Defeat, but not embarrassment, as Trapattoni looks towards September

Despite understandable fears of a thrashing, Ireland did well against Spain in Yankee Stadium, keeping the score to a respectable 2-0. As they did in Wembley, Ireland defended well as a unit, and could have snatched a draw in the last ten minutes during a spirited spell of pressure. Shorn of Wilson, O'Shea, Dunne, Clark, McGeady, Whelan, Green, Hoolahan, Walters and Long from the regular starters, Ireland's damage limitation job worked for almost seventy minutes, but the incessant Spanish pressure eventually paid off. Again, McCarthy and Coleman put in good shifts, with St. Ledger and Kelly showing their experience in the backline. O'Dea and McShane made their blocks and held their positions well, but their clumsy distribution from the back was a factor in Ireland having so little relieving possession.

Alongside McCarthy in midfield, the inexperienced Hendrick could offer little aside from graft, but Stephen Quinn looked assured when he came on, and looks like a more credible option for the Autumn. Keogh ran himself ragged, but McClean offered much more direct go-forward ball from the left wing when he came on, and was unlucky not to score. Up front, Cox and Keane were feeding off scraps, but battled hard to pressurise and niggle at Busquets, who was characteristically dramatic about it - until Cox genuinely scythed him down in the second half with a dangerous, studs-up tackle, which incensed the Spanish bench, and may have warranted more than the ensuing yellow card.

Spain will, no doubt, go on to bigger things in the next twelve months, as they head into a relatively straightforward conclusion to their qualifying group which should see them as favourites in Brazil. Ireland, meanwhile, have a destiny-defining week in September. Austria's win over Sweden has balanced the table into, effectively, a three-way mini-league, with no discernible advantage to any one side. Sweden's point in Germany has been undermined by defeat in Vienna, while Austria will be regretting their dropped points in Kazakhstan. Ireland would be comfortably in second place if not for Alaba's equaliser in Dublin, making it all the more galling. It's going to be a tight finish.

Trapattoni's squad looks in slightly better shape and morale for the last few games, with the enthusiastic performances against England and Spain exorcising some of the demons from the humiliations of 2012. Despite the weakness of his opposition, the introduction of Hoolahan into midfield against Georgia and the Faroes looked promising, and the fringe players will have benefited from the last few weeks. Reservations remain, however; Ireland have started with a striker on the wing for each of the last four games, without any of them providing the goal threat which Trapattoni cites as reason for deploying such a bizarre and limiting tactic. Full-back cover remains worrisome, with a huge gap in ball-playing ability between Wilson, Coleman and the next in line. Whelan clearly remains part of Trapattoni's 'Plan A', which bodes ill for Hoolahan's chances of starting in the preferred 4-4-2.

Hoolahan may lack the physical presence of a traditional central midfielder - and is much more at home in the final third - but he worked hard in his two starts, and made some useful interceptions and stand-up tackles, which is more than what Whelan has contributed off the ball lately. There is a need, in the future, for a genuine holding player to complement McCarthy's box-to-box machinations (making Gibson's volitional absence all the more frustrating), but in the absence of a clear option at present, Hoolahan's cultured stylings are preferable to the crude ploddings of Whelan, Green or Andrews.

If Hoolahan is favoured, then Ireland could present a real threat against the fragile Swedes. Quick and accurate ball from midfield would be guaranteed, and if the likes of Brady and Pilkington - injured of late - can force their way into Trapattoni's thinking against Wales in August, Ireland's midfield could be an area of attacking strength. The idea of a Brady/McGeady - Hoolahan - McCarthy - Pilkington midfield feeding Long and Keane up front, with Coleman and Wilson in support, is an appealing prospect, with a wide, varied skillset at this level. However, Trapattoni will have to be bold to abandon his principles, and a betting man would surely predict the more limited Stoke duo of Walters and Whelan returning to the fold to 'stiffen up' the Irish midfield. As ever, though, Trapattoni will keep us guessing, but at least Ireland have real options.

England, Georgia and Faroe Islands - Summary

Ireland can be relatively pleased with their efforts over the last ten days - on paper at least. A spirited 1-1 draw with England restored some pride after the Austrian surrender, and set the tone for straightforward displays against Georgia (4-0) and the Faroe Islands (3-0) at HQ. However, with the games against Austria and Sweden looming in the Autumn, few questions have been answered about Trapattoni's willingness to make the necessary changes to address the problems of the Austrian game, or how competitive Ireland can be in the qualifying run-in. Certainly, familiar problems remain with regard to selection and tactics.

The game in Wembley was notable for the continuing evolution of James McCarthy, Shane Long and Seamus Coleman into international players with genuine quality, and that as a unit, the Irish defence can raise its game against the better international teams. However, familiar weaknesses were evident, in McGeady's wastefulness in possession, Glenn Whelan's continuous slowing-down and misdirection of midfield ball, the lack of depth at left-back, a lack of direction at the attacking set-piece, and Robbie Keane's negligible effect and involvement in a 4-4-2 against better opposition. On the latter point, England could be seen to have the same problems, in having to persist with 4-4-2 to accommodate the top striker, but at least Rooney's natural ability to drop deep and spread the play complemented his team's pace on the wings. Stephen Kelly had a torrid time at left-back, facing Johnson and Walcott, and perhaps should have been more harshly exposed. Still, 1-1 was a fair result against an often-lethargic English team.

The Georgia game was a strange affair, as a 4-0 win put the gloss on what became a glorified kick-around. Of the starting line-up, only McCarthy, Long, Wilson and (in an ideal world) Hoolahan could genuinely hope to start the Autumn games, barring a catastrophic injury crisis. There was very little to be learned from the game, and it was rendered meaningless as a contest after the Georgian goalkeeper was sent off for taking down Long. Hoolahan was given plenty of space and time in midfield to show his array of playmaking skills, and performed with aplomb alongside McCarthy. Keane came off the bench to net a couple of goals, showing the predatory instincts which Long, for all his virtues, does not yet seem to possess.

