Euro 2024 Qualifying Group B
France v Republic of Ireland (tonight, Parc des Princes, 7.45pm)
ALONG the endless wide avenues of the affluent suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, south-west of Paris, the locals seem oblivious to the worrisome absence of Irish striker Evan Ferguson ahead of tonight’s crunch game against the star-studded French.
Ireland don’t have many stars – and the precious one that they do have and who has been ripping up the English Premier League – is ruled out of tonight and Sunday’s clash with Holland in Dublin.
At yesterday’s press conference at Parc des Princes, stationed on the edges of the Parisian suburb, the Irish media sensed that Antoine Griezmann didn’t have a clue who Evan Ferguson was.
Asked to give his views on Ferguson’s absence from tonight’s tie due to a knee injury, France’s vice-captain said: “I think it was a very complicated game in Dublin and we had to suffer a lot at the back. But if we control the ball in this game more, we’re not going to suffer as much.”
Maybe something was lost in translation – and maybe the translator was also to blame when he quoted France manager Didier Deschamps as saying that Ferguson was performing well for “Crystal Palace”.
When you’re one of the best teams in the world with a wealth of superstars, you can afford the luxury of not being too bothered about what the opposition has to offer or who plays for who.
After receiving a significant scare in Dublin six months ago, the French will feel they can take care of business on home soil by recording five wins out of five (and yet to concede a goal) in Group B and take another decisive step towards qualifying automatically for next summer’s European Championships in Germany.
Stephen Kenny has probably had a few sleepless nights over Ferguson’s absence and deciding on who is the right man to shadow Kylian Mbappe down the right side.
Seamus Coleman did a brilliant job of smothering Mbappe’s threat in March, but the Donegal man is injured and Matt Doherty is suspended.
It’s clearly too soon for young Festy Ebosele of Udinese to step into the breach and Andrew Omobamidele, who arrived a day late due to the death of his grandfather, is probably down the pecking order too.
Jason Knight can play wing-back but wouldn’t have the defensive steel to mind Mbappe. Which probably leaves Nathan Collins moving out of the centre to patrol the right wing-back berth.
“That is a strong consideration,” Kenny said of the possibility of playing a central defender in the role.
“There are a few players in contention who can possibly play there. We have to wait and see on that one.”
Earlier, Didier Deschamps wasn’t too impressed about being asked about Mbappe’s situation at PSG.
Suffice to say, the 2022 World Cup finalist is back playing for his club again after a contract stand-off and has bagged four goals in two games entering this international window.
Ferguson’s absence is one of those blows that has lingered, if not among Kenny’s players, among the Irish media, especially after his hat-trick against Newcastle last weekend.
With attackers Mikey Johnston, Tory Parrott, Michael Obafemi and Callum Robinson all unavailable, Will Keane of Preston NE could be the man to lead the Irish front line after his international manager sang his praises last week.
But arguably the greater scoring threat in Irish ranks will be Chiedozie Ogbene who has been warming Luton’s bench so far this season but is such a livewire presence every time he plays for Ireland.
And, clearly, the visitors will have squeezed every positive from their glowing performance against France in Dublin back in March.
There is also this inarticulate belief that the Irish can make a decent fist of this tie in Paris, as they consistently raise their game against the better nations.
But the visitors may have to wait until Sunday night in Dublin before putting some much-needed points on the board to rescue their qualification hopes because this French team is the best in world football right now.
