Brian Kerr: Next two games will make or break Ireland

It’s been a stuttering campaign to date with the point gained in Gelsenkirchen against the world champions last October the only highlight, and one almost forgotten by now. Since then, it’s been a rocky road, the confidence and morale of the team seemingly eroded by the massive blow of losing in Scotland and getting just a point at home to Poland.

Hope can be restored, though. There is a chance of something being pulled out of the bag from the remaining fixtures, for at least a play-off place to be secured. But only if we beat the weakest teams in the group, Gibraltar and Georgia, over the next four days. And nothing less than six points from these two games will be acceptable.

I predicted Gibraltar would be in the gold medal position as the worst team in the qualifiers prior to our first meeting, and their current position of no points and a minus 33 goal difference confirms that view. But there’ll be no rosettes for me on that one.

They arrived in Dublin last October not long after then coach Allen Bula had predicted possible qualification and proceeded to employ a decidedly risky strategy of a high defensive line, too far from their own goal, and depending on pace that was absent – and offside flags that never appeared.

They were a shambles defensively and the game was over after Robbie Keane's 18-minute hat-trick, as Wes Hoolahan and James McClean ran amok.

Bula has since moved aside and new coach Jeff Wood has talked of not parking the bus and being more adventurous – he’s in for a rude awakening if he thinks a more open style will help him get the type of results he wants against superior opposition.

While airy fairy ideas about flowing, attacking football might sound great to potential employers, recent positive results for the likes of Iceland, Wales, the Faroes and Liechtenstein have been achieved by highly organised defensive structures, with effective counter-attacking and set-pieces. Throw in a Gareth Bale and it can be useful too.

Casualness

In the 7-0 win for us, Gibraltar created some opportunities and casualness ensured that David Forde had saves to make. But they coughed up possession and chances so frequently, they were rarely in the match.

There's been plenty of talk from Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane this week about respect for the opposition and eradication of complacency. They're correct to talk like this because that complacency and casualness are the very things that the minnows cling to, they give them hope.

But now with the return to fitness of Seamus Coleman and the development of Robert Brady on the left flank, O'Neill has more ammunition than last time when David Meyler and Stephen Ward filled the fullback slots.

John O'Shea and Marc Wilson have had bad starts to the new season which may give an opportunity to Richard Keogh to re-establish himself. I thought he played really well in Scotland and was unlucky to be left out for the Polish game.

Chances

Given the opposition, there should be room for Hoolahan again to supply Keane with the chances to increase his remarkable 56-goal total to date. And unless there’s a reason to hold one of them back for Monday’s game,

Glenn Whelan

and James McCarthy will start – although after McCarthy was sent for a scan on his knee this week, caution might be the option on that front.

So, that leaves two spots in the attack and the goalkeeper left. For someone who prides himself in reading coach’s selections in advance, I admit defeat on the rest of our team. Our man Martin surprises me too often. Like the players have to do, I’ll wait ‘til I see the list.

And that delay in telling the players the actual starting 11 until not long before the game is unsettling and silly in my book. Most like to have time to gather their thoughts and consider the specific challenges in advance of the game.

At club level it’s less of an issue because there are far more games and the repetition of strategy and match tactics means the positions, roles and tactical nuances are ingrained from long hours of contact between coaches and players.

But at international level the contact levels are scarce, as are matches and opportunities to repair the damage from a couple of bad results.

But whoever’s on the list, and whatever the team’s shape, we should win handy and get a bit of a tan for ourselves.

Anything less and more questions than those about Jack Grealish should be asked.