Ireland vs. Latvia - Review

After the interminable, over-analysed circus of media conferences, football mercifully took centre stage on Friday night, as the Martin O'Neill reign began. Although the opposition must be taken into account when analysing such a performance, there were plenty of positives to take from Ireland's 3-0 victory over Latvia. All round, Ireland's players showed much more urgency and willingness to receive the ball, make angles, create space, link up, and move the ball forward to create chances. These factors should form the basis of any competent performance at international level - particularly given the increasing technicality of modern football - but Ireland's execution was a class apart from anything that the same players produced under Trapattoni. Even the more impressive wins against similar opposition under the Italian (Northern Ireland, Oman, Faroe Islands, Estonia, etc) were devoid of the subtlety that we saw on Friday night. For the first time at the new Aviva stadium, we saw consistent application of a modern, technical game-plan from the home side.

In possession from the back, Ireland's back four was encouraged to spread wider than usual, allowing a deep-lying midfielder to come to a 'first-receiver' position. With full-backs already in advanced positions, Ireland could create outlets and options for that first receiver (usually McCarthy) to spread the play. An intriguing development was the deployment of Wilson as a 'footballing centre-half' to assist in bringing the ball into midfield, allowing Whelan or McCarthy to push on. Ireland's problems under Trapattoni lay in the two sitting midfielders being outnumbered, receiving little help from elsewhere, as the rigidity of the 4-4-2 formation forbade any fluid movement in possession. Against Latvia, three of the back four could expect to be involved in the build-up, while Keane and Hoolahan took turns to drop back, crowding out the Latvians. Accordingly, Ireland kept possession, McCarthy and Whelan had options, and chances inevitably came. Ireland scored thrice, but could have scored more but for sloppy finishing and good goalkeeping. For a change, it seemed as though Ireland's midfield posed a genuine threat.

Obviously, against better opposition, there will be a risk of being caught on the counter attack with such a fluid gameplan. Ireland's tactic against Latvia was to press and harry high up the pitch, once possession had been lost, to stymie counter attacks at the source, and revert to a more rigid system once the ball reached the middle third. A simple system, based on tactical principles which are accepted as common practice among Europe's best sides. It was refreshing to see an Irish team carrying out these fundamentals with such aplomb, as Westwood did not have one significant save to make.

One aspect of O'Neill's pragmatism which came into notable effect was the deployment, from the start, of players playing in their correct positions. Left-footed players (Ward, McClean) on the left, right-footers (Coleman, McGeady) on the right. Ireland had a balance and natural width which really aided the quick build-up and fluidity of Ireland's attack. Unfortunately, Stephen Ward - the only Irish player to seem remotely uncomfortable on Friday - remains the only left-footed left-back available to Ireland at any decent level. An alternative needs to be promoted - or fished from the progeny of the diaspora - as quickly as possible.

Poland on Tuesday will be a tougher test, but with O'Neill set to rotate dramatically from the first-choice in order to 'give everyone a run', it may be difficult to get a real sense of where Ireland are heading in the grand scheme. The injured Pilkington, Brady and Gibson are also set to come back into the reckoning at some stage of the next year, with the likes of Stephen Quinn and David Meyler also likely to play themselves back into contention, so the starting XI against Poland could bear little resemblance to anything O'Neill may field again. Forde, Kelly, Clark, Green, Andy Reid and Walters are all in contention to start. It will be interesting to see if O'Neill persists with a similar gameplan to that of Friday night, and how effective it can be away from home against a team of similar rank.

End the Anthem Butchery

The only piece of negativity from the Latvia game, in my view, was the decision by the FAI to retain the services of model Nadia Forde, who once again butchered the National Anthem with her Americanised, egotistical, dragged-out warblings.

The singing of the National Anthem is a special moment; a bond between team and fans. It is part of the ethereal 'X-factor' of a home game - an expression of pride and the intangible common bonds of ancestry and culture that unite the players and those who have come to will them on to victory. It, in a way, defines the tribal magic of International football. It is contaminated, homogenised and infuriatingly bastardised when a solo singer leads the procession. It should be about team and fans singing  together above the music. No third party should interfere with that bond - and certainly not distract from it with narcissistic note-milking. And yes, I would say the exact same if it were a male vocalist. Contrast the singing of Amhran na bhFiann in Poznan last year, or in Croke Park in 2007 for the Ireland - England rugby game, to Forde's cringe-inducing efforts.

It has been pointed out that the FAI does have quite a strong link to Denis O'Brien these days - a man who has made some capital from promoting the likes of Forde, and other Irish models, in his media publications. O'Brien would surely need to have dealings with their agencies, to keep the 'respectable' Sunday Independent brimming with fresh masturbation aids. Call me a cynic, but there seems to be more to this than meets the eye, given how unpopular the idea of solo anthem singers has proven, and the ridicule that Forde's performance has attracted from the Irish fans.

