The big winners from Ireland’s two-game summer window were the players who stayed at home because very few of them will find their positions under threat in September.
Of the fringe players reporting for duty against Senegal and Luxembourg, only Kasey McAteer, Jack Taylor and Ryan Manning enhanced their claims for a World Cup start.
Max O’Leary did well on his debut against Luxembourg - six years after his first call-up - but he’s behind Caoimhin Kelleher, with Gavin Bazunu and Mark Travers still to return.
St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips put his best foot forward off the bench on his own debut against Senegal, but found it harder going against Luxembourg. And while John Joe Patrick Finn may be one of the more hyped Irish players in recent times, it’s very much based on a curiosity factor rather than actual evidence.
Andrew Omobamidele, Liam Scales and Josh Honohan will be disappointed not to have featured at all this month, although Honohan did have a scan on a thigh issue.
Despite the dour stalemate on Tuesday, there’s a noticeable confidence within the squad after four games unbeaten this year, ahead of September’s clash with Hungary.
But there is still cause for concern across aspects of this team, not least with a malfunctioning attack despite the potential on offer to Heimir Hallgrimsson. And midfield remains an issue, even though Hallgrimsson addressed it this month with a smattering of bigger, more imposing players added into the mix.
That was no coincidence, according to Hallgrimsson, after handing debuts to both Finn and Phillips over the two games. Clearly, Finn is further down the pecking order as he was only introduced in the 88th minute against Luxembourg but it was good to finally have a look at the Reims man.
Born and raised in the Spanish capital Madrid, his late father was from Mayo and his mother is French-Cameroonian with Finn eligible to play for all four countries. But the 21-year-old - who played at Real Madrid’s academy as a kid - insists he only wanted to represent Ireland.
Leaving Luxembourg, softly-spoken Finn said: “My dad is from Ireland, also my grandfather and when I was young every summer I went to Ballyhaunis. I had that connection when I was young, it really mattered. I am a Mayo man. It was nice, growing up it was so different from Madrid, where I lived. Those summers were really great, with my family, we had a great time, great days. I think my dad would be really proud.”
Finn, who plays for French side Reims having been previously with Getafe in La Liga, continued: “I feel good, but I'm a bit disappointed with the result. It was not the way I wanted to make my debut but I will just keep working and continue on this way. The manager just told me I had to get the tactics, how the team works and I think I’m catching the way the team plays.
“We still have a bit of work to do but I’m happy. The experience was good, the group has a lot of quality, and if we can continue this way I think we can do good things.”
Finn’s hopes of a recall in September for the Hungary and Armenia qualifiers won’t rest on his seven-minute run out at Stade de Luxembourg. Instead, that will hinge on how he handled himself behind the scenes over the week and how he performed on the training ground.
At Monday’s open training session, he was partnered with late call-up Bosun Lawal in midfield and Lawal was the more dominant of the two. The Stoke City man only played seven league games this season due to a back injury but is well liked by Ireland’s management team, from his time with the Under-21s. If he is fit and firing by September, he will rival Finn and Phillips all the way for inclusion, with the likes of Josh Cullen and Finn Azaz nailed on to return.
Hallgrimsson travelled out to France at the start of May to meet Finn and to sound him out on his international intentions, considering he could play for other nations. But Finn only had eyes for Ireland and wanted to seize this June opportunity, even though it came on the back of a difficult club season.
Reims were relegated from the French top flight and they also lost the French Cup final, smashed 3-0 by PSG with Finn coming on as a sub.
“At the beginning it was not easy (moving from Spain to France), I was alone as my family stayed in Madrid. But in the end the club made things really easy so I adapted quickly and the culture is nice.
“But it was a difficult moment to end the season like that, but to come here is a bit of a distraction from the club. I had some great days and now I can rest and come back.”
The fear for Finn is that playing in French football’s second tier next season will mean he is out of sight, out of mind. The flip side is he could play more regularly.
But he hopes that Hallgrimsson’s flying visit last month counts for something and said: “It's always good that the coach makes the effort to go and see you, to speak with me.”
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