A Change Won’t Do Us Good
Ireland lurched to a 3-0 defeat against Australia earlier this month
The temptation to dismiss friendlies as meaningless dress rehearsals is always keener after defeat. That Giovanni Trapattoni saw fit to announce an unchanged squad from the one that flapped gormlessly to a 3-0 humbling by Australia a fortnight ago should not have come as a surprise. With the exception of the clubless Liam Miller, whose persistent selection continues to mystify, the only positions which might have benefited from a change in personnel remain as they are due to circumstances beyond the manager’s control. Dean Kiely’s pre-friendly tantrum sealed his own fate and while the West Brom ‘keeper offers plenty in terms of ability as well as the great unquantifiables of experience and ‘dressingroom character’, he is sadly – and, at 38, terminally – consigned to the international wilderness. Joe Murphy retains his place in his stead.
Steve Finnan’s move to Portsmouth in the close season raised hopes of a return to fitness after an injury-addled year at Espanyol. However, a strained hamstring has ruled the former Liverpool man out until the end of this month, meaning that while the Cyprus match has come too soon for the right-back, a return to the fold for the crucial home qualifiers against Italy and Montenegro is very much still on the cards. And while the contrite Joey O’Brien continues to be denied his chance at international redemption after his fit of pique last year, the injury to Paul McShane means Kevin Foley and Stephen Kelly support John O’Shea as options at right-back.
Native Mind 