SOCCER/Friendly International: A new and brief era in Irish soccer opened yesterday with the announcement by Don Givens of his first and last squad as interim Irish manager. Givens will take his squad to Athens for a friendly against Greece on November 20th.
To his credit and in keeping with the times, Givens made matters interesting by provoking one question that experts thought would never be asked at such an occasion. Why isn't David Connolly included?
Connolly, scorer of seven goals in the past week, is the most notable absentee in a list of 25 names which Givens emphasises will probably transpire to be merely provisional by the time the weekend's fixtures take their toll. Connolly may not be included but Graham Barrett, the promising Arsenal striker currently on loan with Brighton, gets the opportunity to build on his debut performance against Finland in August.
Of those names summoned to action after an absence, Stephen Carr of Spurs and Mark Kennedy of Wolves are the most notable. Carr last played for his country in Estonia 17 months ago and his long struggle back from injury has been rewarded with some fine performances for Spurs recently. Kennedy, whose comeback from a prolonged groin injury is in its infancy, will be pleased to have impressed a manager for whom he hasn't babysat. Givens watched his comeback game against Portsmouth last week and drafted Kennedy straight in.
No suck luck for Kennedy's old compadre Phil Babb. It will be some time before we see the pair together on a pitch - or on a car bonnet - again. Babb loses out in defence, having scored spectacular own goals for club and country in the past couple of months.
Jeff Kenna, who has had a difficult time for Birmingham in the past couple of weeks, remains at home also, and Thomas Butler, whose career has stalled at club level, experiences the same unpleasant sensation at international level.
Kenna will feel particularly aggrieved. Having gone missing in action while at Blackburn, he has resurrected his career in the midlands and made the squad for last month's fatal collision with the Swiss before withdrawing through injury. The window of opportunity may now be closed.
Other returns are less surprising. Givens watched slimmer of the year Richard Dunne play against West Brom and was as impressed by the young man's application as he was by his physique. "Given the work he has put in, he deserves to be given a chance again," said Givens, adding: "We have Richard Dunne, Andy O'Brien and John O'Shea, who are still relatively young, so I don't see that as being too much of a problem for the new manager."
Steve Finnan, who hasn't played since Moscow, was an inevitable recall and Rory Delap's curious existence just inches away from the limelight continues with another summons.
It seemed almost indecent gathering for business as usual in the very hotel room where Mick McCarthy said his goodbyes last week. Football life rolls on, however, and although Givens' tenure will be brief - he pointedly ruled himself out of the job long-term - he stamped his own personality on the proceedings and selection.
"Looking at what we have," he said, "that in my opinion is the best squad available. I made a choice on the front players. I decided Graham Barret was due an inclusion. That was probably to the detriment of David Connolly at this point."
Most people looking for auguries for the future will welcome the presence in the squad of O'Shea. Manchester United have a lot of football to play between now and when the team gathers in Dublin, but Givens spoke contentedly about the player's development.
"Picking the 11 will be dependent on availability. Obviously John is making a lot of progress and certainly will be very much in contention.
"The two latest performances weren't up to the usual standards from the squad. The sooner the better we get back on track from that. I'm doing this job for one game. I don't want it to be a loss. I'll be doing what I can out there to ensure a win."
Otherwise, Givens played with the sort of immaculate footwork we remember from his playing days. No criticisms of the old regime, no comment on whether he would persist with Damien Duff up front and - with the Genesis report into the FAI's handling of the World Cup preparations due to be released this evening - no advice to the FAI on whether it should alter its structures.
Givens will retain Mick McCarthy's technical staff for the trip to Greece.
Athens, Wednesday, November 20th
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD:
GOALKEEPERS: Given (Newcastle), Kiely (Charlton), Colgan (Hibernian)
DEFENDERS: Kelly (Leeds Utd), Carr (Tottenham), Finnan (Fulham), Harte (Leeds Utd), Breen (West Ham), Cunningham (Birmingham), O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Dunne (Manchester City), O'Brien (Newcastle), Doherty (Tottenham)
MIDFIELDERS: Holland (Ipswich), Healy (Celtic), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Carsley (Everton), Delap (Southampton), McPhail (Leeds Utd), Kilbane (Sunderland), Kennedy (Wolves), Duff (Blackburn).
STRIKERS: Keane (Tottenham), Morrison (Birmingham), Barrett (Arsenal, on loan Brighton).
