With so many stoppers, we can't expect a flood of goals

Ireland will play with their usual efficiency, nothing will change until we show some flair in central midfield, writes PAT FENLON

THE REPUBLIC of Ireland don’t do thrashings, this group tend to go two- or three-nil up and then take their foot off the gas.

I expect tonight to be no different. There will no major revelations either; just the usual efficiency from the usual Giovanni Trapattoni line-up.

Midfield remains a major concern. If the two central figures adopt the long established sitting roles tonight, I will not be surprised but I will be disappointed if the full backs are not then given licence to bomb forward at every opportunity.

The opposition is Andorra and we should go at them relentlessly. The same must be said of Armenia’s visit to Dublin on Tuesday.

This campaign has been an undulating journey but our position in the pool makes it acceptable. So far. If we go into our shell tonight or on Tuesday it will forever be deemed as a failure.

Six points could well leave us top of the pool and into the European championships next summer. Other results are irrelevant to us right now but judging on the unpredictability of this group, they may well give us a pleasant surprise. Slovakia can beat Russia while Macedonia can beat Armenia.

My concern is where the creativity is coming from in this Irish side. Who will unlock the door? I know Keith Fahey is capable of it. We have seen James McCarthy do it in the Premier League.

One criticism that can be levelled at Trapattoni in the past two years is his refusal to give naturally-talented players, like these two, their heads on the international stage.

Too much time has been wasted with these men confined to peripheral roles.

Even the more experienced players have not been provided with the latitude to really show their class.

It is frustrating because we are better than the performances shown to date.

We have some really exciting young players in the current squad that the public at large don’t know about.

I accept that is not Trapattoni’s job. He has one remit: qualification.

That’s why we brought a big fish into the Ireland manager’s chair.

I know myself from the pressures of managing club football that all your employers want is the primary success of a league title. In international football that means qualification. Only then can the bar be raised to the next level.

But what if we do qualify? Undoubtedly, we will go to Poland and Ukraine as massive underdogs because of our style of play. That has always suited Ireland just fine. But can we suddenly unveil the necessary invention needed to thrive at a major tournament?

Keith Andrews and Glen Whelan, who is having a good season with Stoke, are Trapattoni’s favourite midfield partnership. They are his stoppers. It is unconventional, however, even in an Italian footballing context, for two midfielders to pair up without one of them being a natural distributor with the creative skills to open up opposing defences.

The inclusion of either Fahey or McCarthy is the obvious solution. I would pick the both of them. Of course, that isn’t going to happen any time soon.

I know in training on Wednesday they lined up 12 versus 12 with Whelan, Andrews and Fahey in one midfield. If we could field 12 players everyone would get their wish (although someone is bound to notice and complain to Uefa).

I think we must change our formation at home. Bring another attacking element to it before it is too late. Get an extra man behind our strikers.

There is such a gulf in standard that none of this matters tonight – although it will on Tuesday.

I’m sure both Whelan and Andrews will get forward. Even if they don’t, the front two and the wingers will cause havoc.

I expect Kevin Doyle, and Stephen Ward for that matter, to bury the disappointment of their last few weeks at Wolves and come out with a top notch performance.

This is also the type of match where Aiden McGeady should run riot.

It sounds like I’m being overly harsh on Whelan and Andrews. I know they are as honest as the day is old but we don’t need that type of player tonight.

We need to build confidence. Goals, not the scrappy set-piece ones but well-constructed goals are the best tonic.

The attitude must be right. I know footballers and if they go into a game, like tonight’s, with a “ah, sure this will come naturally to us” mentality and it, for whatever reason, doesn’t you can’t change mid-stream.

It can get very messy and uncomfortable, until a bit of magic from Doyle or Damien Duff or whoever saves the day. Then we are coming back home with the pressure stacked on us.

The selection of an attacking team would have sent out that message from the outset.

No, tonight will not tell us much. Not initially anyway, but Trapattoni’s use of the bench and the timing of his subs will be interesting.