For the competitive game against the Faroes, it was a repeat of the Hoolahan-Keane show, with the Norwich man pulling the strings in a deep role alongside Whelan, and Keane taking the headlines with a clinical hat-trick, bringing his international tally to 59. In the modern era of European international football, only Miroslav Klose has scored more. However, Ireland's display was mixed against the Islanders. Wilson had a worryingly shaky game in possession, and clearly needs a rest and a good pre-season after an injury-hit spell for Stoke of late. McGeady had an effective game on the left, but the policy of playing strikers on the right wing needs to stop immediately; Cox ploughed a lonely furrow there, as Keogh had done against Georgia.

Overall, Ireland could be happy with the three points and clean sheet against a side which does not often succumb to heavy beatings. The quality of Ireland's passing in midfield was markedly improved with Hoolahan directing things, though the long-ball was again resorted to at times. The latter fact incurred the inevitable wrath of the RTE panel, which has long ceased to provide a useful or enlightening perspective on any Irish game (on Sky, Ray Houghton was berating Ireland for 'over-playing' in midfield - make of that what you will).

Three games, three 4-4-2 lineups. It doesn't exactly fit in with Trapattoni's stated intention to mix things up at the squad announcement in May - nor does it bode well for Hoolahan's chances of getting into the team when McCarthy and Green - and possibly even Andrews - return to the fold. In fact, his club-mate Pilkington probably stands a better chance of getting into the starting XI, if he turns up for the Wales game in August. Though Hoolahan did his job with aplomb, you would have to expect that Trapattoni will need more physicality in the engine-room for the games against Sweden and Austria, which is understandable in a formation containing two front-men and two out-and-out wide players. The problem is that Trapattoni inexplicably sees Whelan as that 'muscle', despite actually offering little in the way of breaking up play, along with his maddeningly slow, indecisive and inaccurate distribution. Could Hoolahan be accommodated in a wide role, with licence to drift infield? That, at present, seems to be his most likely way into the starting XI, but it would be a waste of a player whose central playmaking skills have stood out this week. Unfortunately, it seems like a huge risk to accommodate all of McCarthy, Hoolahan, Keane and Long in the same team for the Autumn.

Given Keane's form in the last week, he certainly will not be the one to miss out, though against better opposition it may (whisper it quietly) be the most tactically astute omission of the four. Keane has not scored from open play against a higher-seeded opponent in his last eight games (Russia x2, Slovakia x2, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Sweden), going back to 2009, and has not looked a genuine goal threat on any of those occasions. A smart manager would surely adopt the 'horses for courses' approach, and get an extra ball-player in the midfield for the big games, at the expense of a pure finisher who, regardless of his penalty-box cunning in games when Ireland are comfortably on top, has been a tactical hindrance to Ireland in tougher games. It may seem harsh on a player whose achievements have been rightly commended this week, but if Ireland were selecting a lone striker against Sweden, surely Long would be the better option. Keane has never been at ease playing a lone role, and lacks the physicality to hold the ball up on the front-line and bring the midfield into play.

Anyway, on to Spain in New York. Looking at the Irish squad, it's a patchwork job, with thirteen players absent from the full-strength panel. A record defeat could be on the cards if Spain get a head of steam, given the frightening strength of their squad - but regardless, it is a chance for some Irish players to forge a reputation, if Ireland can manage to offer some resistance. However, with a squad mostly composed of second-tier players, it looks like a thankless task for Ireland on Tuesday night.

Squad for England, Georgia, Faroe Islands and Spain games

Giovanni Trapattoni has named a provisional squad of twenty-eight players for the upcoming summer fixtures. Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Richard Keogh (Derby), David Meyler (Hull) and Anthony Pilkington (Norwich) are called up, having been omitted for the qualifying double-header in March. Aiden McGeady returns after injury, but Ciaran Clark and Kevin Doyle need surgery, and are not considered. Richard Dunne is back in light training for Aston Villa, but despite being offered the chance to train with the squad, his manager at Aston Villa is not keen, and the centre-back will remain at Villa. Joey O'Brien can feel slightly aggrieved at his omission, after a steady season in the EPL for West Ham.

While announcing the squad, Trapattoni paid lip service to a change in tactics, indicating that Pilkington's goalscoring ability from the wing would be crucial to the effectiveness of a five-man midfield. This willingness to change has been a repeated promise since the European Championships, but despite brief, unconvincing flirtations with a more flexible gameplan, Trapattoni has generally reverted to the 'Plan A' of 4-4-2. To the manager's credit, the likes of Wilson, Coleman, Clark, McCarthy, Long and Brady have come into the side as starters in the last ten months, with Meyler, Hoolahan, Hendrick and Pilkington adding further options. However, Trapattoni's various selectional, positional and tactical oddities have kept the transition from going fully to plan. There is no rationale for playing Simon Cox on the wing, or Fahey as a midfield man-marker, or for Conor Sammon to be anywhere near the starting eleven. The reasons for Ireland's second-half meltdown against Austria were frustratingly obvious and avoidable, as the players were visibly shattered from playing to such an attrition-based gameplan. For a manager who stresses 'the little details', who carries the lofty reputation and expectation which comes from winning twenty-one major trophies in four leagues, such decisions are quite baffling - and far removed from the common-sense that Trapattoni initially brought to the job in 2008.

In the one truly meaningful game this summer, the Faroe Islands should not pose many problems for Ireland, even if McCarthy and Long are suspended. However, fans should not expect an entertaining evening or an avalanche of goals, as the direct approach will surely drag Ireland down to the visitor's level. Lest we forget, it took Ireland forty-six minutes to break the deadlock in Torshavn. However, if Trapattoni's willingness to experiment actually holds true, and we see some more constructive football against England, with Hoolahan and Pilkington to the fore, it could set a more positive tone for the competitive games ahead. Likewise, if 4-4-2 and hoofball are deployed for Wembley, a harrowing, dispiriting evening could be in prospect, which would not help the public mood ahead of the qualifying run-in. There, rather than in nineteenth-century nationalist bluster, lies the importance of the England game.

