Top marks for organisation but very little creativity

SOCCER:I WAS going to suggest last night's viewing was little more than a training match but I imagine Ireland retain the ball better in training.

A fifth clean sheet in a row looks great but the ball retention was shocking.

It, yet again, adds fuel to the theory that players from continental European leagues are technically superior to the general skill level being produced by players coached in Britain and Ireland.

The organisation and work-rate was at its usual excellent level. For that and that alone, the manager and his coaching staff can take a decent amount of credit.

But I can’t help thinking Giovanni Trapattoni remains unconvinced he has the players at his disposal to allow them go out and play.

I think we are better than the tactical plan allows us to be. This is the best squad Ireland have had for a very long time but they must be trusted.

Sure, such disciplined defending will always keep us in the shake-up for qualification but what happens if we do make it to a major tournament? Three nil-all draws won’t be of any use. Neither will the nick-a-goal-and-hang-on mentality entice 50,000 to Lansdowne Road. The fans were given nothing to cheer about.

A typical, structurally sound display then. Good shape, solid but very little creativity in attack.

I’ve said this before and I’m certain I’ll be writing about it some more next month: the main difference between the sides was the movement of the full backs. Or, in Ireland’s case, a lack of adventure.

Left back Stephen Ward bombed past Robbie Keane in one attack to create space on the inside for the Irish captain but, as usual, the Trapattoni policy ensured the full backs mainly stayed at home.

Same applies to the central midfielders. True, Darron Gibson broke rank early in the match when he intercepted a loose pass, fed Damien Duff, and then had no option but to continue his run. It was instinctive, pity the first-time shot was so timid.

In contrast, like most decent teams we come up against, once Croatia got on the ball their full backs pushed onto ours, creating an extra passing option.

I have no problem with Ireland setting-up this way on the road but it means we lack assertiveness at Lansdowne.

Still, the energy from the players was good. Croatia had most of the ball around the middle and while there were shades of the dominant display from Russia in Dublin, these visitors didn’t look like that good a side.

Last night was another example of how Ireland cope when faced with one of the top-tier teams. Croatia were more comfortable on the ball so we let them have it. Their movement is also superior but they lacked the end product to really frighten us. They really missed injured Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic.

For all the extra attacking options, they didn’t seem to trust Mario Mandzukic’s obvious height in the box.

This is an example of Ireland turning a perceived weakness to their advantage. Croatia, like other major football nations, presume they can play us off the park but without a goal threat, the creativity of Luka Modric becomes irrelevant.

True, the referee should have given Croatia one, and arguably two, penalties in the first-half. If it was a qualifier, the Croats would have been justifiably livid.

In the opening 45 minutes, despite the lack of possession, it was Keane who carved out the best opportunity. Shane Long’s climb for a header wasn’t far behind while Richard Dunne’s header was the best chance after half-time.

Keane looked sharp. This was obviously a stage for him to shine as he seeks a new club before the transfer deadline. He looked fit. The worry is by early September, when Slovakia come to Dublin and we travel to Moscow, Keane will not have racked up enough game time to retain his sharpness.

I thought our centre halves looked sluggish last night but they grew into the contest.

But the one repetitive criticism of Ireland was the inability to string more than three passes together. It is something they must improve before September. It will be acceptable in Russia to be constantly on the defensive but counter attacking and set pieces shouldn’t be the only outlet to bank three points against Slovakia. And that is a must-win game.

Duff and Stephen Hunt needed to be given ball into feet higher up the pitch so they can create real chances.

Otherwise, we can forget about playing in the Ukraine or Poland next summer.