Time to regroup and take inventory

There now follows a period of reflection on what has transpired these past 18 months. In truth, we never looked like qualifying after that night(mare) in Nicosia back in October of last year.

The current squad lacks the quality evident during the peak Charlton years, when men like Paul McGrath, Liam Brady, Ronnie Whelan and Kevin Moran held sway.

More worryingly, they are also bereft of the strength of character - make that sheer bloody-mindedness - Roy Keane, Steve Staunton, Niall Quinn and Tony Cascarino brought to the party.

And yet, the next manager - whoever he is and whenever he is appointed - will have plenty to work with. The enthusiasm and commitment remain. Now all Irish football requires is some wise direction.

There are many Irish players emerging in the English Championship but not at the top-level clubs. The current squad are superior to what Scotland and Northern Ireland have at their disposal but both those teams managed to be fighting it out for qualification in arguably tougher groups - certainly Scotland's was tougher - right down to the last match.

That should be the minimum requirement for Ireland next time around.

If little else, the hardcore supporters got to enjoy the varying cities of Group D. Stuttgart, Nicosia, Rimini, Bratislava, Prague and the cool sunshine of Cardiff on Saturday - all provided great atmosphere in the pre-match build-up as the fans highlighted their continued loyalty by travelling en masse. Sadly, the post-match from each trip tended to extinguish lingering hopes while testing their faith. Five points on the road, including a lucky win against the mighty San Marino, is where we are at. Finishing unbeaten at home, with three wins and three draws, was hardly good enough either.

The positive displays in Germany and the Czech Republic went unrewarded. We earned respect against both sides at home but still only garnered two points, while our best display was against Slovakia at Croke Park.

The Welsh match and both San Marino experiences hardly deserve a mention but the real killer blows were landed by Cyprus. We never recovered from the 5-2 defeat out there, and their recent visit to Dublin merely compounded the new low to which we have sunk as an international, eh, force.

The concession of a late goal to drop two points in Slovakia was repeated in Cardiff on Saturday.

But Steve Staunton is gone so who now can we blame? The pattern is all too familiar: Ireland are controlling a game entering the home straight, doing most of the attacking, before a lack of concentration throws Wales a lifeline they scarcely deserve. The ruthless defending required, not just at international level but at any level, is absent.

Paul McShane is still only a young man learning his trade but he must shoulder the blame here. His recent performances have confirmed that the over-the-top praise he received after the Czech game must be re-evaluated. My view is he lacks the pace and physique to nail down the central-defender role beside Richard Dunne, while his impetuous tackling makes him a liability. He can still develop into a good international but he isn't there yet.

Saturday's game was enjoyable because both teams had a real go and created plenty of chances, but Ireland always looked unreliable at the back and lacked the required protection from midfield.

Lee Carsley was ineffective, especially considering the standards he has set for himself. Shay Given cut an exasperated figure when, not long after the Welsh equaliser, he was forced into more heroics and was probably wondering how many times he has to bail out the back four.

It was good to see Don Givens's choice of Aiden McGeady being rewarded with an attacking performance and some quality crossing. It should be noted that the Celtic winger has yet to mature into a truly top-class player. But he will.

Stephen Hunt again made a tremendous impact when coming off the bench, setting up Kevin Doyle's goal with his first contribution.

Will the new manager have much to work with? Not many retirements are expected and there are significant returns from injury in Dunne, Damien Duff, Steven Reid and Stephen Ireland - presuming he bothers to turn up again.

Younger lads to have shown potential include Shane Long, Joey O'Brien, Andy Keogh, Daryl Murphy and Anthony Stokes, but I don't see any of them making a significant impact in the next campaign.

They have all come through a system that lacks a winning mentality and this is the first task for the new appointment. Next time around we must regain the knack and method to earn the results on the road that are so crucial when it comes to World Cup qualification.

For now, though, it's over to the FAI hierarchy to deliver. We wait with bated breath.