Bordeaux on Saturday night was full of Irish people crashing up against reality once again. At this stage it’s becoming as much a part of tournament tradition as ‘The Fields of Athenry’ and kind words from strangers.
A 3-0 defeat to a country ranked second in the world will always provide a reality check. Maybe Ireland shouldn’t have hoped for more against a side of that quality, but the performance against Belgium was a reminder that the same old problems in Irish football remain.
Martin O’Neill won’t solve those problems in Lille on Wednesday, no matter what happens, but he will need to find a more sophisticated plan than the one he came up with to take on Belgium. He replaced the injured Jon Walters with Stephen Ward, which moved Robbie Brady into midfield. Ireland couldn’t afford to lose Walters but once again the conservatism in O’Neill’s squad selection hindered Ireland.
That weakness and the underlying problems in Irish football will make his task a lot more difficult against Italy. The underlying problems will also make the task more difficult for all managers who follow him unless real change comes to Irish football.
Ireland were inferior to Belgium in every way in Bordeaux. We knew that before the game, but had hoped that those abstract qualities we become a bit touchy about when they are cited by opponents as Ireland’s strengths could make a difference. In Bordeaux, they turned out to be nothing but abstractions, as useful when playing Belgium in the European Championships as theoretical physics.
Ireland needed more than desire or fighting spirit or hunger or whatever term you want to use when a country no longer produces top quality footballers and is just trying to make it through the night.
In 2012, it seemed Ireland had reached a turning point after the humiliation of three defeats in three matches. Yet, it all felt so similar here to the night in Gdansk when Spain took Ireland apart and it was generally agreed it was time to rip it all up and start again.
Four years on and the only sign of progress this weekend is that Ireland are not already out. Instead it will all rest on the final group game against Italy, when only victory can put Ireland through. And as Wednesday approaches people will begin to stress the positives.
What are the reasons for Ireland’s optimism? Well, Italy have already topped the group and may rest players so Ireland might have a better chance in that game. This is what whistling past the graveyard sounds like in football terms.
The evidence, on the other hand, suggests Ireland will struggle. They surrendered midfield for most of the game against Belgium, something which disappointed O’Neill, who had hoped that the Sweden game would have given Ireland more self-belief.
Instead he felt Ireland looked nervous in the first half and when they tried to play in the second half, Belgium destroyed them on the counter-attack.
Italy, even the apathetic, distracted Italy Ireland is hoping for on Wednesday, might do the same.
On Saturday, Ireland didn’t seem to have benefited from the Sweden game.
The midfield was absent for most of the first half as players hit the ball aimlessly in the direction of Shane Long which exhausted all those who had to run around trying to win the ball back, only to give it away shortly afterwards.
Ireland missed Walters’ experience and nous, but they may have to do without him again in Lille.
Even the Sweden game provides little consolation given that Ireland didn’t win that and retreated once Wes Hoolahan had given them the lead.
But there is always hope, cursed hope. Ireland can take some comfort from the performance of Jeff Hendrick in this tournament. Hendrick – like Robbie Brady – a product of a well-developed system at St Kevin’s Boys in north Dublin. Where St Kevin’s stand in the new development plan of the FAI remains to be seen, but at least the FAI do have a plan.
They need it to work as the matches here have made clear. The sight of Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane coming from the bench again in Bordeaux was another depressing indication of the shallowness of Ireland’s squad.
In this tournament, Hendrick has delivered on his potential, but there has been very little else for Ireland to get excited about, beyond the abundant talents of Wes Hoolahan which were scandalously ignored for so long.
Perhaps these players can make a difference against Italy, but victory may not be enough, especially as Ireland’s goal difference has been so damaged by the 3-0 defeat.
O'Neill says it would have changed course of game if #IRl had got penalty for foul on Long, but "overall we were beaten by a better team"
— Dion Fanning (@dionfanning) June 18, 2016
The game in Lille will be Ireland’s last chance to show up at a tournament which hasn’t suffered from the extension to 24 teams.
There is a competition taking place in France that Ireland aren’t a part of yet. Iceland, Northern Ireland and Wales are making the most of the enlargement of the competition in their own way. Ireland? Well, so far all Ireland has is its supporters.
O’Neill will argue that Ireland have found themselves in a tougher group than those other sides and that is a fair argument after watching Belgium tear them apart.
But the failure to beat Sweden is the result Ireland may come to regret if they exit with the seven other teams who couldn’t make it through a forgiving group stage on Wednesday.
Sweden are not a side anyone should fear but Ireland couldn’t finish them off. Now they must figure out a way of beating a better side. Hoping that Italy don’t turn up isn’t a plan, but it’s all Ireland have got this weekend after a painful reacquaintance with reality.
