 Kevin Doyle The aftermath of Wednesday's World Cup qualifying play-off between the Republic of Ireland and France has been nothing short of chaotic.
From the tirade launched against Thierry Henry to the debate over video technology to a quite surreal press conference with Giovanni Trapattoni saying one thing and FAI Chief Executive John Delaney saying another, it has been a whirlwind adventure.
Calls for a replay to be staged are bound to echo through the long-winding corridors of FIFA's Swiss headquarters without any positive message being sent back. Ireland need to move on.
Just like a bad relationship break-up one side is refusing to come to terms that it is all over. Life has gone, but still they cling onto the hope that things can change and the clock can go back to right the wrongs.
Henry has said that there should be a replay (albeit after FIFA said there wouldn't be), but it is over with now. Trapattoni's team were cruelly denied a place in the World Cup, but that is the harsh reality that the Irish nation have to come to terms with.
Missed chances in the game
For those baying for Henry's blood, they should take some time out of their pointless hunt to watch the footage of the game again.
If they did, then they would acknowledge the fact that Ireland should have killed off their more high profile hosts in normal time. Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle, John O'Shea, and Damien Duff all failed to convert chances that would have settled the tie.
Okay, Hugo Lloris made two fine saves, but surely the finishing of that quartet has to be looked at. It is not often in international football that opportunities like that fall for a team like Ireland, so they should have made the most of them.
They didn't score more than once and that is why the game stretched into extra-time. By that stage the men wearing white jerseys were understandably tiring. Of course, there is always the possibilty that they could have scored again or won on penalties, but it never got that far.
We need to talk about McShane
This blog tries to be as fair as possible when reviewing the performances of players, yet there are some (just a select few) that inspire little confidence when they take to the pitch.
Paul McShane falls into that bracket. The Hull City defender does not appear to have the speed, game intelligence, self awareness, or skills to perform on the international stage.
Rather than go on and on about Henry's blatant handball, why not have a closer look at how his marker, Mr. McShane, reacted to the danger of Florent Malouda's free-kick that ultimately led to William Gallas' goal?
The Irish defender, on as a replacement for the injured O'Shea, chose not to attack the ball in the air, then made the unforgiveable error of allowing the ball to bounce in his own box, was caught on the wrong side of his marker, and did not get anywhere near blocking the cross.
It was terrible defending. But he was not alone. Kevin Kilbane also lost track of Gallas and could have intercepted the cross if he was more focused. Yes, Henry did handle the ball, but players have to play to the referee's whistle and they could have prevented that goal from going in.
Positive steps have been taken
As everyone continues to have their say about what happened in the Stade de France, very few have acknowledged just how well Trapattoni's team did throughout their qualifying campaign.
Not only did they twice draw with the world champions (Italy), but they claimed excellent results against Bulgaria, Georgia, Montenegro, and Cyprus - as well as out-performing the runners-up in the last world cup (France).
Trapattoni has done an excellent job and deserves a huge amount of credit for it. The future is certainly something to look forward to as he attempts to guide them to the 2012 European Championships.
Feedback
Thanks for all of the comments posted on the previous blog entries. Feel free to ask questions or make more comments.
Cedthehead: Good point about the extra referees that Uefa have trialled. I'm yet to be convinced on it, but it is definitely something to explore.  Robbie Keane in action
Nobody, including the man himself, will deny that Thierry Henry handled the ball in the lead-up to William Gallas' extra-time winner for France, yet there was little that the Irish could do. They appealed to Swedish referee Martin Hansson and tried to score a goal of their own, but it was too late to get back up off the canvas following that nasty suckerpunch that will sting for some time to come.
France march on to South Africa, while Ireland are left wondering what might have been. It is a cruel way for the qualifying campaign to finish up, especially after out-playing their more fancied opponents, but sadly that is how it ends.
What the Irish players, coaching staff, fans, and media can all take from that game in the Stade de France is a positive performance that could and should lead to better things for this team.
Trap's tactics were spot on
Having lost the first leg of their play-off, Ireland simply needed to score in Paris. They did just that with a fine goal that started with an interception from John O'Shea, led to some short passing in midfield, before Kevin Kilbane chipped a delightful ball over the top for Damien Duff, who then picked out Robbie Keane to slot in.
It was a goal that summed up how the team played overall. They worked for each other, created openings for themselves, pushed their hosts back, and took advantage of France's failings. This was repeated several times throughout the game, but only once did they score.
