Quick turnaround before decisive double-header against Wales.
EILEEN GLEESON WELCOMED selection headaches in the build-up to Ireland’s last game against Wales, but nine months on, she is facing much bigger decisions ahead of their crunch Euro 2025 play-off.
Gleeson used 18 players across both games. She deployed the same 3-5-2 formation, staying consistent with the back three of Caitlin Hayes, Anna Patten and Aoife Mannion, and altering Kyra Carusa’s strike partner between Julie-Ann Russell and Katie McCabe. Wide left was the latter pair’s other position, with Abbie Larkin on the right.
The same-look midfield that finished in Tbilisi, started in Dublin, and went the distance in the 3-0 victory. “Jessie is a flexible player, good on the ball, which is what we want. She can play from the back and step into midfield. It is great to have that youth and calmness on the ball. It is good to have players that are adaptable, that flexibility is very useful for a manager.” Midfield has generally been an area of inconsistency for Ireland.
The current head coach played six different central midfield trios in the 2023 Nations League, with O’Sullivan the one constant. The North Carolina Courage captain missed February’s friendlies through injury, where Gleeson settled on Stapleton, Connolly and Littlejohn in the middle, but again, she fielded interchanging combinations through the Euro 2025 qualifying Group of Death.
“If Ruesha was available, I think she’d probably be there given her experience and how she can keep the ball and keep the game ticking over, and her bravery. But injury-wise, has just been too unreliable, so are you looking at converting Jessie Stapleton and nailing down that place? If you were, would you just not have left there for experience there given that she’s centre-back at club level?
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