For those who witnessed Ireland’s approach to playing Scotland at Celtic Park in November at close quarters, suggestions that they are a robust and direct unit scarcely seem tantamount to slander. Martin O’Neill’s side may not quite have mirrored the ultra-industrial style favoured by Jack Charlton’s men all those years ago, yet there were precious few morsels of real quality for the game’s purists to feast on. Were Poland then, doing any more than stating the blindingly obvious this week when they spoke extensively of Ireland’s one-dimensional, strong-arm strategy in their qualifying games thus far? Aiden McGeady celebrates scoring for Republic of Ireland against Georgia . You wouldn’t have thought so but, then again, Martin O’Neill, whose Ireland side entertain the Poles in Dublin, has never been one to resist an ever-so diplomatic counter-swipe at such accusations. Clearly keen to gain the slightest psychological edge ahead of what is being viewed as a must win game for the Republic, the former Celtic manager bristled when word of the Poles’ comments was relayed to him at their Malahide base on Friday. ‘I’m not really bothered about what they say — genuinely not bothered,’ O’Neill insisted. ‘I’m not so sure they could glean that from the games we have played. It’s not for me to retort but Poland are as physical a side as I have seen in some time.’ Ouch. Adam Nawalka’s side are a pretty accomplished one, too, however. Currently sitting on top of Group D, Ireland will surely need snookers to catch them if they leave the Aviva Stadium with another maximum return of points. Having won in Georgia and pinched a point in Germany, Ireland’s campaign hit the buffers with defeat in Glasgow in their last competitive outing. In a section with next to no margin for error, O’Neill’s side badly need to begin a sequence of four home games from five with a win. In that regard, a degree of calculated risk taking is in order. Aiden McGeady’s downturn in form has seen him excluded from Roberto Martinez’s Everton side since January 31 but – while far from ideal - his international manager sees that as no barrier to inclusion. McGeady’s downturn in form at Everton should not affect his Ireland position . ‘You can get away on a bit of adrenaline if you are reasonably fit and I think he’s been fit for a number of weeks. He just hasn’t played for Everton in that time,’ said O’Neill, who handed the player his Celtic debut 11 years ago. ‘Adrenaline can carry you a certain distance. You wouldn’t want to be going into a game with say three or four players not having played that much football. ‘That may happen but you know that as some stage these players are going to tire a bit. But it is what it is. ‘It’s a disappointment from this side but I’m not in charge of their club commitments. ‘Listen, it would be absolutely fantastic if players were coming in here on the back of having played games the last couple of weekends. ‘You always sense it’s never going to be that way. I was involved as a player at Northern Ireland and we had players coming in who hadn’t played much at club level but suddenly they got a lift from playing international football. ‘That’s what I’d be hoping for.’ If O’Neill is bemused by McGeady’s exclusion at club level, he made a fine job of hiding it. ‘That’s entirely up to Everton,’ he straight-batted. ‘If I was to make that judgment on every single player at club level, I might be listening to the wrong comments. ‘Roberto Martinez is absolutely entitled to pick whoever he wants to at club level. ‘If he doesn’t think that Aiden is playing well enough to be picked for his team, that’s entirely up to him. Republic of Ireland coach Roy Keane shares a joke with McGeady during training session . ‘We’ve a different aspect here. He is obviously very important for us. He’d a great start against Georgia, continued that on although he may have been a little disappointed (in how he played) against Scotland. ‘Overall, he is important to us. I think just the change of environment might just give him that lift. I’m hopeful. ‘He’ll be a bit disappointed that he’s not in the Everton starting side. But he’ s here, he knows what he’s done for us in the recent past and that should give him a lift.’ McGeady might well be facing a familiar figure in the Polish goal. Artur Boruc, also formerly employed in Glasgow’s East End, is being tipped to win his 60th cap here after Wojciech Szczesny’s recent relegation to the Arsenal bench. ‘It’s some years ago but in his spell at Celtic he was one of the top five goalkeepers in European football,’ said O’Neill, who left Parkhead in 2005 just as Boruc was coming in. ‘Of course, there’s some water under the bridge since then and he’s now down at Bournemouth. But he was a fine goalkeeper before and if the manager is thinking of picking him, he must have great faith in him at the moment.’ Self-confidence among the Poles is scarcely at a premium. Still unbeaten in the qualifiers, their only blemish so far came in the 2-2 draw with Scotland in Warsaw. O’Neill knows – from bitter experience in Glasgow – how the entire dynamic of the section can turn in an instant. His warning then, not to gift the likes of Robert Lewandowski a prized victory hardly needs to be overstated. ‘We’re 75 minutes into the game and our concentration faded,’ O’Neill recalled of Shaun Maloney’s winning goal from a set-piece. ‘I know as you get tired in a match your concentration goes a little bit, but that really shouldn’t happen. ‘I think Poland’s approach will be a pretty positive, as suggested by the results they have got. ‘In the game against Germany there were moments in the match where I would say fortune broke for them at the time. ‘But they have earned that and they have put up points on the board. ‘Their second-half performance against Georgia in Georgia was particularly strong. ‘I’m expecting a big, big game. But this is the first match of a run where we have four out of five at home and it is up to us to do something about it.’
Republic of Ireland take on Poland in Euro 2016 qualifier on Sunday . Aiden McGeady likely to feature despite lack of playing time at Everton . Martin O’Neill’s side begin sequence of four home games from five .