Ireland squad for England (a), Georgia (h), Faroe Islands (h) and Spain (n):

Goalkeepers: David Forde (Millwall), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), Darren Randolph (Motherwell) 
Defenders: John O’Shea (Sunderland), Sean St Ledger (Leicester), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Richard Keogh (Derby), Marc Wilson (Stoke), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Stephen Kelly (Reading), Darren O’Dea (Toronto), Paul McShane (Hull)
Midfielders: Glenn Whelan (Stoke), James McCarthy (Wigan), Paul Green (Leeds), Jeff Hendrick (Derby), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Anthony Pilkington (Norwich), James McClean (Sunderland), Robbie Brady, David Meyler (both Hull), 
Forwards: Andy Keogh (Millwall), Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy), Shane Long (West Brom), Conor Sammon (Derby), Jon Walters (Stoke), Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich).

A Near Miss: Ireland's Euro 2000 Campaign

After painfully missing out on the 1998 World Cup, Mick McCarthy was charged with leading an Irish team with an interesting mix of youth and experience to the European Championships in Holland and Belgium. Some commentators insisted that he was fortunate to keep his job, given the oft-times bizarre formations and team selections in the previous campaign, but the encouraging performance against Belgium in Brussels - and the progressive introduction of a passing game - assured the FAI that the team was heading in the right direction. The Irish side was still in transition, with the likes of Houghton, Townsend, Coyne, Phelan and David Kelly playing their last competitive games in the Belgian playoff, with others such as Cascarino and McLoughlin firmly in the veteran stage.

McCarthy's new caps since taking the job had been a mixed bunch - while Given, Cunningham, Breen, Harte, Carsley and Connolly had contributed enough to be kept in the fold, players like Gareth Farrelly, Alan Moore and the injury-ravaged Keith O'Neill had not pushed on from eye-catching performances in the early days. The core of the team, with Irwin, Staunton, Gary Kelly, Keane and Quinn, boasted plenty of experience and quality, but the Liverpool trio of Babb, Kennedy and McAteer were approaching make-or-break points in their top-level careers, and had a lot to prove in a green shirt. The team certainly needed more fresh blood, and on that front, there was some cause for optimism. Two promising teenagers - Wolves striker Robbie Keane, and Blackburn winger Damien Duff - were playing important roles for their clubs, and attracting a good deal of hype from the Irish sports media.

McCarthy used a 'B' international against Northern Ireland to blood Keane and Duff, alongside a host of other hopefuls, including future stalwarts Steve Finnan and Richard Dunne. Despite a 1-0 defeat, Duff and Keane kept their place in the squad for the first full international of the year against the Czech Republic, while Mark Kinsella, Graham Kavanagh, Rory Delap, Gareth Farrelly and Alan Maybury also impressed sufficiently to take their place on the flight to Olomouc. All played a part in the 2-1 defeat to the Czechs, as an Irish team with an average age of 22 put in a promising display. A more high-profile game against Argentina followed in April, where Ireland put in a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance. Utterly dominated in the first half, and lucky to be only 2-0 down, Ireland took the initiative in the second half, and though the scoreline remained the same, chances were created and reputations enhanced, notably those of Kinsella, Carsley and Man-of-the-Match Robbie Keane, who was desperately unlucky not to score with a mazy run and shot. On the other hand, the frail performances of centre-backs Breen and Babb were a concern, showing the importance of the more dominant Cunningham to the Irish defence, and highlighting the need for a genuine ball-winning defender in the McGrath/Moran/McCarthy mould.

Keane again shone in a low-key 0-0 draw with Mexico, but less encouraging was the performance of his partner, David Connolly, who had endured a frustrating time since being sent off in Brussels. His Feyenoord odyssey was not going well, and in time he would be demoted to their feeder side, Exelsior. Despite being earmarked as a future star for Ireland, with a good goal ratio for such a young player, it seemed inevitable that the younger Keane would take his place, and that the two were just too similar to forge an effective partnership.

Keane, meanwhile, had a busy summer ahead - he was part of the Irish side competing in the UEFA Youth Championships in Cyprus. Captained by Coventry's Barry Quinn, boasting other future internationals such as Richard Dunne, Gary Doherty, Stephen McPhail and Alan Quinn, Ireland took home the trophy, beating Germany on penalties in the final. This followed on the heels of success in the U-16 equivalent, with Ireland becoming the first nation to win both trophies in the same year. It pointed to promising times ahead, but optimism was tempered by the ominous performances of group rivals Croatia and Yugoslavia in the World Cup. Croatia reached the semi-finals, where they were unfortunate to lose to the eventual champions, and McCarthy could only hope for a World Cup hangover when Miroslav Blazevic's side visited in September.

The first game of the campaign marked the return, and first start as full-time captain, for Roy Keane. Through injury and self-inflicted absences, the aggressive midfielder had not enjoyed a sustained, impressive run in an Irish team since USA '94. This seemed in stark contrast to his commanding displays for Manchester United, which was a source of grumbling in sections of the Irish support. However, at the age of 27, Keane was approaching his peak, and ready to put his indelible mark on the Irish team. There were also starts for Robbie Keane, Duff and Kinsella, with returns for Cunningham, Irwin, Staunton, McAteer and O'Neill. Croatia were without Suker and Bilic, two of their World Cup stars, but still sent a hugely talented side to Dublin, including eight of their starters from the World Cup semi-final.

Ireland tore into the Croats from the start, with Irwin winning and converting an early penalty. The luckless O'Neill was forced off after eight minutes with yet another injury, but Ireland were two ahead after the quarter-hour, with Keane heading home after a McAteer shot deflected and looped into the goalmouth. Robbie Keane went close in the second half, as his elder namesake controlled midfield, dominating Boban and frustrating the flow of the Croats, who had two men sent off late on as a Cunningham-inspired defence contained the Croatian forwards. A 2-0 win was a triumph for McCarthy, and an emphatic vindication of his team-building process over the previous two years.

A 5-0 win over Malta followed, with Robbie Keane getting his first two international goals and Niall Quinn making a welcome return with a close-range strike. Roy Keane and Breen added the extras, but events in Kosovo would henceforth disrupt the schedule of Group Eight. Ireland's game in Yugoslavia was put back a month due to NATO bombing in the region, and there were murmurings of possible expulsion for the Yugoslavs, which had precedent in their dismissal from Euro '92 during the Bosnia conflict.