Trapattoni encouraged his players to put the pressure on higher up the pitch. This caused discomfort for Les Bleus, because even though the Irish were now playing a little further away from their goal they were still doing an excellent job of man-marking the attacking trio of Henry, Nicolas Anelka, and Yoann Gourcuff.
For all of the criticism lobbed at the Irish manager over the past year, this performance showed why he was right all of the time to persist with his preferred 4-4-2 system. It may not have led to World Cup qualification, but the progress has been made and now Ireland can grow stronger as a team.
Duff and Lawrence delivered when it mattered
As highlighted in numerous posts on this blog, wingplay is a huge factor in Trapattoni's system. It was pointed out that Duff and Liam Lawrence needed to play well in this second leg if Ireland were to have any chance of upsetting the odds and they did just that.
Combining a tireless work ethic with a willingness to break forward (whilst never neglecting their defensive duties) the two wingers were the bright sparks throughout. From Lawrence's cross to pick out Kevin Doyle on 26 minutes to Duff's chance that Hugo Lloris saved on the hour mark, they consistently picked holes in the French defence.
Duff has emerged as a favourite amongst Irish supporters due to his many years of service and memories of his dazzling trickery. But he hasn't always delivered for Trapattoni. In Paris, however, he certainly did and deserves a huge amount of credit for how he played.
Lawrence too was outstanding. The Stoke City man created the most chances for his team and looked confident whenever in possession. He should have scooped the Man of the Match award.
Never a goal, but forget video technology
It is obvious that Gallas' goal should never have been allowed, but the talk of bringing in video technology is not something that this blog would be in favour of despite the injustice served out to Ireland.
By introducing that sort of technology it would slow down a game that is not designed to have the stop-start nature of rugby, cricket, or tennis. The game needs to be free-flowing and not encouraged to be stopped numerous times whenever a player thinks that a decision needs to be inspected more closely.
Instead, what should happen is that Fifa and Uefa clamp down on those who blatantly break the rules. Until that happens then teams will suffer the same fate as Ireland and feel let down by the game.
Video technology in football is a huge debate and perhaps this blog will revisit the topic again, but for now the focus should be on well Trapattoni's team played in Paris and throughout the qualifying campaign.
To come within minutes of reaching South Africa says a huge amount about how well the manager has done since taking over. He has lifted Irish international football out of the doldrums and deserves to be praised for that.  Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni has found himself in the firing line. As always in professional football the manager is the one that has to deal with the blame when things go wrong.
However, it is too early to criticize the Irish boss and to write off his team's chances ahead of Wednesday's second leg in Paris.
If Ireland win, then Trapattoni will be hailed as hero. If they crash out, he will be blamed. Football can be that fickle at times.
Trust in the wise one
It is far too late in the qualifying campaign to consider a change of tactics, especially with the squad of players available to the 70-year-old Italian.
He is right to stick with his 'boring' approach that saw Ireland go through their qualifying group unbeaten. The system clearly works.
Trapattoni is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the modern game, so his doubters should really be checking his back record before suggesting that he doesn't know what he is doing.
More needed from attacking quartet
As highlighted in the last blog entry, Trap's system only works when his two wingers (Liam Lawrence and Damien Duff) create the bulk of his side's chances. This is a must in the Stade de France.
Along with those two performing at their best, Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle also have to be sharp in front of goal. If either can take advantage of a half-chance or a defensive error from the French, then that could be the away goal needed to open the tie up.
Instead of following the now cliched line of suggesting that the central midfield pairing of Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews are average players, those doubting this Irish team should look at established stars like Keane and Duff to deliver when it matters most.
Set-pieces could be key
Throughout the qualifying campaign Ireland have scored a lot of goals from set-pieces. It is an area where the team dominates and might be how they can find a way past French keeper Hugo Lloris.
With Richard Dunne, Sean St Ledger, John O'Shea, and Kevin Kilbane all able to use their height and upper body strength in these situations, every set-piece should be seen as an ideal opportunity to reignite the tie.
And defending set-pieces has also improved with every free-kick and corner in the first leg that France had being dealt with well by the Irish defence. So Trapattoni's men should look to set-pieces as a tactic to overpower Les Bleus and maybe grab a goal or two.
Prediction: France 0 Republic of Ireland 1 (with Ireland winning in extra-time)
 Glenn Whelan tackles Nicolas Anelka
Even the most casual of football supporters could spot that luck wasn't going our way and we struggled to create many chances on goal.
But it would be foolish to put the result down to a stroke of bad luck - even if Nicolas Anelka's winner took a wicked deflection off Sean St Ledger - as Ireland didn't themselves any favours in large periods of the match.
