IN THE WAKE of tonight’s home defeat to Sweden, both John O’Shea and Robbie Keane appeared to issue a measured criticism of Ireland’s tactical approach.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s side consistently looked to create chances against Sweden by asking Shane Long to win headers on the edge of the visitors’ box.
Once there, Robbie Keane, a recovering Long and anybody else on hand would begin the scramble to try and get the bouncing ball under control and attempt to create an opening.
“It’s certainly been a good weapon for us in the past and I think we got the first goal from that,” said Robbie Keane as he picked the bones out of the defeat.
Perhaps it was his final chance to appear at a World Cup about to go up in smoke, but every reference to the style of plan came with a forlorn facial expression and the heavy hint that he wishes things were very different.
“We do what we always do; try and get to second balls and try and nick a goal from that, win headers off Shane and try to get a few flick-ons. You know?”
He adds: “The first half hour was good. We played well with high pressure and don’t let them out of their half, but then we let them back into the game.
“It’s important at home to get an early goal, but unfortunately we didn’t capitalise on that – last 15 minutes of the first half they started getting their play going and they were a better team in the last 15. Consequently they got the goal.”
Asked whether such a hectic style of play was a frustration for him, Keane replied: “For anybody, of course it’s difficult. You want to get clear enough chances and we didn’t have that.”
Tempo
O’Shea was equally despondent about the manner in which the game unravelled for Ireland after taking the early lead. Both men are hugely experienced, not only as footballers, but as men trying to downplay and dilute any strong feelings they have.
“The tempo we started with,” O’Shea says, “it’s gonna be hard to maintain that for 90 minutes , but when we started so well and you get a great goal, if you just get to half time at 1-0 it would be such a massive carrot to hang onto.
“Credit to them, they’ve put a great ball in and 9Johan) Elmander’s got across and buried it well.
“That’s where we need to be professional enough to kill teams off .Especially from that first-half point of view when we get the goal up.
“Then in the second half, to show a bit more imagination to get that equalising goal after they go 2-1 up. That’s something we need to improve on.”
Trap door
The issue of Trapattoni’s future was put to both men. Notably, neither felt the urge to issue an unequivocal backing.
‘That’s a lot of ifs’, O’Shea said to the possibility of a new coach coming in for the final two games of the campaign.
“I’m certainly not going down that road,” Keane stated at the suggestion that the Italian’s reign was coming to an end.
“Because, I think as professionals we’ve got the manager and as far we’re concerned he’s the manager and we’re going to give him 100%.”
Get in Fr Dick Byrne,, his football style is very pleasing on the eye and his man management skills with Fr Sensini were impeccable…
Hahahaha….. Cyril had a good bond with the group too as assistant coach
I’d love to see Chris Hughton.. But you’d be crazy to leave a premier league team to manage Ireland
Keane and o Shea as senior team players really need to grow a collective pair between them and just admit trap doesent have a clue
Old manager, old ideas. Ronnie Keane to old to be playing young lads should be brought in. Creativity they lacked? Only player for Ireland that I can remember was Liam Brady who had any creativity. Have to remember the players from the 90′s all played for top clubs, now a lot play in div 1 hence standard is lower. It’s also harder to qualify now, its not the top two anymore. It will be some time before Ireland make a World Cup again. I’d like to see David O’ Leary get a call.
Dave O Leary? Is this a joke?
Who’s This Ronnie Keane character?
Can always get another old age pensioner ?
Lol,type o. You know who I mean.
Your spot in hill16 but the masses are blinded we will suffer for another 10 years
Yes they have this belief that Ireland is a great soccer team! Look at Belgium smaller population and smaller size but look at those players, game not being developed properly. Belgium off to Brazil and a million excuses why Ireland didn’t get there. New flash just not good enough.
GAA trolls. Yawn
Belgium has a population of about 11 million!
The total population in Belgium was last recorded at 11.1 million
Belgium has it’s own fully professional league and teams that have won major European titles, they also don’t’ export their best teenagers to be churned up in foreign academies.
There fecking useless. The irish soccer wouldnt even win an argument with their toe nails.slate has to be wiped clean new manager and new players get rid of the old lads
The bottom line is this Irish side is crap. Any side with Cox & Whelan in it will be beaten. Forde is not a top class keeper. A top class keeper would not have been beaten at the near post for Sweden’s 2nd goal. O’Shea has never been a dominant centre half and Dunne is finished. In spite of his goal Keane is finished. A new manager will have the same players to work with. Different tactics. Same results. At least we’ll get rid of Trap and his pigeon English talking about players with ” good personality”
Trampatoni has to go after Tuesday when our hopes get dashed…..
Last night was a disgrace, 2nd half just lumping balls forward in hope & keeping Hoolahan on the bench while bringing on Cox shows us how much of an idiot the man is…
Another man who deserves criticism is James McCarthy, a horrendous performance he was jogging towards ibrahimovic for the winner & done nothing all night
Depressing night for Irish football