Despite the unstable situation, conditions in Belgrade were deemed safe enough for Ireland to play there in November. McCarthy, eager to combat the threat of such a technical side, reverted to a 4-5-1 formation with Quinn alone up front. Roy Keane turned in one of his finest performances in an Irish shirt, as Ireland kept the crowd quiet for long periods, and had two legitimate penalty appeals turned down. However, on sixty-four minutes, a moment of maddening indecision from Breen and Staunton allowed the ball to fall at Mijatovic's feet, and the Real Madrid striker slotted home. Ireland fought bravely, but could not find the equaliser that their performance deserved. However, Ireland were still well-placed, and would surely be in contention to qualify if the elevated levels of ball retention and organisation could be maintained. However, momentum was lost somewhat, as the Kosovo conflict escalated through the following year, forcing the cancellation of several fixtures, including the trip to Macedonia, scheduled for March. Ireland would not play competitively for another six months, and were potentially facing the prospect of a fixture backlog at the end of the campaign.

Ireland had a few friendlies scheduled to keep things ticking over, and games against Paraguay (2-0), Sweden (2-0) and Northern Ireland (0-1) were used to test some of the fringe players, of whom Kevin Kilbane and debutant Stephen Carr impressed. Both would become fixtures in the squad thereafter, with Kilbane getting a move from Preston to Sunderland, and Carr cementing his place as Spurs' first-choice right-back. In April, Ireland's Under-20 side competed in the World Youth Cup in Nigeria, as European Champions. A panel containing Keane, Duff, Doherty, McPhail, Barry Quinn, Colin Healy and Richard Sadlier was tipped to be competitive, but Ireland were eliminated in the last sixteen by the host nation, on penalties.

Ireland's home tie with Yugoslavia was pencilled in for June, but with Belgrade under intense bombing from NATO forces, and the Milosevic regime continuing a policy of genocide against Kosovar Albanians, the FAI said that if they were to play, it would be 'under severe protest', with McCarthy stating that it would be 'morally wrong' to play the game. The Department of Foreign Affairs then took the step of refusing visas to the Yugoslav team, forcing the game to be abandoned only days beforehand. Fears were raised that UEFA could punish Ireland for not fulfilling the fixture by a points deduction, or replaying the game at a neutral venue - but since the Irish government had taken the final decision, the FAI was off the hook.

Stephen Carr made his first competitive start in the game against Macedonia in June, but Roy Keane was injured, and a lethargic Ireland struggled to make headway against the Balkan side. It took a scrappy goal from Quinn to settle the affair, and although McCarthy pointed to fatigue after a long, hard season, the performance highlighted how Ireland could potentially struggle without their captain. Carsley and Kinsella were able sidekicks and decent mid-table Premiership players, but neither could genuinely, consistently command a midfield at international level. With Keane out, it seemed like a blessing that Ireland did not face the Yugoslavs that week.

During the summer, the Irish youths maintained their impressive record under Brian Kerr, finishing third in the UEFA U-18 Championships, beating Spain 1-0 en route. In transfer news, Robbie Keane became the most expensive teenager in the Premiership with a 6 million pound move to Coventry, while one of Kerr's other title-winning graduates of 1998, winger Ronnie O'Brien, raised a few eyebrows with a Bosman transfer to Juventus. Mark Kennedy moved to Manchester City in an attempt to salvage a flagging career which had stalled even further since leaving Liverpool for Wimbledon, while Keith O'Neill moved up a division to Middlesbrough.

The rearranged game with Yugoslavia was the first of a triple-header for the Irish team, with away games in Zagreb and Valletta to come. McCarthy's decisions on the starting line-up received some murmurings of disapproval. Steve Staunton had been under pressure since the game in Belgrade, with doubts lingering about his lack of pace and general ring-rustiness from being in and out of the Liverpool team. Despite Irwin's versatility giving other full-back options of Carr, Gary Kelly and Harte, Staunton was given the nod to start at left-back. Kilbane also started, with Duff omitted for Kennedy on the right wing. After a fraught first half, Ireland took the lead through a clinical Robbie Keane finish in the 56th minute. However, Staunton was caught out by a superb Mijatovic ball for Stankovic to equalise soon afterwards,  which was somewhat unfortunate, as the Dundalk man had been silencing his critics up until then. Soon after, with just over twenty minutes to go, Kennedy picked the ball up in midfield, cut inside, and unleashed a vicious shot which flew in off the underside of the bar. It was one of the most dramatic and memorable moments in the history of the old Lansdowne Road, and a fitting decider to a high-quality game of football. Ireland sat on top of the group with three games to go.

Preparations for the trip to Croatia were complicated by injuries to Irwin and the two Keanes, all of whom had been instrumental in the group thus far. With an eye on guaranteeing the three points against Malta, McCarthy made six changes, restoring Duff to the left and bringing in Gary Kelly on the right of midfield, with Carsley and McLoughlin coming into midfield to accompany the increasingly impressive Kinsella. The lone striker would be 37-year-old Tony Cascarino, rather than Quinn - a decision which astounded Irish fans and media alike. With no designated advanced midfielder in the centre and a static lone striker, Ireland would have very little to offer in possession, and the game was a predictable rearguard operation from the start. The game remained goalless into the dying moments through a combination of poor finishing, the resilience of Cunningham, and the heroics of goalkeeper Alan Kelly. However, disaster struck in the third of the allotted five stoppage-time minutes, as the exhausted Irish centre-backs misjudged a direct ball into the box, which found its way to Suker. The Arsenal centre-forward stabbed home, leaving McCarthy to face the music from an irate press. Again, his bizarre decisions had cost Ireland, and though a playoff place would be guaranteed with two wins in Malta and Macedonia, automatic qualification was dependent on other results. In the mixed zone, the injured Zvonimir Boban poured scorn on Ireland's negative performance by stating that even lowly Malta had shown more ambition during their 3-2 defeat in Zagreb.

