In Dublin on Saturday evening, a global friendly football match revealed starkly different outlooks. John O’Shea’s Republic of Ireland team felt a sense of relief, despite not advancing. In contrast, Belgium is heading for a high-profile clash with England at Wembley and subsequent Euros, but the mood in their camp is far from joyous.
Ireland found some reasons to cheer in the goalless outcome, even though there was a tinge of regret. Sammie Szmodics, for instance, able to use his newly minted Irish passport, while Caoimhín Kelleher demonstrated his goalkeeping abilities and Séamus Coleman exhibited the vitality of a player much younger than his 35 years. However, Evan Ferguson’s bid to end a 122-day spell without a goal was thwarted by Nottingham Forest’s goalkeeper, Matz Sels. Ultimately, mistakes, notably from Chiedozie Ogbene and Ferguson, cost Ireland the chance to claim victory.
Eileen Gleeson was likely watching closely, with the Euro 2025 qualifiers approaching. O’Shea, Ireland’s interim manager, spoke highly of the young players, particularly of Ferguson’s bravery in bouncing back from his missed penalty. The teenage forward missed yet another opportunity at the start of the second half of the match. Still, O’Shea applauded his efforts against Leicester City’s Wout Faes and Koni De Winter from Genoa.
Conversely, Belgium, missing star players like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Jan Vertonghen, struggled to make an impact. Their goalless performance raised doubts about the strategy of youthful coach Domenico Tedesco. The ranking fourth team in the world had difficulty establishing their formation against the 62nd, resulting in what Tedesco deemed a ‘boring game’.
O’Shea’s retort was refuting Tedesco’s criticism and insisting that his team had the better opportunities. Regardless of whether this was a trial for a permanent manager role for O’Shea, he certainly seemed to relish the role.
When asked by Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan about his sleep, the individual, who was know as Mr Reliable during his tenure at Old Trafford, asserted he’s never had sleep troubles, and would be concerned should such an issue arise. This 42-year-old individual has given impressions of being a fit for a role that FAI director of football, Marc Canham, is scheduled to fill in the upcoming month. The planned early April announcement has been postponed to not interfere with the women’s Nations League match between England and Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on April 9th.
Despite Stephen Kenny’s Ireland consistently attracting more than 40,000 spectators to home games, the recent match saw only 38,128 attendees. Factors contributing to this include the bundling of tickets with the impending Swiss visit and growing dissatisfaction amongst Irish sports enthusiasts who are taking note of the 124 days it’s taken to find Kenny’s replacement.
Meanwhile, O’Shea carries with him a quiet confidence he’s always had. He described his journey into coaching, stating it was a “roundabout way” but he did aspire to manage at some point. With one match managed against Murat Yakin’s Swiss team, he expressed slight shock at Leipzig striker Loïs Openda’s near miss on the Liverpool goalkeeper, commending Caoimhín Kelleher for his timely intervention despite the close call.
In light of Kelleher’s performance, particularly the save that deflected Thomas Meunier’s attempt after Dodi Lukébakio bested Dara O’Shea, there has been speculation around giving Gavin Bazunu a shot in the upcoming Switzerland match. However, O’Shea hasn’t confirmed any changes in the line up.
O’Shea’s command mirrors that of his former manager, but he recognises that he has big shoes to fill, citing the example of Alex Ferguson who, at 42, was celebrating a European Cup Winners Cup victory over Real Madrid with Aberdeen.
John O’Shea has stepped into the managerial realm. He reflects on the events of the game, stating, “We had opportunities during the match, and seizing them could have given us an edge over Belgium. It’s a vexing situation – playing Belgium in Dublin, we would have settled for a no-score game. But there’s an element of disappointment as well.”