The hope, then, is the night will bring as dramatic a reckoning as can be served by that wonderful frivolity, a football match.
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The La Galaxy captain, who is Republic of Ireland’s all-time top-scorer and most capped player, will play wherever he is asked to by O’Neill.
“The tie is finely balanced and we have to go for the win”.
Ireland’s poor ball retention was inviting pressure from the men in blue and they were grateful to Seamus Coleman on the half-hour mark when the Everton man lunged in to block Ibisevic as he looked set to slide home another risky cross from Visca. O’Neill will sign a new contract, or he may not.
But it was Ireland who started the half the better and they had their first real effort of the night after 52 minutes.
O’Shea was suspended for the first game but has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in Sunderland’s derby win over Newcastle United in the Premier League last month.
Skipper Robbie Keane leads the way with five – all of them against Gibraltar – while Walters and Long have three each.
Credit must be given to O’Neill, especially given the selection problems he faced before the game.
‘I hadn’t thought about that (the game being in danger), it was more thinking about the events in Paris itself’.
“I’ll put them in hopefully on merit and hopefully the experience that they have garnered over the last 10 or 12 or 15 years could stand us in a bit of decent stead”.
Considering the fact we have Jonathan Walters returning, potentially Shane Long and John O’Shea, Irish citizens ought to walk around the coming days breathing optimism.
Ireland’s away goal may give them a slight advantage, but the 28-year-old insists there has not been a clear favourite since the draw was made, and there still is not. I think it’s important we play an organised game.
“Jon has been terrific in the campaign and he epitomises the spirit we have within the side”.
Dzeko’s 8 goal in qualifying means it is all to play for on Monday night.
“He’s been pretty exceptional throughout the tournament and I couldn’t speak more highly of him”.
There is also a case for deploying O’Shea at left-back instead but O’Neill rejects the notion that Ward is a weakness that Bosnia deliberately exploited in the first leg and could do so again in Dublin.
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Whether Stephen Ward retains his place at left back is at least as big a call and, while the manager denied that Ireland’s left back was targeted on Friday, the pattern of play – with everything for the Bosnians, it seemed, going through Edin Visca down that side – suggested otherwise and that may prompt a return for Marc Wilson who is quicker though not entirely reliable at times. I don’t think that Bosnia necessarily target players in that sense.