A bedraggled Ireland reverted to 4-4-2 for the Malta game, with fit-again Robbie Keane and Quinn starting up front and Kennedy and Kilbane restored to the flanks. Ireland raced into a 2-0 lead, with Keane and Breen finding the Maltese net, but after half-time, Ireland's performance, whether through fatigue, complacency, or both, deteriorated badly, allowing the Maltese to claw their way back into the game. First, Alan Kelly was caught off his line by a measured lob from Said. Soon after, Cunningham conceded a penalty which Carrabott converted. Staunton stepped up to restore the lead with an outstanding free-kick, but the 3-2 win was only preserved by a late fingertip save from Kelly and a goal-line clearance from Staunton. After doing the hard work in beating Yugoslavia and Croatia at home, Ireland were stumbling towards the finish line. There seemed to be a marked decline in performance when Roy Keane was absent, and worryingly, he would also be sidelined for the final group game in Skopje, where Ireland had lost in 1997.

Ireland were otherwise at full strength for the return to the Balkans in October, and took the lead through a scrappy goal from Quinn, who poked home after falling over during a goalmouth melée. It typified the first half - although Ireland were never threatened at the back, it was a nervous, clumsy effort from the Irish team, with Kinsella and McLoughlin struggling to dictate the tempo. As the second half wore on, Ireland sat back, content to hold on to the lead. McCarthy bolstered the midfield with new cap Matt Holland and Keith O'Neill coming on for Kennedy and Keane. The containment effort was working until Kelly was forced to tip Stojanovski's shot around the post for a corner. What happened next will live in the dark recesses of the soul of every watching Irish fan. The referee signalled to the Irish players that the corner would be the last play of the game. The outswinging ball was delivered, Keith O'Neill fell over in the box after colliding with Cascarino, and his designated man - right back Goran Stavrevski of NK Zagreb - met the cross with a bullet header to consign Ireland to two dropped points. Meanwhile, Yugoslavia and Croatia had played out a 2-2 draw in Zagreb, meaning that Yugoslavia topped the group, and Ireland had the reprieve of the playoffs. Had Ireland held out in Skopje, they would be going through as group winners.

'Twice in a month is not good for the health,' McCarthy said afterwards. 'We're devastated that we're in the play-offs. Finishing ahead of Croatia, in reality, is a great achievement, but this morning it's cold comfort because we should have won that group. But you only get there if you win football matches. You get what you deserve.'

The following week, Ireland were drawn with Turkey in the playoffs. With Israel, Scotland and Slovenia also in the mix, the draw could certainly have been kinder, as Turkish football was on an upward curve - Galatasaray would win that season's UEFA Cup, and the national team had taken four points from Germany in their group. The second leg would be played in Bursa, which complicated the Irish travelling arrangements. On the upside, Roy Keane would be back, and Ireland named a strong, physical side with Carsley replacing the suspended Kinsella. The in-form Rory Delap, who had scored recently for Derby against Arsenal and Chelsea, was picked on the right-hand-side of midfield, while there were returns for Carr and Kilbane. Unfortunately, with minutes to go before kick-off, Quinn was forced to withdraw with a back injury, meaning that Tony Cascarino would partner Keane up front, a decision which elicited groans of dismay from the Lansdowne Road crowd upon its announcement.

Ireland started brightly and forced some good saves from Rustu in the Turkish goal, in particular from Kilbane and Cascarino, but the Turks, insipired by Sergen Yalcin, began to get a grip on the game, and proceeded to dominate possession well into the second half. Ireland's methods became more direct, but Alpay Ozalan was proving an insurmountable obstacle in the Turkish defence. Against the run of play, Ireland took the lead with ten minutes to go. Irwin broke up play in midfield and fed it through for substitute Connolly. The forgotten striker squared for Robbie Keane, who controlled and fired home. However, once again Ireland failed to make the most of a promising position, and surrendered the lead. There was an element of misfortune in the awarding of Turkey's penalty, as Carsley accidentally brushed the ball with his arm after an attempted block. Subsititute goalkeeper Dean Kiely could not reach Tayfur's penalty, and like the home leg against Belgium two years previously, it finished 1-1. Ireland would have to score in Turkey, and do so without Robbie Keane, who was unnecessarily booked for dissent soon after the equaliser.

Quinn recovered sufficiently to take his place up front alongside Connolly in Bursa, with Kinsella restored to the engine-room. Due to failed negotiations over television rights, the game was not broadcast in Ireland, except in various bars that could adjust their satellite dishes to pick up Turkish signals. Turkey had the better of the game, with Kiely having to make a number of saves. Quinn did not have the same chemistry with Connolly as he had enjoyed with Keane throughout the campaign, and Ireland could not force any clear-cut chances. Sukur hit the bar with a close range header in the second half, but that was the closest either side came to breaking the stalemate. It finished 0-0, and there was a brief brawl between Irish and Turkish players at the final whistle, with Cascarino and Ogun trading punches. Turkey had been the better side over two legs, and Ireland could have little complaint about the result - qualification for the tournament had been lost in Skopje.

Amidst the chaos, McCarthy was offered a new two-year deal by the FAI, taking him to the end of the 2002 World Cup campaign. While the victories against Yugoslavia and Croatia had been among the most impressive Irish victories of the decade, and a far cry from the disjointed efforts of the previous campaign, questions remained about McCarthy's decision-making at crucial periods, and his stubborn loyalty to certain players. The unnecessary changes against Croatia were particularly baffling. The slipshod organisation of the side against Malta and Macedonia suggested that McCarthy's grip on the team was not as solid as he would have liked, and considering the heroics of Cunningham, Irwin, Roy Keane and Robbie Keane, it seemed like Ireland owed more at times to individual players than the management. Ireland's worst performances - against Croatia away, Malta away, and both games against Macedonia - came in Roy Keane's absence, and debate would rumble on about Ireland's ability to compete without their most high-profile player.

Considering how much of an impression Damien Duff would make in subsequent campaigns, it seems curious that he only started five of Ireland's ten matches, and was not considered as a striking option when McCarthy was forced to desperately turn to the 37-year-old Cascarino. Ireland had played some good football in the campaign, but reverted to more direct tactics in the final games, notably the first leg of the playoff, when a more subtle approach could have reaped reward. A quick, skilful attacker would certainly have given Alpay a more disconcerting time than an immobile, lumbering veteran. Using Duff against Croatia in a more central role could also have offered Ireland a more attacking midfield threat within the defensive 4-5-1 formation. Unfortunately, it would take McCarthy another year-and-a-half to figure out how to use the Blackburn man to best effect - it seemed that Duff was simply under instruction to hug the touchline and put in crosses, when there was so much more to his game.

