Situation likely to get worse before it gets better

NO DOUBT had he been in attendance on Wednesday night, Jack Charlton would have said something along the lines of "I told you so. Hit early balls and make them turn. These Europeans don't like being put under pressure. You sensed the crowd might have agreed with him.

It wasn't lost on the players either. The back to basics aerial bombardment from long range and set pieces, mostly from Steve Staunton's trusty left boot, to the twin peaks of Niall Quinn and Tony Cascarino, seemed to meet with the best reward against the hitherto unruffled Russians. Still, it's better to have two arrows in your quiver than one.

So the debate already rages as to whether Mick McCarthy has the players at his disposal to carry out his remodelled 3-5-2 system and passing game. A mere 45 minutes into McCarthy's reign John Giles had already initiated it.

Indeed, one of the more striking aspects of the post mortem was the discrepancy in the views of McCarthy and the cognoscenti (ie. Messrs Giles, Moran, Treacy Lawrenson and co). Drawing on their deep insider knowledge of the game, if the latter claim the Russians took their foot of the pedal then so be it.

Indeed, the four second half substitutions would indicate as much. Nor, on the viewing of the video, did McCarthy's assessment that the Republic have the better of the second half in its entirety (seen through "arose tinted glasses" according to Giles) quite tally. For the last 20 minutes certainly. Then again, if McCarthy isn't loyal to his system and his players then nobody will be.

But the cognoscenti seemed to under rate the Russians badly, something which a more informed McCarthy never did. Whereas the Russians had the nucleus of a settled side with 11 straight wins behind them, the Irish came into this game with four defeats in five games.

Does he have the players to carry it out? Well, there were seven withdrawals which when back in haincss will strengthen hid hand. Phil Babb world add pace to the back three, and though left footed he has played on the right hand side, and indeed the middle and left, for Liverpool this season.

Word from within the camp this week is that McCarthy is also considering Denis Irwin in the back three.

The defensive problems were manifest long before McCarthy took over. Where before the Republic rarely looked like conceding goals, latterly they've often looked like doing so 14 in the last six outings.

The tendency to leave gaping space between the midfield and the heart of the defence was perhaps accentuated by the new system. Occasionally the Russian in possession was allowed to run at an Irish defence backed off saying "after you" in unison, whereupon Paul McGrath usually intervened. At least it looks as if the great man could play on in that role for another year or more in his suit.

Andy Townsend's injury discernibly incapacitated him in the second quarter of the game, and Mark Kennedy was noticeably missing in his tracking almost waving Karpin through at one point in the first half. Afterwards, Jason McAteer gently criticised the 19 year old for staying too far forward in the first half, and thereby compelling McAteer to play deeper than he would as wing back in Liverpool's system.

The key to Liverpool's system is Steve McManaman's joker in the pack role from midfield. The problem here is that Kennedy is unlikely to ever replace McManaman in this role at Anfield where his future may well be as the left wing back. Nor does any other Irish player spring to mind as an obvious joker McAteer's infectious humour notwithstanding. Then again, Jason the Joker?

But of course Liverpool also have Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore and even the birds in the trees around Lansdowne know that McCarthy's next chronic need is the infusion of some pace and mobility up trout.

Hence the pursuit of Chris Armstrong continues, with McCarthy to further explore the Spurs striker's paternal Irish blood before the Czech game. "I hope to have the matter resolved by next week at the latest," said McCarthy. Armstrong would be ideal for the system, as would another rendered surplus to England because of their surfeit of strikers Dean Holdsworth.

Joe Kinnear reputedly would have brought the 28 year old with him in which case McCarthy should also sound him out.

So hostile was the Welsh reaction to John Toshack's foot balling culture shock that he upped and returned to Spain after one 3-0 defeat at home to Norway. McCarthy will stick to his guns longer.

This after all, is equivalent to the first of eight pre-season games in a club context, but, in terms of results, things are liable to get worse before they get better.

Next up come the Czechs, who headed the Dutch in Euro qualification after taking four points off them.

Then come Portugal (remember them?) at home on May 29th, followed by Croatia, who headed the Italians, at home on June 2nd and then Holland (remember them?) away on June 5th. In the absence of one as yet unproven great side in Europe, there are a host of good ones, and these are the creme de la creme.