Despite this, the play-off is still very much alive. If Ireland score first in Paris on Wednesday then it is game on.........so don't write this team off just yet.
In the build-up to the first leg, I pointed out that one of France's problems under the stewardship of their much maligned manager Raymond Domenech is the fact that they play as individuals rather than a team.
Anelka sulks could be our chance
This was evident again in Croke Park as Anelka sulked about the lack of support from his team-mates, Yoann Gourcuff cut a frustrated figure as Glenn Whelan tracked his every move, William Gallas argued with everyone in a blue jersey that would listen, and there was no link in their play.
Of course, when a team can rely on individuals like Anelka, Gourcuff, and Thierry Henry, there is always a chance that they alone can win the game for their 'team'. But it certainly limits their chances and it is something that Trapattoni will have picked up on.
The French are the ones under pressure Yes Ireland need to score in the Stade de France, but the pressure will be on Domenech's side.
Do they sit back and defend their away goal lead? Or do they try to increase their advantage by scoring another goal? Whichever decision they take it is bound to invite the Irish to attack.
And with the French fans renowned for turning against their own team unless they see a spirited display in the first fifteen minutes, the pressure is bound to be heaped on the hosts.
Add to that the fact that there is now some bad blood between the two sides following the post-match spat ignited by Lassana Diarra's comments. The Real Madrid midfielder foolishly gave the Irish players another reason to want to win the second leg.
Wing-play is the key to success
In the system that Trapattoni prefers there is a reliance on the two wingers to act as the creative outlets.
They are the players in his team that are expected to make runs behind opposition defenders, connect play in counter attacks, cross balls for the two strikers, and lift their team with their general trickery and runs forward.
Put simply - Damien Duff and Liam Lawrence have to contribute more going forward. Yes, Lawrence justified his starting place with a superb covering act on Patrice Evra, while Duff delighted in brief moments.
But they didn't create enough or supply much service into Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle.
Set-pieces have been the source of a lot of Irish goals in qualifying, but in open play it is down to the wingers to set up chances. If Duff and Lawrence can terrorize Bacary Sagna and Evra then it should lead to Ireland testing keeper Hugo Lloris much earlier in the match and possibly scoring that crucial away goal.
1-0 and to take it in extra-time
It is the biggest match that Ireland will have played in for a long time and not many people will expect them to overcome the former world champions on their own turf, but there is plenty for Irish fans to be enthused by going into Wednesday's decider.
For a start, the first half of the first leg was probably the best that Ireland have played under Trapattoni. They were able to nullify the threat of Henry, Gourcuff, and Anelka for the most part.
They had some decent chances of their own and have a tendency to score away from home. I am going to predict that Ireland win 1-0 in Paris, which would bring the game into extra-time and that is when their battling spirit should see them through.
It is the last chance to seal qualification and that should bring the best out of the Irish players.
 Jeremy Toulalan By now, you will have heard and probably discussed the many possible outcomes of Saturday's World Cup qualifying play-off between the Republic of Ireland and France.
Confidence is high amongst Irish supporters and the players have been feeding off those vibes, so predicting a home win might not be as bold as it might have been a few months ago.
We have all learned a lot about this Irish team during the qualifying campaign. But more importantly, we have learned how to deal with the bloated expectations that some have prescribed for Giovanni Trapattoni's team.
Pragmatism has seeped in recently after failing to hang on for three points in Dublin against Italy, not getting the shutters down before conceding in Sofia against Bulgaria, and struggling to beat Cyprus in Nicosia.
And the score will be......
Nevertheless, this play-off game is much different. And it is with great bravado (or is that stupidty?) zipping through the keys on this blogger's keyboard that a win can be predicted.
Yes, this blog is going to trump for a 1-0 win to Ireland. But allow me to explain the reasoning behind it before reserving a place in the asylum for yet another mad optimist.
A settled team makes a difference
Apart from one single position (right wing) Ireland know what pegs fit into what holes. Can the same be said for France? Definitely not.
Once a team is settled - in the sense that players know their positions, stick to a formation, and are able to just focus on playing to their now familiar system - it makes it easier to achieve positive results.
Players know what runs to make for each other, what foot their team-mates like to control the ball with, where exactly to swing set-pieces to, and how to move forward and backwards as a unit.
Unpredictabilty of relying on individuals
What do Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema, and Yoann Gourcuff all have in common?
Okay, besides the obvious that they are all French, excellent attackers, and playing for big clubs. The answer is that they have a history of sulking when things do not go their way.