Cascarino was just one player who benefited from McCarthy's faith. Kennedy, Staunton, Kibane, Carsley, McLoughlin, Connolly and Breen also shipped criticism at various times, with arguably more talented alternatives being ignored. Though Staunton and Kennedy scored spectacular winners against Malta and Yugoslavia, those moments of magic were against the run of their mediocre general play. Staunton's errors cost Ireland a couple of goals over the camapign, while Kennedy was generally ineffective on both wings. The 1999/2000 season saw an impressive number of Irish players - including many of Brian Kerr's graduates - playing Premiership football, and McCarthy had plenty of alternatives to misfiring regulars. There was no end of ammunition for the Irish media to champion their 'flavours of the month', even though many of these players  were, in truth, flattering to deceive - examples being Michael Reddy, Jason Gavin and Barry Quinn. Some columnists even criticised McCarthy for not picking 20-year-old Leeds playmaker Stephen McPhail against Turkey, ahead of the more experienced, abrasive, and less technical Carsley. However, for all his critics, McCarthy had brought through a number of young players during the campaign - Robbie Keane, Duff, Kilbane and Carr would go on to have long, distinguished Irish careers, and Kinsella stepped up to fill the void vacated by Townsend. Matt Holland and Dean Kiely would also prove, in time, to be very useful additions to the squad.

Despite the controversy, the decision to keep McCarthy turned out to be a good one, but with so many players in or around their best form that season - Carr, Irwin, Cunningham, Harte, Gary Kelly, Kinsella, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Robbie Keane and Quinn - the Euro 2000 campaign was, without doubt, an opportunity missed. Though McCarthy made some vital errors of judgement, perhaps the wider squad was just not strong enough at that stage to sustain injuries to vital players, and as much as McCarthy's critics would pour scorn on the concept, luck certainly deserted Ireland at various times. The Croatia and Yugoslavia victories were a promising sign of what could happen when McCarthy's men were at full strength, but that level of performance would have to be repeated if McCarthy's contract renewal was to be justified.

Ireland vs. Austria - Review

The dust has just about settled. Enough time has elapsed since last Tuesday for this blog to consider the events and repercussions of Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria without throwing the laptop out the window in a fit of pique. The writing was on the wall from the time it was leaked that Conor Sammon would be joining Shane Long up front in a direct, static, two-pronged strikeforce, thus abandoning the progressive, fluid shape of the 0-0 draw in Stockholm. On that occasion, Robbie Keane had helped out in midfield, in a similar deep-lying role to that which he performed with such competence during his Aston Villa loan spell. Upon his injury, the natural replacement would have been Wes Hoolahan, but yet again, the Norwich playmaker was left on the bench. Clearly, there would be a sea-change in tactics for Austria; unfortunately, this involved changing a progressive formula to return to the abortive tactics of the first half against Poland.

However, the 'horses for courses' approach almost paid off. Despite going a goal behind, Ireland were worth the half-time lead. The pressure and aggression from the Stockholm game was very much in evidence, and although the go-forward ball  was much more direct, speculative and often more wasteful than the previous Friday, the Austrian back four looked unsettled, and Ireland were winning the loose balls. However, for all their virtues, clear-cut chances were not generally forthcoming from open play, and Ireland's goals came from a penalty and a set-piece. Sammon was 'making a nuisance' of himself off the ball, in his closing down of the Austrian back-line, but Long was doing the same job with a great deal more mobility, control and effect. The West Brom striker was unlucky when an audacious back-heeled attempt hit the post, and deserved the man-of-the-match award with a thoroughly selfless performance.

After the break, Ireland increasingly went into their shells, through an apparent mixture of fatigue and conservatism. Austria - technically sound as expected - began to create chances and dominate possession. Ireland, as has happened so often in the past, sat back and attempted to defend the lead. Austria certainly had more left in the tank; while Ireland had slogged it out with the Swedes the previous Friday, Austria barely broke sweat in dismissing the Faroes. However, Trapattoni could have made it easier for the bedraggled Irish team. Glenn Whelan was just returning from injury, and clearly should not have been left on for ninety minutes. As McCarthy and Whelan tired, the game began to pass them by, yet no changes were made in the centre. Paul Green came on for Long, but with Walters moving up front, Trapattoni failed to reinforce the midfield, and when Bayern Munich's David Alaba evaded the Irish anchormen at the edge of the box in the 93rd minute, there was only going to be one outcome.

Ireland's poor ball retention in the second half did not help - chasing the incessant Austrian possession was only going to tire Ireland out as the game dragged on. Given that Long was doing the work of two men up front, and that Sammon's lack of technique and mobility was rendering him an 'empty jersey', surely the introduction of an extra midfielder could have helped Ireland's cause in closing out the game? Hoolahan or Brady would have brought an extra level of composure, savvy and fluidity to the effort without necessarily compromising on the general aggression and work-rate of the team.

It is easy to talk about 'should haves' after the event, but the inevitability of this performance and result was the most damning indictment. It was all to easy to predict, from Trapattoni's persistence with this static, self-defeating, outdated formation over the last few years, and the narrow escapes against Georgia, Cyprus, Macedonia and Armenia, that Ireland would eventually pay the price and succumb to a lower-ranked side. When it is accepted that we cannot compete with the bigger nations, Ireland's competitive status under Trap's modus operandi depends on sweeping the board against the fourth, fifth and sixth seeds. When these results are not achieved, these miserly tactics - already alienating large sections of support - become wholly indefensible.

Ireland could still qualify, as Sweden and Austria still have to play each other twice, and four points from the return fixtures in the Autumn may be enough to sneak into the playoffs. However, there is a danger that the runner-up from this group could be eliminated as the 'worst second placed' team, and that danger will grow if Ireland are, as expected, to depend on results elsewhere. Getting six points against two teams we have just failed to beat looks like a remote prospect, as does the possibility of winning a playoff against seeded opposition, especially given that the likes of France, Croatia and Portugal could lie in wait.

