We have a big game against England in the Nations League at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on tomorrow evening that will involve a few firsts. It will be the first time that Ireland will have an Icelandic-born manager in charge and the first time we will be playing a team managed by a former Republic of Ireland international, Lee Carsley.
And not forgetting that Arsenal’s Declan Rice, who won three Irish senior caps, is an automatic first-team pick for England and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, capped six times at under 21 level for the Republic, might possibly play.
Several times over the past 10 months it was thought that Birmingham-born Carsley, who qualified for Ireland through his grandmother Jo Cambridge who emigrated from Dunmanway in West Cork to Birmingham in the 1940s, would replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland manager. But the under-23 England manager was not picked and is now interim boss for the senior team following Gareth Southgate’s departure.
Carsley’s last Aviva game was in November 2006 when we beat San Marino 5-0. He was winning his 31st cap that day and the midfielder finished his Irish career with a few away games in 2007 and the last of his 39 caps was won against Brazil in Croke Park in February 2008. Also, in the Irish team that day in was John O’Shea and the Waterford native will be in the Irish dug-out on Saturday as assistant to new manager Heimir Halgrimsson, who of course was co-manager of Iceland when they beat England at Euro 2016.
Heimir has included Evan Ferguson in his squad, even though the player has missed Brighton’s early season games. Seamus Coleman, who is back for Everton, is also included after recovering from a calf problem. The new manager has given a call-up to uncapped Leicester winger Kasey McAteer after the 22-year-old completed his paperwork and got a clearance from FIFA last week. Kasey, who is not related to former Irish international Jason McAteer, was born in Northampton and qualifies for Ireland thanks to his grandfather, who hailed from County Down. Meanwhile, Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen misses his first Irish squad in four years due to injury.
Referring to his earlier comments about finding a tough guy in his team, Heimir explained his comments, saying: ‘‘We have so many players at a similar level, all of them have nice characters. But sometimes you want players on the pitch that will make the opponents feel uncomfortable, and that is what I meant.’’
Heimer admitted that for his first squad he depended on the advice of coaches John O’Shea and Paddy McCarthy.
We have beaten England at Everton’s ground Goodison Park in Liverpool in 1949 and in Stuttgart in 1988, but England has never lost to the Republic in Dublin. We came close in a World Cup qualifier at Dalymount Park in May 1957 when Alf Ringstead scored after three minutes and we held until the 90th minute when John Atyeo got his head to a Tom Finney cross for the equalizer. RTE radio commentator Philip Greene famously said that ‘‘the silence could be heard at the Pillar’’ (referring to Nelson’s Pillar on O’Connell’s Street, more than a mile to the south). Then in February 1995 we were leading England 1-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road thanks to a David Kelly goal when the game was abandoned after 27 minutes due to rioting by some England fans.
The Republic will play Greece in another Nations League qualifier at the Aviva next Tuesday.
N.I. BEGIN IN
WINDSOR PK
Meanwhile Northern Ireland start their Nations League campaign against Luxembourg at Windsor Park tomorrow and then they play Bulgaria in Ploviv on Sunday. Paddy McNair, George Saville and Ali McCann have all returned to strengthen Michael O'Neill’s options as he named his first squad since the international retirement of Jonny Evans.
SLIGO LOOKED TO
RESET AFTER 0-7
Sligo Rovers, who had been going reasonably well this season, were hoping to bounce back from a heavy 7-0 defeat away to Drogheda United two weeks back (and did so with a 2-0 result over Waterford). The Bit o’ Red were the form team in the Premier Division before exiting the FAI Cup at home to UCD and then capitulating in Drogheda. It was Sligo’s second heaviest defeat since joining the League of Ireland in 1934; their heaviest was a 9-0 defeat away to Waterford in February 1968. Manager John Russell, who was serving a touchline ban, had to watch the game from the stands. He said: ‘‘It was a shocking performance and result, there is no other way to describe it. Football is an emotional game. The psychology of dealing with pressure is a skill that players and staff continually refine. Football isn’t just about what happens on the pitch, it’s about the emotions in evokes in fans. From the elation of a late Ellis Chapman wonder goal to beat Derry at home to the devastation of a hammering in Drogheda, football takes supporters on an emotional rollercoaster. Everyone is hurting. The journey home was one of the toughest I have ever experienced. But when you step back, you need to remember that this is the same group of players who have delivered some special nights.”
