SOCCER:This is a must-win game at the start of an important few days for the national side, writes PAT FENLON
PATIENCE WILL be a key at the Aviva Stadium, as much for the supporters as the team for tonight’s crucial Euro 2012 qualifying tie. In times past the standard approach from Republic of Ireland teams at Lansdowne Road was to start the game at a very high tempo, squeeze the opposition and deny them time on the ball; basically a full frontal assault.
The set-up under Giovanni Trapattoni lends itself to a more studied, methodical approach. He’s picked the strongest team available in the absence of the experienced Kevin Kilbane. Personally I’d like to see him encourage our full backs John O’Shea and Stephen Ward – they’ve got the legs – to push up in support of Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady but I don’t think that will be the case.
It’s a pity because if Ireland can nick a goal early on then it’ll force Slovakia to come out and chase the game a little bit. The last thing the Irish want is to let the visitors settle into the game and get a rhythm.
You want to keep them on edge, not allow them to settle and maintain a high intensity and constant pressure.
The longer the game remains a stalemate, the more confident Slovakia will become. They’ll view a draw as a decent result because they’ve still got to host Russia, whereas we simply must win this game. I think we’ll need six points from tonight and Tuesday against the Russians: if we manage that then we will be in the box seat in terms of topping the group with games against Andorra and Armenia to come.
There’s no doubt the supporters will have a big role to play in creating an atmosphere. They have been very patient to date during the qualifying matches and that may be required again. Trapattoni has had their unequivocal support, something that mightn’t necessarily have been given to an Irish manager based in England.
They can’t blink now because communicating anxiety or restlessness to the players would just make the task harder on the night.
That’s not meant to be critical of Trapattoni but more a reflection on the way the Ireland manager sets up his team, making them difficult to beat. He’s very methodical, everyone knows their job, the players are used to the system he wants and it’s hard to break them down. There’s no doubt that tonight’s game is not about the performance but the result.
Striking the right balance to achieve that will be central to the way the match unfolds. On the basis of what’s gone before I can’t see the manager letting them off the leash to have a right go. He’s kept faith in a system and he’s unlikely to abandon it now.
Since we last qualified for the finals of a major tournament we haven’t had as good an opportunity as the one in which we find ourselves at the moment.
The group is not that strong and there has been a serious financial investment in the management team to try to ensure progress.
Slovakia will present a tough prospect despite the perception of some out there who anticipate a convincing Irish victory. They’ll happily settle for a game of “football chess”. A technically proficient side, if Ireland allow them time on the ball it could be a long night.
Shane Long is the in-form striker judging by the start he has made with West Brom in the Premier League. Slovakia will find him a real handful physically.
He makes intelligent runs, doesn’t give up and is good in the air. I’d expect Keith Andrews and Glen Whelan to play their traditional holding roles and I hope rather than expect the full backs to get forward to provide width.
The onus is on Ireland to go and win the match and at some point that means – unless they can grab an early goal from a set-piece – that they’re going to have to take one or two risks. It’d be nice to see them set an aggressive tone from the start and build the pressure through possession and territory.
Ultimately though, it might come down to patience, nerve and the persistence and belief in a system where perspiration rather than inspiration is the mainstay. It’s an important few days for the national side.