Trapattoni will not quit, and the FAI will not look to oust him until Ireland are mathematically out of the running. This is standard practice for international sides, regardless of the manager's unpopularity. Trapattoni is a dignified, venerable Italian gentleman, who has devoted a lifetime to football, and achieved a huge level of success with a variety of clubs. It is hard to dislike the man, and there is an ever-present concern that Trapattoni's replacement will just be fished from the managerial maelstrom of lower-EPL/Championship football, and will probably carry some significant stains of mediocrity or failure on their CV. However, as Trapattoni found at Stuttgart and during his tenure of the Italian national team, his conservative ideas do not always work for the players at his disposal. If Trapattoni were to walk tomorrow morning, there would be few tears shed.

No-one is saying that Ireland should be beating all-comers while playing attacking, entertaining football - there is no tradition in Irish football, despite the high-flying ideals of Dunphy and Giles, for remaining competitive while simultaneously appeasing the purists. Directness, attrition and aggression have always been hallmarks of even the more gifted Irish teams - think of Ireland's goal against Germany in Ibaraki. Trapattoni's pragmatism is certainly not at odds with, or any kind of affront to Ireland's (real or imagined) footballing heritage. However, a different manager with any kind of pedigree would surely avoid the kind of bizarre selections and counter-productive tactics which have undermined the perception of the manager since the beginning of his tenure. The positive factors from a promising trip to Sweden - arguably the best Irish performance since 2009 - were simply abandoned for the Austria game. In-form EPL players like Clark, Coleman, Wilson, McCarthy, Hoolahan and Long have waited interminably to break into this Irish team, yet limited players like McShane, Ward, O'Dea, Green, Keogh, Cox and Sammon have been parachuted into big games with negligible experience or club pedigree. Players are asked to fill unfamiliar roles - Cox, Keogh and Walters have found themselves on the wing in this campaign. Trapattoni has unnecessarily alienated a number of players into international exile - certainly Dean Kiely, Steven Reid and Darron Gibson's situations could have been managed with more tact and understanding, given their possible value, and even good pros like Stephen Kelly and Long have had valid reasons to be aggrieved with Trap. The 4-4-2 formation continues to demand Herculean efforts from our outnumbered central midfielders, and crystallizes our reliance on a style of football which can only succeed through exhausting, brutal attrition.

The eccentricities of the manager and his methods could be forgiven as long as Ireland remained competitive. However, the demeanour of the players last week seemed to suggest that a vital chance had been missed. We've been here before, and the margins for qualification are often so thin as to leave no room for error against the lower seeds. Two draws with Israel scuppered Irish qualification for 2006, while dropped points against Lithuania, Iceland, Macedonia, Northern Ireland and Liechtenstein cost Ireland a possible three finals appearances between 1996 and 2000. Unfortunately, this campaign now seems doomed to the same fate, and we find ourselves lumbered with a manager who will persist with a redundant philosophy and indefensibly puzzling loyalties.

Pressure on Trapattoni to build on improved performance

A 0-0 draw in Stockholm was a just reward for Ireland on Friday night, as Trapattoni's young team turned in a refreshingly competent performance - doing much to silence the grumblings of discontent and disillusionment that have been following the team like a pungent smell since the European Championships. Criticism of the manager, his tactics, and his team/squad selections had long ceased to merely be the cantankerous uproar of contrarians and trolls; we all had good reason to be concerned with the direction of the team under Trapattoni. The persistence with 4-4-2, and the constant favouritism of grizzled, lower-league journeymen over in-form EPL talent - exemplified by Trapattoni's initial favouring of Paul Green over James McCarthy - was worrying and frustrating in equal measure.

However, Trapattoni changed tack for Sweden. While one of these changes was, indeed, forced, others were borne of common-sense and a refreshing placement of trust and confidence in the younger players. Coleman and Wilson attacked with purpose, maintained possession and defended with a competence not seen from Irish players in their positions for over ten years. Since the retirement of Denis Irwin, Ireland have suffered through a litany of vulnerable left-backs - Harte, O'Shea, Kilbane and the hapless Ward have all been tried there, but Wilson looks like the first in that line to offer both defensive solidity and technical prowess. Coleman, on the other side, continues to improve as a dynamic, attacking right-back. Clark did the basics well, and now looks like a genuine international-standard centre-half. McCarthy, rightfully restored to the starting line-up, gave a mature and intelligent performance in midfield, and will only continue to improve. McClean showed some glimpses of Kilbane-esque directness and aggression on the left-wing, but his final ball was often found lacking, notably from set-pieces. Long led the line as best he could, battling bravely against Olsson, winning his share of 50-50s, but was isolated at times. These players are all relatively uncontaminated from last summer's fiasco, and many have a point to prove after being ignored for quite a long time. This injection of energy - and chippiness - was a factor in Ireland's controlled aggression and ambition on Friday night.

Another interesting factor was the positioning of Robbie Keane as an extra midfielder with licence to roam across the frontline from deep in attacking phases. It is the first time that Trapattoni has allowed such a tactical shift, and it paid dividends, with Sweden unable to play through Ireland's bolstered midfield, despite the ever-present threat of a deep-lying Ibrahimovic. Keane's presence in midfield allowed McCarthy or Green to push forward to join him in closing down Elm and Kallstrom, forcing them into uncharacteristically aimless passes into the channels, which the mobile Irish back four could deal with. Also, with Walters and McClean flying into tackles and covering their full-backs, the Swedes were struggling to find any points of attack. Ibrahimovic may have been on a sulk, but Sweden were choked and negated from much deeper on the pitch. Jack Charlton would have been proud of Ireland's incessant pressure in the opposition half. However, Sweden did not help themselves with some sloppy passing and unforced errors. When they did create chances, they were undone by the wastefulness of Tobias Hysen - a player who was once kept out of Sunderland's team by Daryl Murphy.

