Scale of Ireland’s task against Bosnia looks considerable

Having been fortunate on each of the previous occasions that the team has qualified for a tournament via the playoffs, the Republic of Ireland, it seems, will simply have to beat a better team this time if they are to get to France next summer. The Bosnians are not unbeatable but beating them, of course, is another matter.

The scale of Ireland’s desire is not really in doubt.

Asked about the prospect of joining Michael O'Neill, Roy Hodgson and Chris Coleman by guiding his side to these European Championships, the Republic's manager admitted: "I'm envious that they're in that position and I want to join them on Monday night if that's at all possible."

The age profile of his players, he went on to suggest, might be taken as a pretty strong indicator of how much his players will want to capitalise on this opportunity.

Ireland’s record on these occasions, two wins in six attempts over the last 20 years, is disheartening. But the victory over Germany a few weeks back provided evidence that this side can’t be written off. The chances are, though, that they will need to deliver during the next few days in a way they struggled to through much of their group campaign if they are to get the better of this Bosnian side.

Big calls

Martin O’Neill’s problems ahead of the game here in

Zenica

, were added to slightly yesterday when

David Meyler

became the latest player to be ruled out by injury or suspension.

The manager has shown a willingness to gamble in the past and, as his options narrow, there is a sense here that he is will have to do so again.

Whether it is at left back or the team's main striking role, he has challenges to contend with and big calls to make. Against the world champions, for instance, he started Stephen Ward and was rewarded when the Dubliner performed beyond any reasonable expectation. A month on, nothing has changed in relation to the full-back's club situation but if O'Neill is serious about posing an offensive threat then the former Wolves player may again have to be considered an option if Robbie Brady is to be released into a more attacking role.

Starting Marc Wilson looks a more viable option although he too must be a little short of match fitness after failing to feature in Stoke's most recent league games. Inside him, Richard Keogh looks set to partner Ciaran Clark in central defence while Jeff Hendrick completes a midfield that will rely to a significant extent on Séamus Coleman to provide width down the right hand flank.

Coleman, quite clearly, is one of the players who really needs to be at his best from an Irish point of view for in addition to getting forward he will have to handle the threat of Lazio’s Senad Lulic.

Roma’s Miralem Pjanic will be another problem, particularly if the Irish are careless about conceding set pieces within range of their goal.

If O'Neill believes that Ireland really can get at a Bosnia and Herzegovina side that conceded more goals in qualifying that any other third-placed side, then Robbie Keane may yet feature from the start but Daryl Murphy seems a more likely pick for the shift he will put in with Wes Hoolahan in a key support role.

A risk

Starting the Norwich City midfielder here would be a risk in itself if last month is anything to go by but the player says he is fitter now than then and with

Jon Walters

back from suspension for Monday, there will be a fallback position if he comes out of the game struggling.

Getting the wider balance right, though, will be of critical importance for O’Neill.

“You can’t win these ties in the first leg but you can certainly lose them,” he said before the team trained at the Bilino Polje stadium before adding: “The most important thing for us, as I keep emphasising, is to still be in the tie on Monday night.”

At the home side’s pre-match press conference, Edin Dzeko emphasised the importance of the venue, a snug stadium, holding just 12,000 on nights like this, set in a mining town that has been a major centre of coal and steel production since the tail-end of the 19th century.

The team has dug deep when required on a few occasions down the years, not least in September’s home game against Wales which they needed to win and did 2-0.

But their record last season in these parts scarcely screamed “fortress” with Cyprus winning and Belgium taking a point in a run of three games that passed without a clean sheet.

Conceded twice

More recently a change of formation has contributed to some significantly improved results but even last time out against Cyprus they conceded twice and the Irish management team will surely feel there can be a goal for them here.

O’Neill has made no secret of the importance of getting one and the short history of European Championship play-offs underlines the point with just a couple of teams who played away first but failed to find the target in that opening game having ever made it through. The more recent, for what it’s worth, was Portugal who beat the Bosnians 6-2 four years ago after the two sides’ first encounter ended in a goalless draw.

Ireland, in short, have a lot to play for tonight but a lot to lose.