We would love a Zlatan, or a Romelu, but you have to cut your cloth accordingly.
With a squad devoid of an Ibrahimovic, a Lukaku or a Chiellini, Martin O’Neill has been tasked with moulding a team from a constellation without a star.
As the players spoke to the media after the game, a few Irish journalists clamoured to get the thoughts of Seamus Coleman. Once the full-back had moved on two German reporters huddled around their phone, zooming in on a picture to confirm that yes, the softly spoken man they had just listened to was indeed the Everton defender.
One would think his deliciously delivered cross for Wes Hoolahan’s cracking goal would have announced his arrival to major tournament football (four years later than hoped), but no.
The same goes for the Swedish players who filed past us. While you could pick out a Larsson, a Berg or a Guidetti, only one is instantly recognisable. Only one could cause every journalist in the room to scramble after him – hanging on his every word.
Hack: "How do you make defender score?"
Zlat: "I cross, it's an og."
Hack: "It's magic?"
Zlat: *walk off*
Other Hacks *😡😡"— Mark McCadden (@markmccadden) June 13, 2016
While we harbour pretensions that the world knows all about Shane Long, Hoolahan and Coleman, the truth is quite different. That’s fine, to this day Roy Keane remains the most recognisable Irish player in the Irish squad, and he retired from international football 11 years ago.
But in Paris on Monday night a team made up of players from mid-ranking Premier League clubs and Championship sides looked, for almost an hour, like a group of world beaters.
O’Neill, who places more emphasis on making sure his own team know exactly what they are doing that worrying about the shape and tactics of the opposition, had things set up perfectly.
The midfield diamond was gleaming. Glenn Whelan was shielding Ibrahimovic from his team-mates, Jeff Hendrick almost scored two worldies and Wes Hoolahan was dazzling. Only James McCarthy seemed a little off the pace, which may be explained by the injury that has upset his preparations.
Up front Shane Long manfully did the running of two men as a patently unfit Jon Walters struggled to make his usual, high-octane mark on the game.
There were wobbles early on from Coleman, but for the most part the defence held firm.
The worst you can say about captain John O’Shea was that he should have scored in the first half.
Ciaran Clark was unfortunate to see a fine performance sullied by an own goal which, like all own goals, is hard to explain after the fact.
No one goes out with the thought of turning the ball into their own net. Shit just happens.
Shit happened to Belgium not long after Coleman, McCarthy, Brady and the rest had boarded the bus back to Versailles.
The number one ranked team in the world, a squad packed with talent from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, were beaten 2-0 by an Italian team who are not considered the greatest Azzurri to ever don the famous blue.
What Italy do have, however, is a good manager. In Antonio Conte they have the man that Roman Abramovich is trusting with picking up the post-Mourinho pieces at Chelsea. In Marc Wilmots Belgium have a manager who cannot make the greatest generation of Belgian footballers add up to the sum of their parts.
So star quality isn’t everything. A good manager is. While there are still reservations about O’Neill’s substitutions – no one can say Aiden McGeady, Robbie Keane or James McClean made a tangible difference – he has undoubtedly hewn a team from the materials available to him.
The loss of Walters will test O’Neill’s team-building abilities but, a win against a disjointed, defensively inept Belgium team would secure Ireland’s progress to the second round.
Disaster strikes for #IRL as it looks like Jon Walters tournament could be over https://t.co/7RWT35blrZ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 13, 2016
Maybe then those Germans would recognise Coleman or, maybe not. But they’ll recognise a team when they see one.