An intriguing appointment, but not without risks

With Martin O'Neill now confirmed as the Irish senior team manager, it comes as a relief that the search was not a long, drawn-out affair, as it was in the wake of Kerr and Staunton's departures in 2005 and 2007. The friendlies against Latvia and Poland will give the new management team a decent opportunity to set a marker, and the winter should provide an adequate 'settling in' period for O'Neill and his assistants to familiarise themselves fully with the available talent, and get to grips with their various responsibilities. There should be no excuse for the new Irish team being 'caught cold' when the Euro 2016 qualifiers come around.

From the first, O'Neill was the outstanding candidate. With more club-level pedigree and a greater reputation than the likes of McCarthy, McDermott, O'Leary, Coyle or Hughton, he was certainly the best Irish option. While other non-Irish names were reportedly in the mix, there was no outstanding, realistic candidate among them - furthermore, Trapattoni showed, in his more eccentric moments, the risks of appointing a foreign manager from left-field for one last pay-day. 

However, in saying that, O'Neill's pedigree is mostly built on his time with Celtic, where he inspired the previously hapless Bhoys to three league titles in five years. With O'Neill at the helm, Celtic enjoyed a plethora of memorable European performances, including victories over Juventus, Barcelona, Ajax and Liverpool, and reaching the UEFA Cup Final in 2003. While overtaking the hugely dominant Rangers with a smaller budget was undoubtedly a feat, Scotland is not an adequate testing ground for players or managers to shine at a higher level. Take away O'Neill's Parkhead achievements, and his record is no more impressive than that of, say, the out-of-work Tony Pulis and Alan Curbishley. O'Neill boasts a couple of trophies and regular mid-table finishes with Leicester, guiding Aston Villa to a couple of above-average finishes, and - most recently - battling relegation with Sunderland. He is a good manager at EPL level, but hardly a miracle worker or a hugely 'technical' coach.

However, O'Neill is more than qualified to manage Ireland. Lets not forget that Giles and Staunton got the gig with no managerial experience, while Hand and Kerr got their shot off the back of their League of Ireland and under-age achievements. Jack Charlton had managed in the top flight of English football for only four of his twelve years in club football (in a very 'unsophisticated' era for the game) before taking the Ireland job, and Mick McCarthy had three-and-a-half seasons with Millwall in the second tier. O'Neill's achievements in the game eclipse all of his predecessors bar Trapattoni, and the Derry man will not bring the same eccentricity or communication issues, and he will hopefully work harder to evaluate (and even reinforce) the Irish playing pool. Every managerial appointment is a risk, and every record will be scrutinized at this level - but O'Neill is a big enough character, with a strong enough record, to withstand the cynicism of the average Irish punters (i.e. denizens of the RTE Sport comments section).

Speaking of these grumblings, a lot of the more heated debate has centred on the identity of his assistant. Roy Keane remains an intensely divisive figure in Irish football - for some, an honest, uncompromising champion of ambition and professionalism, with a track record as captain of both Ireland and Manchester United to back up that reputation. On the other hand, he is a flawed character; often seeming impulsive, severe, abrasive, brooding, distant, and lacking in the kind of compassion and humanity that we see from the best managers - characteristics that were his undoing at Sunderland and Ipswich. Compare the jovial, engaging, inclusive, nice-guy personality of Jurgen Klopp to the scowling bitterness of Keane, and it's clear that top-level football management has moved on from simple 'rule by intimidation'. Furthermore, international football is not the place to fall out with players, as Trapattoni learned. There is a dignity and tact required, which O'Neill will certainly bring - it remains to be seen how Keane's 'my way or the highway' approach will fit into the requirements of his job, particularly given the fact that O'Neill will have the final say on personnel and tactics.

Keane's actual role does warrant clarification, but it is certainly an exciting and intriguing appointment, which promises to entertain - on and off the pitch. This Irish team has a core of mostly young players - such as Clark, Coleman, Wilson, Gibson, Meyler, McCarthy, Brady, and Pilkington - who have yet to really 'find themselves' as internationals, nor put down a serious, consistent marker at this level. If Keane can channel some of his ferocity, knowledge and ambition in a constructive way on the training pitch, and O'Neill brings his famed man-management skills, this crop of players could really grow as international players and thrive. One thing is for sure - there will be no strops or petulant tweeting if players are left out.

There is certainly potential for unwanted drama, with Keane on board, but hopefully the entertainment will keep to the confines of the pitch, and Ireland - like the Celtic team of 2000 - can be shaken out of their slump.