It’s not easy to keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet.
The Swedish captain talks a big game and usually backs it up. By the same token it’s not always easy to appreciate the work Glenn Whelan does for the Republic of Ireland team.
The Stoke City midfielder has been an ever present since 2008, yet comes in for more criticism than probably any other Irish player – we’ve all been guilty of it.
However, Whelan was immense against Sweden on Monday. Wes Hoolahan fully deserved his man of the match award, but Whelan was a close second and managed to disrupt Zlatan throughout, putting pressure on the Swedish captain, cutting off passes to him and leading the charge when he came into possession.
Whelan was on Zlatan from the start, forcing him into an uncharacteristic mistake in the opening minutes.
The 32-year-old also quickly identified the threat of Martin Olsson down the left and provided cover for Seamus Coleman, helping Ireland settle.
Whelan shadowed Zlatan, who was dropping between the lines in an attempt to find space.
And was consistently a step ahead of Sweden’s talisman.
Zlatan started to drop deeper and deeper to try and get on the ball and influence the game…
But found Whelan snapping at his heels wherever he went…
It was around this time, 20 minutes or so into the first half, that Ireland began to take control of the game.
A lot has been made about Sweden being a ‘one-man team’, but Monday’s game proved this is the case beyond any doubt. Sweden had little to offer other than Zlatan. Martin Olsson was finding space down Ireland’s right-hand side, however it could be argued that was because Jon Walters was rendered immobile because of his injury.
Here’s Ireland average position after 24 minutes. Seamus Coleman is being pinned back, Hoolahan is predominantly on the left wing and Jon Walters is in a central position. When the Stoke forward is at his best for Ireland, he is providing cover down the right when out of possession.
However, here’s Ireland’s average position at half-time.
Ireland have a grip of the game because Hoolahan is more central. Coleman has moved up the pitch and Whelan continues to screen the defence. Ireland have settled into the game and Whelan’s marshalling of Ibrahimovic, along with Ciaran Clark and John O’Shea, has provided a base for Ireland to push on.
The Swedish captain is unable to pick up the ball and turn towards Ireland’s goal, and is forced to play sideways or backwards passes to his significantly less talented teammates.
The trend continues in the second half. Whelan is there to capitalise on any stray touches by Ibrahimovic, this passage of play in particular was excellent from the Dubliner.
As was this. It doesn’t look like much, but Whelan’s presence is enough to put Zlatan off and he plays a sloppy pass – there’s something you never thought you’d read.
For the best part of 70 minutes, Ireland had nullified Zlatan’s threat.
However, the sign of a world class player is that they only need one chance to punish the opposition, and Ibrahimovic took his.
Just before the goal, Hoolahan and Whelan put pressure on Zlatan, who plays it off to a teammate:
However, Zlatan turns and gets away from the midfield, finding himself running at the Irish defence. For possibly the only time in the game, Whelan lost his man, however, he wasn’t solely at fault for the goal.
When John Guidetti came on for Marcus Berg, and as Ireland dropped off, Ibrahimovic pushed up and positioned himself between Ireland’s central defenders, rather than between the lines as he had for most of the game.
Here’s the Swede in the 81st minute, between O’Shea and Clark.
Here he is earlier in the game, playing deeper, and being shadowed by Whelan.
However, Whelan still cut out passes to the big man late in the game:
His role in disrupting Zlatan, Sweden’s distinct lack of quality and how they are so reliant on one man is captured perfectly in this passage of play.
Whelan, backed up by James McCarthy and James McClean, chases down Ibrahimovic, preventing him from turning and playing a forward pass. The Sweden captain is forced to play the ball back to Sebastian Larsson, who plays a terrible pass and the ball goes out of play.
It’s just a shame Ireland dropped off and didn’t have someone alongside Whelan to dictate the pace of the game, keep the ball and stop the Swedish spell of pressure.
Whelan deserves great credit for his role on Monday, and it is long overdue. Of course his performance must be placed within the context of the game. Zlatan wasn’t at his best, Sweden are average and Whelan was helped by his hardworking teammates.
But the 32-year-old showed his value to the team, and why so many managers, from Giovanni Trapattoni to Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes to Martin O’Neill, rate him so highly.
More of the same against Belgium please, Glenn.
