SOCCER ANALYST:SO, HE is a lucky manager. This campaign proved that. If any international football team deserves a dubious handball decision to go their way it's the Republic of Ireland. The red card for goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky and the fortunate own goal before half-time masked all the problems that were on show last night.
I don’t believe men who play week in, week out in the Premier League cannot retain the ball against mediocre European teams. There is far superior opposition coming to Dublin next month who are already in possession of the formula needed to get a result. Possession being the operative word.
The Armenian coach, Vardan Minasyan, clearly watched the Republic of Ireland’s encounters against Russia and Uruguay on DVD. Their formation was a complete replica of previous sides because we allowed it to be.
When a team plays at the Aviva Stadium the blueprint has to be 4-2-3-1. When on the ball, the visiting full backs can push all the way up field because the two holding midfielders protect their centre backs – who still looked shaky in the air.
The tactics will work if a team has a front man who knows how to move into the space. And Yura Movsisyan did just that. He is a quality player (no harm to see Richard Dunne getting away with coming through the back of him on 24 minutes).
Armenia also have a distinct pattern to their play. We didn’t. When they had the ball on the left side, their right back hugs the far touchline up on the halfway line. This widens the pitch, while we remain very narrow.
It allowed them multiple passing options. It also meant they had the ball for most of the opening 10 minutes.
We finally realised they were not Russia or Uruguay and began to assert ourselves. Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews started to pick some passes out. It didn’t last long but we did see an Irish full back, John O’Shea, overlap a winger, Damien Duff. It never happens in the high-pressure situations. Thankfully, O’Shea was educated at Manchester United; the space was screaming at him to move into it.
A goal chance wasn’t long coming with Simon Cox and Kevin Doyle working well off each other.
Everything should have changed on 25 minutes when Berezovsky was incorrectly sent off for hand ball. It seemed to hit his chest or at best armpit from our vantage point in the West Upper Stand.
Thanks Mr Gonzalez.
Giovanni Trapattoni can say he was due a little bit of good fortune from a referee when it really mattered.
When they were reduced to 10 men, Trapattoni should have quickly released his full backs. Second place in the group could have been wrapped up by half-time. It was screaming out for Stephen Kelly to go past Aiden McGeady before the Armenians settled into a new system.
But our Italian manager remains a conservative old owl. Kelly stayed at home and who could blame him?
O’Shea can use his instinct to go past Duff because he knows he will not be dropped. Kelly doesn’t have that luxury so he must abide by Trap’s Law.
It made for frustrating viewing. As the Russians were piling up the against the Andorrans in Moscow, we were leaving it to our wingers to create everything. Both Duff and McGeady delivered, creating both goals. As a result, Armenia didn’t need to change much, reverting to 4-1-3-1 as Henrikh Mkhitaryan shifted to the right, leaving Karlen Mkrtchyan to sit in front of their defence alone.
When McGeady and Duff swapped wings after half-time our full backs were, finally, shoved forward. We immediately began to dominate proceedings. Space opened up for Andrews to rattle off a shot and Cox was showing well. Still, on this night, we were blessed with how comfortable it all became.
Doyle really should have put Duff’s low cross into the net at the front post but Valeri Aleksanyan instead did it for him at the back post – what was he thinking? He should’ve cleared it with the other foot away from goal.
It was shambolic stuff from this young Armenian side and you could see the confidence drain right out of them.
One-nil at half-time was the perfect scenario and it meant the space to put balls into Movsisyan could be plugged up. He was their best player, spinning off Dunne with ease to hit a shot on target early in the second half.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a clean getaway. Their goal after the hour mark ensured we had to keep some bite in the tackle. That’s not an excuse for Doyle’s unnecessary tackle from behind and subsequent yellow card. In fairness, the second yellow for an elbow seemed harsh.
Cox had emptied the tank but why he was replaced and not Doyle had me perplexed.
And are we to understand that Jonathan Walters, who did very well when he came on, has passed Shane Long in the pecking order?
If Robbie Keane doesn’t recover in time we are without our two established strikers for the biggest game since that famous night in Paris.
We’re not there yet and there is still plenty to ponder.
