With the FAI’s arduous search for a new Ireland manager set to continue into early April, Republic of Ireland centurion John O’Shea has been handed an interim remit to guide the Boys in Green through the March international break.
O’Shea will take charge of a pair of high-profile friendly encounters with Belgium and Switzerland in Dublin before stepping aside (or down) to allow the FAI’s latest long-term solution to take over, whoever that might be.
Speaking with enthusiasm at his first press appearance, O’Shea said: “Look, there are two games in Dublin, and that’s the big thing for me. The Irish fans backing us, backing the players, the staff and myself, we’ll give Belgium and Switzerland two good games.”
Previous permanent Ireland boss, Stephen Kenny, was shown the door in November after the Republic finished in second-last place in their Euro 2024 qualification group, collecting just six points from eight fixtures.
Having lost their famed ability to punch above their weight, Ireland have now failed to make the cut for the European Championship since 2016, while their last World Cup adventure came 22 years ago in South Korea and Japan.
However, hope still lingers, and a new era of success built around a core of promising young players looks possible if the FAI hits the mark with its latest appointment.
The governing body’s director of football, Marc Canham, is withholding the name of the new Ireland manager until early April due to “existing contractual obligations”, leaving O’Shea to keep things ticking over until then.
Who is John O’Shea?
With 118 international caps and appearances at two major tournaments for his country (Euro 2012 and Euro 2016), John O’Shea was an influential figure in Irish football for almost 20 years as a player, picking up his first senior cap in 2001 under Mick McCarthy before wearing green for the last time in 2018.
O’Shea, who also enjoyed a distinguished club career with Manchester United, stepped into coaching with Reading in 2019 as part of the first-team staff before being drafted into the Irish U21 camp just a year later.
More experience was gained at Stoke between 2022 and 2023 before O’Shea was named as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team in February 2023 by Stephen Kenny.
O’Shea left his role when Kenny was relieved of his duties in November last year. He worked briefly under Wayne Rooney during the latter’s short stint with English Championship side Birmingham City.
While O’Shea’s inexperience will almost certainly push him out of the running for the permanent role of the new Ireland manager, his strengths as a motivator and a confident speaker should allow him to get the players onside quickly ahead of the country’s March internationals.
Likely team and style changes
John O’Shea won’t name his first and only Ireland squad until Thursday (14th March). However, the 42-year-old did offer some insight into his selection policy when discussing possible call-ups, hinting that some “fresh faces” could be included on his roster.
“Ultimately, the squad won’t change too much because you’re wanting to keep that bit of consistency. But there might be one or two fresh faces in the team. We’ll see what happens over the next 10 or 14 days. Hopefully, everyone is fit, and we can look forward to a good camp.
“The big thing now at the minute is I’m looking at games in France and Italy to catch up on lads who could potentially be in the squad.
“They’re spread far and wide. Because of the Brexit rules, some of the younger talent in Italy has gone to Italy and France.”
O’Shea’s comments would suggest that call-ups for uncapped Lyon defender Jake O’Brien and Udinese pair Festy Ebosele and James Abankwah could be in the works.
Centre-back and Cork native O’Brien has been a regular fixture in Lyon’s XI in Ligue 1 during his maiden campaign in France, and the former Crystal Palace starlet has clocked 18 appearances in the French top tier, during what has been a breakout season for the 22-year-old.
Wexford man Ebosele, meanwhile, has made the right wing-back position his own at Udinese, and the 21-year-old is one of several younger players that the Republic will hope to build a greener future around. Ebosele’s clubmate, 20-year-old James Abankwah, is another fledgling with untapped potential.
Irish football fans will also be desperate to catch a first glimpse of forward Sammie Szmodics, who could finally feature for Ireland for the first time following a couple of false starts.
The 28-year-old, who qualifies to play for Ireland through his Longford-born grandmother, is the leading marksman in England’s Championship this season with 21 goals. Szmodics’ teammate at Blackburn Rovers, Andy Moran, who is on loan from Brighton, could also see action for Ireland.
What to watch out for this weekend
Mid-season friendly internationals can often be curious affairs, reserved for bedding in new faces and implementing fresh tactical ideas. However, with Ireland’s two-game salvo in March likely to be the beginning and end of a mini-era for Irish football under O’Shea, there is little riding on either meeting with Belgium and Switzerland.
With scant time to spend with players and a short working window to operate in, fans expecting a major shift in playing style under O’Shea should temper their expectations.
However, the 42-year-old will be keen to drag Ireland through their stiff challenges with Belgium and Switzerland as respectably as possible. Hence, organisation and discipline will likely be key tenets of his gameplan.
The Irish football team have performed valiantly against high-calibre opponents before. They gave France and the Netherlands a run for their money in Dublin during their failed Euro 2024 qualification campaign.
Indeed, the Republic also went toe-to-toe in a 2-2 draw with Belgium when the big-hitters last visited the Irish capital for a friendly test in 2022, and O’Shea will be hoping for more of the same in the Belgium v Ireland showpiece fixture on 23rd March.
If I were a betting [wo]man…
The Boys in Green should be energised and eager to deliver a positive result for popular interim boss John O’Shea in the Belgium v Ireland match. However, youthful enthusiasm alone may not be enough to beat a formidable Belgian outfit.
Belgium’s record of eight wins and two draws from their last ten assignments ahead of their tussle with Ireland makes a nervous read from an Irish perspective.
Ireland’s only victory on home soil in their last five attempts came at the expense of minnows Gibraltar in June last year, and if Belgium brings a star-studded squad to Dublin later this month, then they will be worth sizing up in the match result markets.
However, it’s not all bad news for the Republic. Ireland has routinely been a more exciting team to watch in friendly fixtures, and they tend to play with more confidence and freedom when performing without competitive pressure.
Indeed, Ireland have scored in 11 of their last 13 friendly fixtures since September 2019, and the Boys in Green managed to register at least once in 10 of their last 11 friendly tests in Dublin, with both teams getting in on the act in eight of the same matches.
Ireland’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Belgium in 2022 is embedded in that sequence, and the Irish score market looks like a potentially profitable avenue to explore again in the nations’ rematch.
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