IRELAND SECURED A convincing 4-1 win against Oman at Craven Cottage this evening.
But how did the individual players get on, most of whom aren’t automatic starters?
Here’s how they rated:
David Forde: Had little to do during the 45 minutes he was on the field, yet still managed to make a mess of an early clearance in an incident that almost resulted in a goal for the opposition. 5
Seamus Coleman: Distinguished himself and looked as if he’d been playing regularly for Ireland for years, appearing comfortable in both defence and later on, in midfield. Surely he must now be considered to start the German game. 7
Stephen Kelly: Has emerged from a shaky start to his Ireland career and now is beginning to look assured on the rare occasions when he is given game time. 6
Sean St Ledger: Did little wrong, and will be particularly pleased with his performance in light of the fact that he only was told he’d be playing minutes before kick-off, owing to McShane pulling out. 6
Marc Wilson: Another who looked comfortable for the most part, and distributed the ball excellently to boot. That said, he will be disappointed to have only received 45 minutes, assuming there was no prior agreement between Trapattoni and his club manager Tony Pulis for this to happen. 6
Robbie Brady: The pick of the bunch tonight. Brady gave a performance that belied his tender years, scoring one goal and creating another. Moreover, he consistently delivered excellent set-pieces – an element of Ireland’s play that was so disappointing against Kazakhstan. Surely he is worth a place on the bench at least against Germany. 8
David Meyler: Was part of a midfield that helped Ireland to dictate the play and for that alone, he deserves praise. Particularly, given his lack of game time at Sunderland this season. 6
James McCarthy: Neat and tidy in possession for the most part, while showing he is not afraid to get stuck in in a la Whelan and Andrews too. Dropping him for the Germany game would be harsh. 6
Andy Keogh: One of the players who has often benefited from Trapattoni’s willingness to play lower league players ahead of Premier League stars, Keogh did little tonight to silence those who doubt his ability at international level. 5
Shane Long: Always lively and took his goal well, Long has at the very least given Trapattoni something to think about ahead of the Germany game. 7
Kevin Doyle: Like Long, Doyle was busy and enthusiastic as always, and scored Ireland’s first goal with a trademark header. 7
Substitutes: Alex Pearce got a nice goal and James McClean almost scored twice, but others failed to impose themselves on proceedings, as Ireland went off the boil to a degree in the second half. 6
Giovanni Trapattoni: He oversaw a 4-1 victory, so it’s hard to be too critical. His decision to start Robbie Brady ahead of fan favourite James McClean was to an extent justified, though his continual loyalty to Andy Keogh – who failed to convince again – seems odd at best. Still though, there were signs of encouragement that he is willing to deviate from his ultra-conservative ways, though the real test of his management will come against Germany. 7
