First stage of limitations is acceptance and it’s equally laudable to temper expectations with driving ambition.
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s early home truth about lacking the stars of the past wasn’t designed to set the bar low, only realign what a team ranked 60th in the world requires to disrupt the order.
Beating the teams he should, Finland and Bulgaria, was a start but now the onus is on claiming a scalp.
10 years of hurt
Robbie Brady’s winner against Italy continues to warm living rooms through Reeling in the Years but since Denmark neutered the next two qualifying campaigns, Ireland have been absent as a competitive force from the qualifying mix.
Those failings were felt by a generation of players gradually attaining international experience and they ought to be better from enduring the pain. Several have watched with envy their clubmates participate at World Cups and Euros.
Good Evan
Irish tends to gravitate to an heir to the striking throne occupied by Robbie Keane for almost 18 years. Troy Parrott’s spell at Spurs deepened the comparison and through his injury-enforced absence, the spotlight shines brighter on Evan Ferguson.
That’s been the case since making his debut at 18 and three years later he starts the international campaign looking lean and fit from a full pre-season with Serie A club Roma.
Goals in the last two competitive matches at Lansdowne against Finland and Bulgaria underline his importance.
Deadly Dominik
World class players make the difference at international level and in captain Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary have a player reaching his prime.
His blistering opening to the season at Liverpool, crowned by a sumptuous free-kick winner against Arsenal last Sunday, enhance his reputation in the Premier League and for his country, he’s the channel through which their gameplan is routed.
Instead of his makeshift right-back with his club, the 24-year-old will roam freely.
Midfield deficiencies
Solving Ireland’s midfield shortage has been akin to cracking Da Vinci code in recent years. Josh Cullen’s status as one pivot is absolute but a range of others have come and gone as his partner. Jayson Molumby was overlooked, Will Smallbone is injured and the latest contender Bosun Lawal is uncapped at senior level. Asking alternatives to be flexible isn’t ideal.
History weighs heavily
Recent home results haven’t been kind. Of Stephen Kenny’s 34 games at the helm, only six wins were extracted. Beating Scotland was the sole victory to speak of when Gibraltar (twice), Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Armenia are considered.
Ireland under Mick McCarthy counted Georgia and Gibraltar as their wins over a solitary campaign. Lansdowne Road hasn’t hosted a qualification win of note since Ireland beat Bosnia Herzegovina in the Euro 2016 playoff.