Friendly
09.09.2003 at 19:30 - Lansdowne Road
The big issue for Brian Kerr in tonight’s challenging game against a slick and sophisticated Turkey is what role to assign to Ireland’s outstanding player, Damien Duff.Ireland will be seeking to extend their unbeaten run under Kerr to nine matches and after the disappointment of their low-key performance against Russia they will also be looking for a boost to their morale.
In the greater scheme of things, however, the match must be viewed as an opportunity to fine tune the balance of the team for next month’s decisive European Championship tie against Switzerland in Basle. This is why Duff’s role is so important for within his slight frame is invested so many of Ireland’s hopes and ambitions. His unique versatility is, at the one time, a strength and a problem, a comfort and a temptation.
The comfort is in knowing that he will produce regardless of what position he is assigned. The temptation is to try and solve every problem by using him as a ‘gun-for-hire’, chopping and changing as circumstances dictate.
The disadvantage in this is the certainty Ireland will never develop a pattern to their play, without which they cannot hope to find a rhythm to suit their temperament and their talents. The lack of tempo will inevitably breed performances as anaemic as that which disappointed against Russia.
Yet some further experimentation is called for in light of the lack of penetration and absence of variety in the attacking play against Russia.
It is true Russia’s task was the easier in focusing on denying Ireland and seeking a draw that suited them, but what facilitated the success of their game plan, apart from the disastrous concession of a messy goal, was the fact Ireland were almost exclusively dependent upon Duff and the athletic Kevin Kilbane to puncture their defences. Both players repeatedly thrust at Russia’s defence with admirable persistence but the visitors could assign extra numbers to repel them in the certainty there was nothing challenging from Ireland’s right-hand side.
Kerr has tried several combinations on this flank but none has emerged to make a compelling argument for retention. Several players there have shown the ability to keep the defence strong and dependable but none has been able to add an effective attacking dimension to his work. The problem has been compounded by Stephen Carr not yet recovering the sparkle that made him such an outstanding prospect before the knee injury that kept him out of the World Cup finals.
Ireland must find a way to add greater creativity to their attacking play from midfield and spread their attack to both flanks if they are to break down defences as well organised as Russia’s, against whom the major worry was the inability to create more than a handful of half-chances.
This is why Kerr may well be disposed to using Duff on the right of midfield. His presence on either touchline would inevitably stretch an opposing defence and his ability to dribble his way past opponents might be just the foil Ireland need to Kilbane’s hard-running on the left.
It remains to be seen whether or not Kerr will follow this route but it is certain Ireland will show many changes from the team that played Russia. He said after yesterday’s training session that at least five players who did not start against Russia will begin the match - goalkeeper Nick Colgan, defenders Steve Finnan, Richard Dunne or Andy O’Brien, Ian Harte, midfielder Mark Kinsella and Gary Doherty up front. Dunne and O’Brien would each see some action at centre-back in place of Kenny Cunningham.
Kerr said he had an open mind on selection of a squad for Switzerland, saying: “There’s every chance for the people who didn’t start against Russia to play themselves into the team for Switzerland between now and then, in tomorrow’s match and over the next few weeks in their club football.”
Turkish coach Senol Gunes is expected to field a near full-strength side with only Rustu Recber, Hasan Sas, Umit Davala and Yiraldiy Basturk missing.
IRELAND (probable): Colgan; Finnan, Breen, Dunne, Harte; Duff, Healy, Kinsella, Kilbane; Doherty, Connolly.
TURKEY (probable): Omer (Gaziantespor); Fatih Akyel (Fenerbahce), Bulent (Galatasaray), Alpay (Aston Villa), Ibrahim Uzulmez (Besiktas); Ergun (Galtasaray), Tugay (Blackburn), Emre (Inter), Gokdeniz Karadeniz (Trabzonspor); Tuncay Sanli (Fenerbache), Hakan Suker (Galatasaray).
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