Gary Connaughton reporting from the Aviva Stadium
Heading into this evening's game against Belgium, it was always going to be interesting to see what type of team John O'Shea selected for his first game in charge of Ireland.
He had plenty of options at his disposal, with quite a few players entering this international window in fine form at club level. That was especially true at centre back, where Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, Andrew Omobamidele, and the uncapped Jake O'Brien has impressed in recent months.
O'Shea would opt for a back three at the Aviva Stadium, with Collins, O'Shea, and Omobamidele all starting. They performed very well in the 0-0 draw, limiting a talented Belgian attacking unit to very few chances of note.
It was a decent performance from Ireland in what was a rather uneventful game. The home side offered little encouragement to the Belgians in forward areas, although the flip side of that was a failure to create many scoring chances of their own.
Ireland were certainly well organised at the back, with O'Shea quick to praise two players for their role in that after the game.
READ HERE: Mick McCarthy Has Long-Term Vision On John O'Shea's Ireland Involvement
John O'Shea praises two Ireland stars for role in Belgium draw
Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady may be too very experienced players, but they have not featured all that much for Ireland over the last couple of years.
Both of them have had their fair share of injury issues, while Brady also found himself out of favour at club level for extended spells. While some may not view them as important pieces of Ireland's long-term future, they showed their value this evening.
Operating at wingback, both players put in top class performances.
Coleman was electric on both sides of the ball, while Brady brought a calmness in possession that has sometimes been lacking in this Irish side. His delivery into the box from both set-pieces and open play wasn't bad either.
Speaking to the media after the game, O'Shea singled out his two most experienced stars as having played a big role on the night. He also summed up why having players with those miles on the clock was so important in the current Irish side.
On a night when Ireland played a very young team, John O'Shea was delighted to see two old stalwarts in Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady back to their best in a green jersey 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5ybHaGGuYj
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) March 23, 2024
You think of the two wingbacks. That's what I thought about straight away when I saw the potential for our three centre backs that are playing in the Premier League, to have that experience around them and to keep pushing.
That was never going to be an issue for me, because I know the type of players and people that they are...
With Seamus, it's almost been a year back to the time he was back around the squad.
We were kind of thinking that we would have a little word with him halfway through the second half, just to see how he was in terms of being ready to go and his fitness, whether we would need to have a little reshuffle with the subs.
The words that came back were very positive. It wasn't surprising, but we just had to double check. That's why he was picked to play and be captain of the team.
At 35-years old, Seamus Coleman is clearly now in the twilight of his career. Despite this, he remains an integral part of the Ireland team when he is fit and available to play.
As for Robbie Brady, having only recently turned 32, he should still have plenty to offer at international level. With his game never built around pace or physicality, there is no reason why he cannot be an important contributor under the next manager.
Tonight was timely reminder of what both men can still provide when given the opportunity.
SEE ALSO: Ireland Player Ratings As O'Shea's Men Fail To Ignite In Belgium Stalemate
