The much maligned Nations League has drawn criticism from a large section of the fans and the media, most notably for the lack of clarity surrounding how the competition actually works, but that doesn't mean there aren't any positives to take from the tournament.
To be fair, if you were able to understand how the tournament works without the use of a pen and some paper, enough of diagrams to make you think you've sat an Applied Maths exam, and a few half hour conversations(uniformed debates) eventually leading to exacerbated sighs from all parties, you probably did take Applied Maths.
We've somehow managed to wrap our heads around it now, and the Irish Independent's Dan McDonnell joined Off The Ball AM to discuss today's draw, which us placed in Group Four of League B with Denmark and Wales, and the benefits of tournament.
One possibility discussed is the chance to blood some fresh faces at international level. With a number of starting stalwarts expected to retire soon, or be replaced by those who are more likely to be around come Euro 2020, now is the time to shape the future squad.
The likes of John O'Shea, Glenn Whelan, Jonathan Walters, Wes Hoolahan, Daryll Murphy, and Aiden McGeady well into their 30s, with some expected to announce retirement from the international side soon. The Nations League provides us with a chance to give some game time to the younger players the fans have been clamouring to see.
Matt Doherty, Sean Maguire, Declan Rice, Daryl Horgan, Alan Browne, and Scott Hogan have a combined total of four appearances between them, and throwing any of them into the line of fire of the standard Euro 2020 Qualifiers would seem unlikely. Playing them in a slow-tempo, meaningless friendly with a bunch of other debutants doesn't really give them a chance to shine, and even if they did it's not necessarily an indication that they're ready for the highest level of international football.
Then there's the likes of Harry Arter, Callum O'Dowda, Conor Hourihane, and Kevin Long, who Martin O'Neill has shown a lot of faith in during the most recent qualifying campaign and would appear to be part of his plans for the future. However, it's worth noting that Arter is the most experience of the lot, and despite seeming like an almost guaranteed starter at this stage, the Bournemouth midfielder has just 11 caps to his name.
The Nations League should provide Ireland with a chance to blood all of those players even further, and for the more optimistic among us it could even mean the opportunity to play a more expansive attacking game, as it's not our only opportunity to go to the Euros.
How seriously the competition is taken by the sides involved will be crucial to not only how beneficial it will be to these players, but also the level of interest from the fans. It may appear to be a series of friendlies, but it could afford Martin O'Neill a number of at least semi-competitive games to assess his new squad, and it's worth remembering that there's a qualification spot on the line come the end of it.
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