Stan can still deliver
We may have lost 1-0, but Ireland’s performance against Germany showed genuine promise.
Tony Cascarino, 07 Sep 2006
But there was a lot to be proud of in the performance. Everyone worked their socks off, and the commitment was exceptional. Don’t forget, Germany are the third-best team in the world. Taking that into account, we did OK and gave them a few things to think about. I can’t see us winning the group, but if we keep performing like that, we’ve every chance of getting the second place. The Czechs are getting old and may not be the force they’ve been in recent years: they had a disappointing World Cup. Jan Koller will obviously be a huge menace, but Richard Dunne should be up to the challenge.
Shay will have to continue pulling off world-class saves, of course. I thought Stan picked more or less the right team, though I’d have had Graham Kavanagh in central midfield. I don’t really think Kilbane or O’Shea are natural central midfielders. I can see why Stan played Steven Reid out right: that was a tactical decision to stop their full-backs getting forward the way they did in the World Cup. Reid is big, strong, powerful and can run, and it worked very well in the first half, cutting out the threat from Lahm who’s one of the world’s best full-backs. We started to get weary legs in the second half, and I thought we needed someone to steady the ship in the centre, which is where Kavanagh would have come in handy. John O’Shea found it very difficult to get into the game, and his passes started going astray in dangerous areas. He’s struggling fitness-wise from being on the bench so often at Old Trafford, and he needs either a move from Man United, or regular first-team football.
Picking out plus points, Andy O’Brien had one of his better games and Kevin Doyle showed signs that he can develop into a top quality international striker.
While he didn’t do much wrong tactically, there was a definite whiff of the Brian Kerrs about the way Stan let the media get to him last week. Nobody likes negative coverage, but in the run-up to a big game he should be focusing on his players, not journalists who are paid to generate sensational headlines. That’s where Bobby Robson, a man who’s been through the mill on numerous occasions, really could have had an influence. If the FAI are to stick with Steve, as they must do for at least the European qualifiers, they need either a fit Sir Bobby by his side or another advisor with proven international experience to take a bit of pressure off him. Otherwise, there could be more pitchside water bottles sent flying!
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