Robbie on song makes everything look so simple

Robbie Keane’s night. He wants to keep going for as long as David Beckham did. Fair enough. Until someone comes along and does what Robbie has done so efficiently for so long in a green jersey why should we discard him?

The amount of goals the Republic of Ireland finish this campaign with is not a huge priority. Points against Austria and Sweden are what will get us to Brazil.

Three goals last night will have to suffice. To be honest, I’m glad it wasn’t five or 6-0. I love my country, but I’ve a grá for my one-time adopted islands in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Divided loyalties made this interesting viewing for me. I was commentating for 2FM from an Irish perspective, obviously, but kept my eyes on the Faroe players I know well, willing them to do well.

They were never going to get a result but I wanted them to play to their potential. I think they can be as proud of themselves as I am of them.

While Ireland's back four was not put under too much pressure, there will, needless to say, be greater challenges ahead, not least against Sweden and Austria in September. But it is positive to see the new unit becoming settled considering David Forde, Seamus Coleman and Marc Wilson all came in since the Euros and, despite my earlier doubts about our goalkeeper, he's reliable.

Anything to do
Not that he had to do anything last night. His counterpart, the always impressive Ginnar Nielsen, was a busy man though.

That’s a lot of changes to the Irish defensive unit since last summer. Shay Given since retired, of course, Stephen Ward out of the reckoning, with John O’Shea more often playing in the centre now where he looks more at home.

It means the only position up for grabs is O’Shea’s partner in the centre. It has to be Richard Dunne. Ciaran Clarke, Sean St Ledger, Alex Pearce, Darren O’Dea and Richard Keogh have all had their chances there, but I have no doubt that a fit and playing Dunne will complete that solid unit.

Hopefully, come September, he’ll be playing regular club football and will have overcome his injury problems.

Goals from play have become scarce for Robbie in the Irish jersey but he took his tally up to 59 goals on his record 126th cap. That’s all you need to say about the man.

It was a perfect scenario for him as he didn’t need to drop back into the covering role he fills against the bigger nations. He could just do what he did in the earlier part of his career.

There probably is a good few years left in him with that healthy Californian lifestyle. His sharpness, along with Jonathan Walters’ movement and touch, had the Faroe defence in disarray.

Walters adopts an almost basketball trait, using his big frame to erect a screen, blocking the man who should be tracking Robbie. It is clever and I'd like to see more of that.

Excellence of goalkeeper
Nice, clever low delivery by Aiden McGeady too. It would have been 3-0 by the half hour mark if not for the excellence of former Manchester City goalkeeper, Nielsen.

It was a positive start by Ireland. They immediately dictated the tempo, shifting it from side to side in an attempt to wear out the Faroes under the Irish sun.

Wesley Hoolahan, the man Trap so rarely places any trust, quickly adopted the James McCarthy role, spraying some clever short passes into the front men and generally controlling midfield.

But Robbie’s goals put paid to any chance of Hoolahan breaking into the team. Shane Long is nailed on and that means a two man midfield. Trap won’t play him wide either after McGeady’s showing here.

Glenn Whelan looked comfortable with a decent 60-metre cross field ball but he was cumbersome again.

But then we reverted to type. The passing of the opening period turned into something a little more familiar. John O'Shea and Whelan were guilty of poor, rushed deliveries.

Not quick enough
The pace wasn't sustained or quick enough.

It quickly became a straight duel between Keane and Nielsen, with McGeady the best supporting winger.

The chances did come, they just weren’t taken. The Faroes were doing what they have done for so many years now, and bravely clung on in there.

When I was up with them we conceded a similar early goal against Italy but they are used to being behind and they rarely get disheartened.

The problem is part-time conditioning against the top level players. It usually becomes apparent around 70 minutes. Especially through the middle and defence. The bench doesn’t provide much relief with only five out-field players.

I was just thinking that Seamus Coleman had been a bit muted but after some clever work by Hoolahan the Everton fullback put in another low cross for Robbie.

The third, a tap in, after a decent bit of work by Conor Sammon, looked simple, but that’s the beauty of our Los Angeles exile. He makes it look so.

Another special night for Ireland’s captain, in a very special international career.