Ireland may have picked up their first ever UEFA Nations League win but prominent Irish soccer pundit Eamon Dunphy is yet to be convinced by new manager Heimir Hallgrímsson.
The Icelander was without captain Seamus Coleman for the double-header which saw him claim a maiden win in the Irish dugout away to Finland, before they went down swinging in a 2-0 defeat to Greece.
Hallgrímsson has shown a willingness to rotate his squad, notably omitting the out-of-form right-back Matt Doherty ahead of the international camp in a ruthless but progressive move.
It had been expected that Festy Ebosele would inherit the role in the absence of both Coleman and Doherty, however Hallgrímsson had other ideas.
He selected Ipswich Town central defender Dara O'Shea on the flank of the Irish defence against Finland, but it was the introdcution of Ebosele that proved match-winning.
The Watford star has bundles of pace and used his trickery to his advantage before picking out Robbie Brady for his match-winning strike.
Festy Ebosele ➡️ Robbie Brady#NationsLeague | @IrelandFootball pic.twitter.com/1rmrOHATqv
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) October 12, 2024
Eamon Dunphy Questions Dara O'Shea Selection
The Ireland manager still persisted with O'Shea out of position for the trip to Greece, something which has perplexed Dunphy.
Writing in his column for The Irish Mirror, Dunphy questioned Hallgrímsson's decision to go with O'Shea over a player who looked to have earned a start in Athens.
"For the second game in a row, Dara O'Shea started at right-full, something that is baffling when you consider how effective Festy Ebsole was when he came on against Finland.
"Centre-halves are a peculiar breed, with a pretty narrow view of the game. Essentially, they guard a patch of ground in front of the goalkeeper.
"Full-backs have much more on their plate. Generally, they are up against the best attacking players on the opposing team and they're expected to drive forward too.
"O'Shea is a fish out of water in the position. He is unsure of his defensive duties in the role and offers nothing going forward."
O'Shea's skillset is certainly more suited to a central defensive role although Hallgrímsson may have prioritised him due to his abilities on the back-foot.
Nevertheless, Ebosele has boosted his stock as much as anyone in the Ireland squad and there will be a clamour for his selection when Ireland host Finland in November.
