A PRE-SEASON INTERNATIONAL friendly just days before the Premier League begins rarely stirs the blood and so it proved on a thoroughly disappointing evening in Cardiff where Ireland and Wales played out a dull scoreless draw.
If Giovanni Trapattoni was looking for indicators as to who to include in his starting XIs for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria then he will have been left disappointed after such an insipid showing.
And yet there were some bright cameos to lift Irish spirits with Robbie Brady, Paddy Madden and the ever dependable John O’Shea standing out on an otherwise forgettable evening.
Robbie Brady
Giovanni Trapattoni’s decision to start the Hull City (Tiger?) in place of regular winger James McClean proved the only surprise change to Ireland’s starting line-up prior to last night’s friendly.
The former Manchester United player acquitted himself well during an otherwise dire first 45 minutes by providing a willing outlet on the wing and was involved in Ireland’s only two decent chances of the opening half.
First, Brady showed a neat touch on the edge of the box in the 25th minute before walloping his shot wide of the target. Next, the 21-year old went close to opening the scoring just minutes before the interval by expertly dodging a defender and curling a beautiful strike inches past the upright.
So impressive was Brady’s performance that it came as something of a surprise to see the Hull City player replaced at half time for James McClean. Bottom line is that Robbie Brady’s assured display gives Trapattoni plenty to think about ahead of selecting his starting eleven for the World Cup qualifier at home to Sweden in September.
It will be fascinating to see if the Italian sticks with McClean or goes with the up and coming Brady for that crunch encounter and the Hull City winger certainly did his prospects no harm at all with a decent individual display.
Paddy Madden
The former Bohemians and current Yeovil Town player made his full debut from the substitute’s bench after 67 minutes and although failing to score, the diminutive striker didn’t look out of place during his 23 minutes on the pitch.
Madden will not leap ahead of Robbie Keane, Shane Long or Conor Sammon in the pecking order of Ireland’s first choice strikers for a while yet but showed enthusiasm, hustle and ability in his brief appearance to suggest he has the attributes to develop into a quality striker.
The Yeovil forward’s first involvement was to set-up the in-rushing Shane Long for a shot that Welsh goalkeeper Boaz Myhill did well to block. Madden’s best moment came in the 82nd minute when he connected first-time with Jon Walters’ low centre and saw a cracking left foot effort brilliantly saved by Myhill at the foot of the post.
Madden snatched at a late half-chance in a crowded penalty area and sent his effort skywards when more composure was needed. Overall it was an eye-catching performance from the debutante that bodes well for the future.
John O’Shea
Giovanni Trapattoni will have been delighted with his captain’s commanding display in the heart of the Irish defence ahead of next month’s two crucial World Cup qualifiers. Richard Dunne is still on the long road to recovery whilst Sean St Ledger’s recent injury looks set to keep the Leicester City centre-half out of action for some time. Whilst Ciarán Clark and Darren O’Dea are each capable defenders in their own right, Ireland would be lost without John O’Shea’s experience and ability.
The arrival of Paolo Di Canio at the Stadium of Light has seen an upturn in fortunes for Sunderland and also John O’Shea who has clearly benefited from the Italian’s rigorous pre-season training regime.
O’Shea closed off a succession of Welsh attacks; quietened Craig Bellamy for the entire hour the Sunderland defender was on the pitch and most importantly of all intelligently anchored the Irish back four resulting in another welcome clean sheet.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a hat-trick on the same evening against Norway, John O’Shea knows he will have to deliver one of his best ever performances in an Irish jersey to quell the PSG striker’s influence at the Aviva Stadium next month. O’Shea’s superb display in Cardiff suggests Trapattoni’s Captain is up for the job and essential to Ireland’s hopes of success.
Follow Ger on Twitter: @germccarthy74
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