Having reached the half way stage of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side are now heading for a crucial fixture that could determine their fate. Locked on 11 points with Serbia and Montenegro, will they be heading for automatic qualification or a place in the play offs when this group phase comes to an end?
Domestic campaigns may be at an end across Europe but June is an important month for the Republic of Ireland with these three fixtures coming up.
Mexico, June 2
Yes it’s only a friendly but O’Neill will be using this tie, away to Mexico, as a serious warm up for the real battle that lies ahead. Ireland may be the bookies tip for this one but form is poor in the lead up to this match with one draw and no goals from their last two matches.
The manager will, at the very least, demand goals from his front men and that gives him the perfect chance to weigh up the form and fitness of Jon Walters, Kevin Doyle and Shane Long. O’Neill is also likely to take a look at Aberdeen’s Adam Rooney, called up to the squad for the very first time.
Uruguay June 4
Just four days later, the team will be back in Ireland for a home friendly against Uruguay. Once again, this is just a taster for the more important game to come but it gives Martin O’Neill another chance to trial Rooney, Liam Kelly, Daryl Horgan and other youngsters who have just been called into the set up.
Uruguay will provide a strong test but the result isn’t quite as important as it will prove to be a week later.
Austria June 11
Friendlies dispensed with, Ireland will host Austria in a World Cup Qualifier on Sunday June 11. It’s the last international before O’Neill’s side take a break and regroup in September for the final run in so it’s vital that they sign off here with three points. Over in Serbia, their closest rivals are at home to a Wales side who have struggled since their fine showing at Euro 2016 so victory becomes even more important.
The Republic are favourites in a tight market but where will this game be won and lost? Ireland have those 11 points from five games and are unbeaten in that period but a clear problem lies up front where they have scored just seven goals in those five matches.
That’s less than Wales and Austria who sit in third and fourth place so it’s vital that O’Neill identifies his best striking combination in those friendly games while assessing the likes of Adam Rooney to see if he can step up and be a force at this level.
A happier stat shows that Austria have conceded seven while a single James McClean goal was enough to separate these sides when they met in Vienna in mid November last year. Ireland will get more chances but they have to face Serbia and Wales before the final group placings are decided so they cannot afford anything less than a win in Dublin on June 11.