John O’Shea, acting coach for the Republic of Ireland’s football team, is hoping for clarity from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) regarding his employment status after the forthcoming match with Portugal on June 11th. This sentiment is shared by the team, the supporting staff and indeed, by O’Shea himself.
According to the FAI, the announcement of the official manager will be made prior to Ireland squaring off against England in the Nations League’s debut match on September 7th.
In other news, Andrew Omobamidele has been ruled out of the current international window due to a hamstring tear. Consequently, Bosum Lawal, who is with Glasgow Celtic and usually plays in Jim Crawford’s under-21s squad, got a promotion. Even though Lawal is a central defender, he has impressed while playing midfield for Fleetwood Town during his loan period, despite the club’s relegation from League One.
O’Shea’s top priority is to ensure that the Irish team reclaims its winning ways, starting with a victory over Hungary. He believes that success at home games, paired with the correct mindset, is the key.
In the earlier friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland in March, where O’Shea stood as coach, the team had a noticeable issue with finishing. Although the team kept Belgium and Switzerland, both strong teams, at bay, the Irish goal was only conceded through a set piece.
For O’Shea, winning is all about capitalising on chances. The recent promotion of Tom Cannon, the Leicester City striker, to the senior squad may give Ireland’s performance an upward nudge, providing a positive turn in what has been a challenging period.
Seamus Coleman, the captain of the Ireland team, has spoken highly of Cannon, describing him as a top-notch finisher and a speedy player who aspires to perform in the game. However, he expressed surprise over his not being retained by Everton even after his successful loan spell at Preston.
After experiencing defeats against Armenia and Ukraine in June and subpar performances against Greece in Athens and Gibraltar at home, Team Ireland experienced a dip in form in the 2022 Nations League.
John O’Shea, on the other hand, pointed out the complications relating to players wrapping up their seasons in England and Europe. Although it’s a tricky situation, the team has already set plans in motion with Damien Doyle, the fitness coach. The team’s readiness was gauged through a brief session held Thursday.
Owing to such preparatory measures, the Irish team is confident to give a tough time to Hungary, who themselves are on a 14-match unbeaten streak since their defeat in Italy in September 2022. After hosting Israel in Debrecen on Saturday, Hungary is set to kick off its Euros campaign against Switzerland in Cologne, followed by matches against Germany and Scotland in Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, Stephen Crawford, who manages the under-21 squad, has included Shamrock Rovers pairing Conan Noonan and Jonny Kenny to compete against Croatia and England’s under-20s this month.
The remaining squad includes goalkeepers Tiernan Brooks, Killian Cahill, Josh Keeley, defenders James Abankwah, Sam Curtis, Anselmo Garcia MacNulty, Bosun Lawal, Alex Murphy, Connor O’Brien, Connor O’Riordan, Sean Roughan and midfielders Baba Adeeko, Matt Healy, Joe Hodge, Andrew Moran, Conan Noonan, Rocco Vata.
Forwards: Armstrong Oko-Flex from FC Zurich, Mark O’Mahony who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, Aidomo Emakhu from Millwall, and Sinclair Armstrong representing QPR. The list also includes Calum Kavanagh from Bradford City, Tony Springett who’s currently with Norwich City, Ollie O’Neill playing for Leyton Orient, and Johnny Kenny on loan from Celtic to Shamrock Rovers.