2024 European Championship Qualifying Group B: Republic of Ireland v France (Monday, Aviva Stadium, 7.45)
THREE years and it feels like we’ve finally reached the starting line. Three years that began with a global pandemic, face masks and fist bumps, social distancing, too many COVID false-positives to recall, tumbleweed on match-days and what felt like a thousand zoom press conferences.
The losses column continued to dwarf the wins, but all the while Stephen Kenny was rebuilding a new Ireland team in the most hostile conditions imaginable. Three years of proper turbulence and impassioned defences of the process.
An ill-fated World Cup qualification campaign where Ireland finishing behind Serbia and Portugal was kind of preordained. Through everything, though, a clutch of new international careers took flight.
Gavin Bazunu, Nathan Collins, Andrew Omobamidele, Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Dara O’Shea, Chiedozie Ogbene, Michael Obafemi and more recently Evan Ferguson and how Mikey Johnston lifted a nation’s spirits with two sublime dribbles against Latvia.
Given the radical and much-needed overhaul of the Ireland squad, nine wins out of 31 in three years was probably to be expected under Kenny.
Rebuilds never truly end. But the Republic of Ireland have been successfully reconfigured and are a far-cry from the ‘up-and-at-them’, route-one approach of bygone days.
This Irish team is the most modern version of itself – but that in itself doesn’t guarantee anything. Lord knows, they’ve weighed in with numerous pockmarked displays along the way.
But light, there has been. Under Kenny, the Republic of Ireland are capable of punching above their weight and can be more than the sum of their parts.
To be at least calibrated to give one of football’s big guns the occasional bloody nose is probably as good as it gets for the Irish.
Will one of those dreamy nights on Lansdowne Road become a reality against the classy French tomorrow evening? Probably not.
This glamour fixture that gets Ireland's Euro 2024 qualification campaign up and running is as close as you'll get to being unwinnable for the home side, particularly with the way in which the effervescent French put four goals past a very decent Dutch side in their opener in Paris on Friday night.
Kylian Mbappe - France's new captain, and not without some controversy - scored two brilliant goals in the Netherlands rout and has deposited so many awesome displays in his young career that his place in the pantheon of greats is already assured.
Antoine Griezmann, who competes for centre stage with Mbappe, made no secret of wanting to succeed the retired Hugo Lloris as France captain.
No-nonsense manager Didier Deschamps thought otherwise and handed the coveted armband to Mbappe.
If there is some tension off the pitch between France's two superstars, it's not showing on it. The pair made sweet music in Paris last Friday.
For their first goal, Griezmann won back possession and made one of his perfectly timed trademark runs into the opposition penalty area.
Mbappe sent a gift-wrapped pass to his pink-haired vice-captain and the Atletico Madrid ace swept to the net after just two minutes before racing across the pitch to celebrate with the PSG striker.
If it was possible to boil down Stephen Kenny’s single greatest strength as a manager, it is his ability to instil belief in his players.
At yesterday’s pre-match press conference in Abbotstown, the Ireland manager baulked at the notion of playing conservatively against tonight’s illustrious visitors.
“No, absolutely not,” he said. “We've been working on a way of playing for the last two years. We're very, very comfortable in possession, as comfortable as any team in Europe now as possession.
“Why would we change now? Why would we take a step back now? This is the time that the team needs to show conviction, when the lights come on in the Aviva and the atmosphere is rocking...
“And France, one of the best teams in the world coming at us, do we just suddenly change? And just accept a slow death? Definitely not.”
Kenny added they won’t be “naïve” to the threat of Mbappe and will have “provisions” in place for his electric runs - mostly down the left side - but the Dubliner was quick to add that Ireland have some “exceptional players” too who can cause the French some stress.
Moreover, France’s 4-3-3 system isn’t exactly water-tight. The Netherlands opened them up on several occasions but couldn’t convert any of their chances.
It’s difficult to guess Ireland’s starting line-up too.
Callum O’Dowda’s likely absence, due to a groin strain, is a body blow to Ireland’s left-hand side, with James McClean expected to deputise.
Does Evan Ferguson start? Michael Obafemi or Chiedozie Obgene?
And did Will Smallbone do enough on his debut to nab one of the midfield berths?
Nathan Collins or Andrew Omobamidele? The latter hasn’t played enough minutes recently but told the media he’d love to test his pace with Mbappe’s.
Regardless of who starts for the Republic of Ireland, Kenny will demand they play without fear. The Aviva Stadium will be absolutely rocking this evening with the home supporters hoping and praying for a point.
It's a big ask against such a great opponent.
After three turbulent years, Stephen Kenny’s team is at the starting line. They're as ready as they'll ever be...