GAA MANAGERIAL
MERRY GO ROUND
There is a lot of movement in the inter-county managerial merry go round, with 10 football managers quitting in recent weeks. Last week Colm O’Rourke left after two years as Meath manager and Tyrone’s joint-managers Brian Dooher and Fergal Logan also stepped down. O’Rourke had at least another year to serve, but he was unable to confirm his new selectors in time for a Meath County Board meeting last week and decided to walk away. Already Robbie Brennan, the current manager of Dublin club Kilmacud Crokes, has emerged as favorite to take over for the Royals. Brennan lives in Dunboyne and if he is appointed, it’s expected that former Meath star Bernard Flynn will be in his backroom team.
In Tyrone current under-20 manager Paul Devlin and Malachy O’Rourke, who has managed Fermanagh and Monaghan and most recently Glen to win the All-Ireland club final, are being mentioned. In Kerry former star Tomás O Sé is staying with the county’s under 20 team and that would seem to rule him of being added to Jack O’Connor’s backroom team where Mike Quirke and Diarmuid O’Sullivan have departed.
Shane Curran seems certain to be appointed Carlow senior footballer manager. The colorful former Roscommon goalkeeper will succeed Niall Carew in the position after spells in charge of Padraig Pearses (Roscommon), Durrow (Offaly) and Caulry (Westmeath), as well as the Roscommon under 20 team. In Tipperary former goalkeeper Philly Ryan has been confirmed as their new senior manager, replacing Paul Kelly, while in Longford former Mayo under 21 manager Mike Solan replaces Paddy Christie as senior football manager.
In hurling Micheál Donoghue is going back to his native Galway. Donoghue, who left Dublin following the end of this year’s championship, is getting a four-year term. In his previous spell in charge of the Tribesmen Donoghue led them to win the MacCarthy Cup in 2017, their first All-Ireland final win since 1987. (See also P.J. Cunningham’s reports on Page 25.)
Tipperary-born Darren Gleeson, who quit as Antrim manager earlier this year, is now set to be ratified as the new Laois senior hurling manager. And Kerry have their first home-grown manager in 17 years with the appointment of former captain John Griffin as manager. The Lixnaw clubman is the first Kerryman to take charge of the Kerry senior hurling team since Maurice Leahy in 2007.
OASIS CONCERTS
TIE UP AUGUST
Any plans the GAA had to extend the inter-county season in 2025 into August have been ended with confirmation that Oasis will play two concerts in Croke Park on Aug. 16-17 next year as part of their reunion tour. The GAA are still discussing the calendar for 2025 and beyond and while there was no guarantee that the All-Ireland finals would have been pushed into August, it was still due to be considered. The dates announced for the Oasis concerts would leave Sunday, Aug. 10 as the last realistic date for an All-Ireland football final, but that does not factor in the All-Ireland Ladies football and Camogie finals which have been taking place in the two weeks after the All-Ireland football finals in recent years. So, for now it looks like the dates for the All-Ireland finals in 2025 will be: July 20, Hurling Final; July 27, Football Final; Aug. 3, Ladies Football Final; Aug. 10, Camogie Final; Aug. 17/18, Oasis. And the Saturdays of the Ladies and Camogie finals will be kept free for any possible replays.
NEW ROLE FOR DUB
STAR MACAULEY
Former Dublin footballer Michael Darragh Macauley is the new CEO of Sanctuary Runners. The eight-time Sam Maguire Cup winner, who has worked for Dublin’s Northeast Inner City group in recent years, takes over from founder Graham Clifford. Sanctuary Runners is a not-for-profit organization which brings together cross-community groups to engage in various activities including running and jogging. The group recently launched the Sanctuary Swimmers initiative in collaboration with Swim Ireland.
Macauley said: ‘‘As someone who has always believed in the power of sport for social good, I have been a huge supporter of the work Sanctuary Runners has done over the last few years. Now, more than ever, Sanctuary Runners has a role to play all over the island of Ireland in bringing communities closer together. I’m excited to help grow our message of Solidarity, Friendship, Respect over the coming years.”