The French manager Raymond Domenech has failed to mould his new band of wannabe heroes into a team, so he has to rely on their individual talents to guide his nation to South Africa.
But there is more than a hint of unpredictability when one has to trust so many players prone to spoilt child outbursts. Obviously, if they are on form they are outstanding players, but if they are marked closely then the sulking might come out in force.
And the good news is.....
The good news for Irish fans is that French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan is a serious doubt for Saturday's game. Not many will be aware of this Lyon ace, but he is one of the main reasons why Les Bleus even finished second in their group.
If he is not at 100% fitness, then that means there is a weakness at the core of Domenech's midfield. Of course, Alou Diarra or Moussa Sissoko would be decent replacements, but they do not posess the crisp passing style, hard grafting, and discplined play that Toulalan does.
A bigger plus would be
The even better news is that it looks likely that Liam Lawrence will start for Ireland. He might not be starting every game for Stoke City lately, but for Trapattoni he is an important player.
Lawrence is a better option than Stephen Hunt and Aiden McGeady because A) he is naturally right-footed and a good crosser of the ball B) he can track better than McGeady C) Hunt is seen more as an impact player by Trapattoni. One thing is for sure, John O'Shea will be happy to have Lawrence in front of him due to the winger's defensive work.
So a 1-0 win to Ireland as they look to use their settled team with a hard-working right winger to exploit the possible absence of Toulalan and expose the petulance burning inside France's creative players.  Giovanni Trapattoni
Some journalists are already preparing obituaries for Giovanni Trapattoni's side, while others are excitedly waiting to see how the master tactican sets his pawns up to play against Raymond Domenech's favourites.
It shouldn't be a big surprise as to how Ireland line up with just the one wing position causing most to scratch their heads (Liam Lawrence, Aiden McGeady, or Stephen Hunt) as Damien Duff is likely to start on one of the two wings.
But how Ireland play in the game will be interesting as there is so much at stake. Not conceding has to be their main objective with scoring a goal (or two) coming right behind that on the list of what needs to be done.
A cautious approach is expected......why wouldn't it be?.........although it is a game where the Irish players have to click as a unit and eradicate the mistakes that saw them fail to hang on for wins against Italy and Bulgaria in the group stages.
Fans could help put French off game
Whether it is the vocal encouragement of the home crowd or the wingers tracking back to help out their full-backs, the one word that should be used again and again on Saturday is 'support'.
The players need the support from the fans. Even the French media have expressed concerns about how hostile the atmosphere will feel for their players as the Irish fans, when in full voice, can cause quite a racket.
On the pitch, no player can afford to drift off and allow an opposition player time in which to roam forward. Every single Irish player needs to be alert for the 90 plus minutes that they are on the pitch.
Robbie don't be half-hearted
In past blogs I've criticised Robbie Keane during qualifying matches for his half-hearted attempts to close down the deep-lying midfielder wearing opposition colours.
He simply cannot slack off in this area on Saturday as either Lassana Diarra or Jeremy Toulalan can carve open the Irish defence with a precise pass if they are not being put under pressure.
We can benefit from Ribery's absence
As one would expect when pitted against former world champions, a lot has been speculated about how France might play in the first leg.
Who will start up front alongside Thierry Henry? Who will partner William Gallas in central defence? Will Domenech instruct his players to go for a draw? Will the absence of Franck Ribery change things for Les Bleus?
But we have our strengths even if Ribery was fit
While it is important to weigh up all of those situations and have answers prepared for them, Ireland should also be focusing on what they do well. They have strengths that the French will worry about too.
Keane has the ability to score important goals at important times. Kevin Doyle is starting to hit form again, Duff is back from injury, and Glenn Whelan is playing well at club level. These are all factors that should work in Ireland's favour as they set about winning the game.
Tagged as being 'difficult to break down', the Irish defence also has reason to be in confident mood as Shay Given, John O'Shea, and Richard Dunne have all been performing well in the Premier League.
Kilbane and St Ledger - keep it up for us
There is a sense that Sean St Ledger and Kevin Kilbane are slightly punching above their weight, but that has been said about Kilbane throughout his career and he recently won his 100th cap, while St Ledger showed in Sofia that he can step up his performance when needed to.
But our big weapon is Trapattoni
However, the biggest advantage that the Irish team have going into the first leg is Trapattoni. A man with vast experience and a knowledge of outsmarting opponents, he will know the best way forward for his troops.
A lot is being pinned on his tactics being superior to those of Domenech - so isn't it a good thing that Ireland have him on their bench for this match? | |