“I DIDN’T REALLY care at the end,” John Giles sighed on RTÉ last Friday night and the nation sighed with him.
Or as Ultravox singer Midge Ure once put it, “this means nothing to me.”
If last week’s optimism was unnerving, the deflated outlook ahead of tonight’s meeting with Austria is wearyingly familiar. Two games in five days against Ireland’s closest rivals for Group C’s second spot were billed as “make or break” both inside and outside the camp.
It was break against Sweden — so what now?
Defeat tonight would still leave open the remote mathematical possibility that Ireland could qualify for Brazil but in all reality, it’s win or bust for the Boys in Green.
Even at that Ireland would need a miracle to book their place and save the Trapattoni/Tardelli era from a dismal end.
As Ireland futilely chased an equaliser on Friday night, there was no hiding the frustration among players and fans. The long-ball tactics hardly yielded a chance, let alone the goal Ireland needed, and played into Sweden’s hands by nullifying two of the key men: James McCarthy and Robbie Keane.
After that flat finale, sticking with the same starting 11 for this evening was never going to be acceptable; indeed, it was never going to be possible once Glenn Whelan withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury on Saturday.
But the two changes made by Trapattoni left many confused, others dismayed. James McClean was one of Ireland’s best performers against Sweden and yet he is dropped for Anthony Pilkington who makes his first competitive start in a green jersey.
“I like him. He’s an athletic player,” Trapattoni said. “He can be also a beautiful surprise because he is different player than McClean.”
Those crying out for a creative spark to offer an alternative to Friday’s barrage of long balls were again sorely disappointed by the omission of Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan. Jon Walters was carrying an ankle problem over the weekend but he starts again on the right wing while Trap’s obvious fondness for Paul Green and his dogged, disruptive qualities sees him preferred to Hoolahan.
So, it seems, it is to be more of the same. If madness is repeating the same action over and over again and expecting different results, Trap must surely be looking for a performance to match the 2-2 draw between these sides in Dublin last March rather than the limp finale against Sweden.
After all, as he has stressed in practically every press conference since, with a little more guile and gamesmanship Ireland could have prevented David Alaba’s late sucker punch and held on for all three points. That would have put them in a considerably stronger positon, even after the loss to Sweden.
The time for regrets, recriminations and what ifs might be fast approaching but as both manager and captain Robbie Keane were at pains to stress when they faced the media yesterday, it is not here yet.
“Anything can happen,” Trapattoni insisted again.
“I have spoken to the players. They know they must play with pride for our shirt, our team, and our country.”
Even if the odds are stacked against them, this still means something to them.
Oh Vienna.
Austria: TBA
Ireland: David Forde, Seamus Coleman, John O’Shea, Richard Dunne, Marc Wilson, Jon Walters, Paul Green, James McCarthy, Anthony Pilkington, Robbie Keane (c), Shane Long.
