we proceeded to concede two quick goals and then react like a team that never expected that would happen to them in the first place. Did they not mention the possibility in training at all?
O’Neill thumped the panic button and sent Aiden McGeady out to rescue the situation. His undercooked crosses were not going to cut it and Ireland were soon paying for their heedless pursuit of two goals to reach Russia 2019. The game ended 5-1 to the Danes and with poor Shane Long shinning an attempted chip over Kasper Schmeichel’s goal.
Ireland are now left with a team that can still push most international outfits hard and one that looks capable of getting results when most of their key men are fit.
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The World Cup campaign has shown Darren Randolph, Shane Duffy and David Meyler are worthy international stars but it has starkly highlighted our need for a goalscorer.
Clinton Morrison, who scored 9 goals in 36 Ireland outings, spoke about McClean and Ireland’s likely leading man in the Euro 2020 campaign that lies ahead. [From 19:40 below] He told SportsJOE Live:
“He might chase someone all the way over from the left wing to the right but that’s just the way McClean plays. He’s enthusiastic and I’d rather play with him than against him, because he looks like an annoying pest on that pitch and he never gives up.
“But as Shay [Given] says, he’s not a striker, he’s a winger. He delivers great balls into the box for the strikers. That’s what he does.
“I tell you who will be a great striker – and I’ve watched a lot of him – I think it’s the boy Maguire. If he had been fit they he would have played [against Denmark].
“It’s big shoes to fill and I don’t think anyone can replace Robbie Keane, but Maguire has done ever so well at Preston this season… He can score goals and he’s got massive movement.”
Maguire missed the playoff after damaging his hamstring in training for Preston and he is not expected to play again in this calendar year. Ireland will not play again until next Spring and the qualifiers for Euro 2020 do not begin until September 2019.
Maguire will be well established in England by then, Long’s drought may have ended and perhaps a Reece Grego-Cox, Connor Ronan or Joe Quigley will be pressing for inclusion in the senior squad.
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