Tactically, the the controlled aggression, discipline and organisation of the Irish team had the indelible stamp of Trapattoni, and he can take credit for that. However, the circumstances of McCarthy's dropping and reinstatement, and the baffling set of decisions regarding Robbie Brady, remind us that Trapattoni's ideas are not always clear or even conventionally logical. Glenn Whelan will most likely start on Tuesday, despite not being fully fit. Whelan is a big part of the long-term midfield problem which seemed to have been remedied on Friday night, and his pedestrian presence is definitely a backwards step in a game where Ireland will need to dictate the pace in midfield. Also, rumours abound that Conor Sammon will take the injured Robbie Keane's place, meaning a return to a flat 4-4-2. Hoolahan would have been the natural alternative in the 'floating' role that Keane played the other night, and would have ensured continuity from an impressive performance. It seems that Trapattoni, having stumbled upon a promising, progressive formula, seems determined to undermine all his good work and revert to the blundering Neanderthal hoofball of Plan A.

On Friday, Trapattoni finally seemed to realise that a subtle positional shift was needed to offset our previous lack of numbers in midfield. It worked, but the positives from Stockholm will only be banked if we continue to play with the same flexibility and ambition against Austria. Hoofing it towards Conor Sammon will not be enough against an Austrian team that should be more than capable of retaining any loose possession. This blog has been barking up the Hoolahan tree for quite a while now, and this is an ideal opportunity to make the best of his talents without disrupting the solid foundations which Ireland's young players laid on Friday. If - as seems probable - Ireland return to the long-ball tactics of that abysmal first half against Poland, the required three points will be forsaken, and that would be a crying shame given the pleasant surprise of Stockholm. Over to you, Trap.

Sweden vs. Ireland - Preview

This time next week, Ireland's World Cup qualifying campaign will still only be, on the fixture list, a half-written narrative. However, with seven games remaining prior to our Stockholm showdown, there is a palpable sense of doom. The pre-game atmosphere among Irish fans has been muted - almost resigned to inevitable fate, much like the comportment of the travelling Green Army in Prague in 2007. A battling 1-0 defeat then to the Czech Republic put paid to Ireland's qualification hopes, and as Jon Walters admitted during the week, if Ireland take less than four points from the next two games, a playoff place is very, very unlikely. Even if Ireland pull out a positive result from Friday night's game, there is little to suggest that the team in its current guise has the capability of grinding out the necessary results in the remaining games to make it into the playoffs - or indeed to overcome a seeded opponent over two legs.

Trapattoni's selections have grown more bizarre and less defensible as the seasons have passed. The controversial dropping of Andy Reid for the likes of Miller and Rowlands in 2008/9 was not, as may have been thought, a pragmatic, once-off, commendably hard-line decision, but a decision based on favouritism of a certain type of footballer, which Trapattoni sees as essential to the success of a country which does not churn out 'flair' players. The qualities of aggression, physicality, directness and graft will, according to Trap's logic, compensate for our traditional technical shortcomings through a bloody-minded refusal to play the rest of Europe at its own dilettante, tippy-tappy game.

However, football has moved on from the days of Egil Olsen's Norway, Richard Moller-Nielsen's Denmark, Jack Charlton's Ireland, and even Otto Rehegal's Greece. Graft and guts are not enough in an era when skilful players (and divers) are institutionally mollycoddled by UEFA's referees - when even the lesser European nations boast technically gifted midfielders, capable of maintaining possession, particularly when it is repeatedly gifted away.  Trap's obtuse philosophy will see the likes of Wes Hoolahan, Shane Long and possibly James McCarthy shelved for the dubious talents of Jon Walters, Conor Sammon and Paul Green, and has already put paid to the immediate international future of Darron Gibson - possibly Ireland's most impressive midfielder in the EPL. With Dunne, McGeady and Pilkington injured, and no obvious replacements apparent for Duff and Given, Ireland can not afford to cast aside its foremost talents. Yet, that is exactly what is going to happen in Stockholm tomorrow night.

Sweden, as they showed in the European Championships, have a technically sound team with a fair smattering of pace and the usual dollop of Scandinavian confidence and efficiency. If Paul Green's mooted marking job on Ibrahimovic manages to defy logic and achieve the desired effect, the likes of Russia-based Rasmus Elm and Kim Kallstrom will still provide a significant goal threat, aside from the mockery they promise to make of our beleaguered, undermanned midfield. They will be comfortable on the ball, clever in their utilisation of Ibrahimovic in deep positions, and clinical in their finishing if the chances are offered.

Ireland's likely centre-back partnership of O'Shea and Clark has not looked at ease in either of the last two friendlies, and their club form is not encouraging. Full-backs Coleman and Wilson both offer some semblance of promise and natural ability in those problematic positions, but with only three competitive starts between them, they could be in for a harrowing introduction to this level. Trap's reluctance to blood both players over the last eighteen months could be costly, as they now find themselves thrown in at the deep end. The likely wing pairing of Robbie Brady and James McClean is even less experienced at this level, but the alternatives (strikers Cox and Keogh) don't even bear thinking about. Brady's excellent set piece delivery could bear some fruit, however, and may, sadly, represent Ireland's only hope at creating chances. Up front, the Keane-Walters partnership offers little more than the isolation of an obsolete attacking principle - the 'big man, little man' combination that was so popular in the early 1990s. Keane's form is impossible to read, given the paucity of real challenges in his current employment, but one must suspect that a combination of Hoolahan and Long would be far more effective than the prospect of static strikers clinging to the shoulders of the big Swedish centre-halves.

The omission of Kevin Doyle is a non-issue, despite the usual desperate scandal-mongering of the Irish media. He would not have played, nor made much of a difference as a substitute, on his abject current form (Sammon should not have been selected either, I must add, but truly, neither deserves a place). Hoolahan and Long are the elephants in the room, and if the talents of McCarthy are sacrificed for the slapstick designs of Paul Green - Irish football's answer to Jar Jar Binks - then Trapattoni will truly deserve what comes to him. However, the prospect of being World Cup 'also-rans' with fifteen months to go until the finals is not what the Irish fans deserve, nor the hard-working, dedicated players within the squad who are hamstrung - like, dare I say it, in the doomed Staunton era - by tactical intransigence and bizarre selections.