He has quite a few advocates amongst both the press and public but yesterday Wes Hoolahan made a decent case himself for starting in the Republic of Ireland team which takes on Georgia (kick-off 5.30pm) in what is expected to be a half-empty Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
After many months of insisting the Dubliner can only be accommodated if the formation is changed and that that can't be done in the absence of someone like Anthony Pilkington, a player who is seen as having the potential to generate goals from out wide, Giovanni Trapattoni has suggested this week that he might start him in a four-man midfield after all.
Hoolahan, who has just four caps, acknowledges that he is better suited to playing behind a lone striker, but says he would be happy to just play. In any case, he feels he has done enough for his club at this stage to get a proper chance for his country.
“It’s up to the manager to pick the formation with Ireland,” he said. “At Norwich I generally play in the hole, behind the striker. When we play against the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United we play what’s more or less a 4-5-1, so I get to roam around and get on the ball as much as I can, but also help out the lads defensively when we don’t have the ball.
"It's a position where you basically go and float, I can play on the left or just in the middle as well but that free role is one I really enjoy; I have played well there at Premier League level and I think I could do well there at international level.
'Manager's call'
"It is different with Ireland as we generally play 4-4-2; it's the manager's call to make. But if the manager did play a 4-5-1, with me in the hole, I think I'd do well, I have been doing that for the last four or five years at a high level: you play against top-class defenders in the Premier League every week, to me it's the best league in the world."
Like Trapattoni, the one time Shelbourne winger would like to see Pilkington come on board and feels that the pair could recreate the sort of partnership they have established at Carrow Road. “We fit in well together at Norwich and I’d like to see us do the same with Ireland. In the last few games of the season, especially against Manchester City, we linked up well together and I got an assist for his goal against City (where Norwich won 3-2).
“We have played together for the last two years and train with each other week in week out, we know each other as players and I’d love to see how well we’d do with Ireland.”
Even in the absence of his friend, however, Hoolahan, who turned 31 last week, feels he has something to offer if selected tomorrow night. “Yeah, I think I can add something to the team if I come in, I like getting in the box, scoring goals (he got his first for Ireland against Poland in February and managed four for Norwich this season), creating goals for other players; that’s how I see my job.
“I am a player who likes to get forward and hopefully that’s what I can bring to the team. It looks like the manager will make changes and hopefully I will get a chance to get on.”
