Ahead of next week’s UEFA Nations League ties with Finland and England, Heimir Hallgrímsson has some tweaks to make to his Ireland squad.
October was a far more positive month than September for the Icelandic coach, who claimed the first win of his tenure in dramatic fashion against Finland in Helsinki. They could easily have been level in Athens before Caoimhín Kelleher’s late calamity allowed the hosts in for their second late in the game.
There were encouraging signs in both games, particularly in Helsinki, though some of the key players of those two games will not be available for this window of fixtures. Robbie Brady – the match-winner in Helsinki – has been ruled out with an ankle injury, as has Ipswich’s Jack Taylor, who impressed off the bench against Greece.
Perhaps the toughest blow of all was the loss of Chiedozie Ogbene for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. That Ogbene’s injury was picked up in such a seemingly innocuous fashion makes it all the tougher to deal with.
With the injury problems in the Ireland squad, plus the question marks over the likes of Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah, there is a chance for some younger and fringe players to break into the squad.
We’ve looked at four exciting players whose club form may warrant a call-up from Heimir Hallgrímsson.
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Four players in contention for a place in the Ireland squad
Gavin Molloy
Aberdeen’s immense league form this season has been a welcome change from the usual expected Celtic-Rangers dominance. The Dons remain tied on points with defending champions Celtic, and claimed an impressive draw at Celtic Park in their first league meeting of the season.
Though their humbling at the hands of the Hoops in the League Cup semi-final will have dented their confidence, their league form is not to be sniffed at. One man who has impressed for the club since joining in the summer is Irishman Gavin Molloy.
15 March 2024; Gavin Molloy of Shelbourne during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between St Patrick’s Athletic and Shelbourne at Richmond Park in Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Molloy joined from Shelbourne in the summer (missing out on the League of Ireland triumph in the process) and has played almost every minute thus far of Aberdeen’s sublime league start. With Molloy at the heart of defence, Aberdeen have been steady at the back in the Premiership.
The 23-year-old is yet to earn an Ireland cap at any age level but, on form, he will be pushing hard for a place among Hallgrímsson’s defenders in this squad.
Tom Cannon
Another man who was on the move this summer, Tom Cannon has become an important player in Stoke’s push for promotion from the Championship.
On loan from Premier League side Leicester, Cannon has scored six goals so far this season for the Potters – including two in the last week.
There are plenty of contenders for the forward positions in this Ireland squad but, with Adam Idah recovering from injury, there may be no harm in adding another striker to the squad for this window. Cannon’s quietly impressive start to life with Stoke may put him in contention for a spot.
Andrew Moran
Cannon has been aided in his efforts by another Irish loanee, with Andrew Moran also putting in impressive performances for Stoke in the Championship.
Though he spent more time on the bench than Cannon at the beginning of the season, Moran has more than made his mark since being given his chance. He has broken into the starting lineup since the start of October, with three goal contributions in that time backing up the faith that manager Narcís Pelach has placed in him.
11 October 2024; Kristian Arnstad of Norway in action against Andrew Moran of Republic of Ireland during the UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Norway at Turner’s Cross in Cork. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
He was also impressive in the final two games of the Ireland U21s’ gut-wrenching Euro qualification campaign, scoring in vain in the draw against Italy in Trieste.
A hugely exciting young prospect, Moran received a terrific reception when coming off the bench for his Ireland debut last November. In search for someone to step in for Jack Taylor, Heimir Hallgrímsson could do much worse than give Moran another go at senior level.
Ryan Manning
26 March 2024; Ryan Manning of Republic of Ireland before the international friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Switzerland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Calls for Ryan Manning to be called up to the Ireland squad will be a familiar refrain, given his peculiar absence from the majority of Stephen Kenny’s selections.
However, with Robbie Brady set to miss the Finland and England games, there will be no natural left-back in the squad. Manning had yet to play a minute of club football this season at the time the October selection was named but has since firmly established himself in the Southampton setup.
It has been a dire start to life back in the Premier League for the Saints but there have been glimmers of hope in recent weeks. They claimed their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon against Everton, with Manning starting as they kept a first clean sheet of the season.
In fact, Manning has started the last four games, including their tense loss at Manchester City. With no natural left-back remaining after Brady is taken out of the equation, it seems logical to give a call-up to a player re-establishing himself as a Premier League regular.
Heimir Hallgrímsson will name his Ireland squad for the games against Finland and England on Thursday November 7th.