Andorra v Republic of Ireland
Thursday June 3, 17:00
Live On Sky Sports
Kenny's meaningful friendly
It's not a good time to be a fan of the Republic of Ireland.
As 24 countries prepare themselves for a major tournament adventure, Stephen Kenny's side are preparing for a meaningless friendly with Andorra.
And what's even more damning is that the result is actually quite important in the context of the manager's tenure.
March was grim for Kenny with the positives of an unlucky defeat in Serbia erased by a humbling home reverse to Luxembourg that effectively ended Ireland's World Cup campaign before it had even started.
Ireland did perform better in a 1-1 friendly draw with Qatar but the stat that keeps coming up is the fact that Kenny is eleven games without a win.
When the FAI announced a summer itinerary consisting of a training camp in Spain and friendlies with Andorra and Hungary, the decision to set up a showdown with the minnow jumped off the page.
Last November, the authorities sought an away friendly with England for logistical purposes on account of Covid concerns. The game delivered a heavy defeat and controversy around a pre-match video created an unnecessary distraction. It's fair to say that Andorra smacks of a confidence boosting choice by comparison. Put simply, it's a penalty kick fixture that Kenny really needs to convert.
Mix of old and new
A number of senior players have stayed behind due to injury issues or the need of a rest but there's an interesting blend of old and new in Kenny's squad. Skipper Seamus Coleman has travelled but he's going to miss the Andorra game on account of injury.
James McClean and Shane Duffy made sure to be there after rough seasons at club level. McClean had a fallout with Stoke boss Michael O'Neill arising from the player's decision to travel for Ireland duty in March and he finished the campaign with the U-23 side. Duffy had a horrible year on loan at Celtic and needs a pick-me-up. Both should feature.
Conor Hourihane has also flown over after the pain of a playoff final defeat with Swansea so it's safe to assume he will feature. Sheffield United's John Egan also returns after effectively being absent for seven games under Kenny (he did play 15 minutes against England but had to leave the pitch with concussion).
The absence of Darren Randolph means that Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher could make his debut between the sticks. And a number of his old U-21 team-mates are expected to feature, with Norwich's Adam Idah primed for striking responsibility with Callum Robinson and Aaron Connolly missing out.
Unsurprisingly, Ireland are a short price to win the game so the recommendation is to look elsewhere in the markets. Andorra are ranked 158th in the world so it would be a nonsense to talk them up but they play at a tight venue and the majority of their squad are drawn from three local clubs so they have a familiarity and understanding that should count for something. Given Ireland's issues in the goalscoring department (4 goals in 11 matches), the bet that appeals is an away win and Over 3.5 Goals at 11/10.
The dead ball dilemma
For some punters, the recreational angle for this game could be to look at the Irish goalscorers market. Two names stand out here as attractive options, especially if Andorra sit off and ask Ireland to break them down in dead ball situations.
St Mirren's Jamie McGrath is a new call who arrives after scoring 17 goals in the Scottish top flight this season. His status as the penalty kick taker inflated his total but Kenny knows him well from their time together with Dundalk in the League of Ireland and McGrath should get the opportunity to impress here. It's the type of game where Ireland need a playmaker. He's 6/1 in the first and last goalscorer markets but the 7/4 about the debutant scoring anytime could be a play.
The alternative selection is Hourihane, who is priced at 15/8 to score anytime. He won't have travelled over to sit on the bench and can be expected to take a prominent role and his shooting from distance and his free kick prowess makes him a logical alternative to McGrath.