MANAGER MARTIN O’NEILL received some flak for his team selection, but the late changes ultimately helped Ireland secure what could be a crucial 2-1 win against Georgia today.
With time running out, the manager introduced Robbie Brady and Shane Long for the ineffectual Robbie Keane and Stephen Quinn.
The switch meant that Brady moved to the left, while Aiden McGeady was allowed to take up a more central berth.
McGeady responded with a moment of magic, but he would probably not have had the opportunity to do so were it not for his manager’s astute decision-making late on.
2. Robbie Keane is not a lone frontman
With 62 goals in 135 appearances at international level, it’s easy to see why O’Neill was reluctant to drop Robbie Keane for tonight’s match.
Keane is also in excellent form at club level, whereas the same cannot be said for many of the other Ireland strikers competing for a place in the side.
Yet this evening, the Ireland striker contributed little in the time he spent on the field aside from a clever dummy in the build-up to Ireland’s first goal.
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Of course, the 34-year-old will always be a goal threat, but he is patently ill-equipped to lead the Irish attack in a 4-5-1 formation. Martin O’Neill’s side need someone like Shane Long, who — unlike Keane — is quick and offers genuine presence in the lone striker role.
Keane may well start as part of a two-man attack force in the next match against Gibraltar, but against Germany thereafter, the more energetic presence up top provided by Long is surely the better option.
3. Harsh to blame David Forde for goal
http://vine.co/v/OzzErKUUtiV
David Forde has plenty of detractors and there are probably a few occasions in the past, such as in the World Cup qualifier against Sweden, where he could have performed better.
However, blaming him for the Ireland goal today is very harsh.
The ferocious shot from Genk’s Tornike Okriashvili was totally unexpected and flew well over the Millwall stopper’s head before finding the net — the type of shot that it is difficult to imagine any goalkeeper saving.
If anything, much of the blame should be leveled at the Irish defence for allowing their opponent too much time and space to shoot in the first place.
4. James McCarthy largely ineffectual in unfamiliar role
Aside from Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy is undoubtedly Ireland’s most highly rated player from tonight’s lineup.
Yet the performance he produced this evening was unrecognisable from the displays he invariably gives in the Premier League for Everton.
He did lay on the first goal of course, setting up Aiden McGeady who finished clinically following McCarthy’s nicely weighted pass.
But the goal aside, the Glasgow-born star was largely anonymous, and failed to serve as the driving force in midfield that many hoped he would develop into by now.
Instead, he saw little of the ball, having been asked to play in a more attacking role than his normal sitting position at club level. He consequently looked a little lost and confused, as he struggled, for the most part, to make any real impact on proceedings.
5. Have we all overestimated Georgia?
Georgia away was expected to be a tough fixture and so it proved. Isolated results have been impressive in recent times for the team who were once regarded as footballing minnows, especially in Tbilisi, where they conceded just one goal in games against Spain and France during their last qualifying campaign.
Yet while the hosts today were well organised and often frustrated Ireland, they seldom looked like scoring and offered minimal attacking threat.
Of course, Ireland struggled themselves, but manager Temuri Ketsbaia’s recent suggestion that his team are capable of finishing third seems fanciful on today’s evidence.
So after watching this evening’s rather tepid affair in Tbilisi, it’s frankly difficult to imagine Scotland, Poland or Germany seeing much to be fearful of in either side’s game — apart, of course, from McGeady’s penchant for the phenomenal.
5 talking points from Ireland's late win in Georgia
1. Clever changes from O’Neill pay off
MANAGER MARTIN O’NEILL received some flak for his team selection, but the late changes ultimately helped Ireland secure what could be a crucial 2-1 win against Georgia today.
With time running out, the manager introduced Robbie Brady and Shane Long for the ineffectual Robbie Keane and Stephen Quinn.
The switch meant that Brady moved to the left, while Aiden McGeady was allowed to take up a more central berth.
McGeady responded with a moment of magic, but he would probably not have had the opportunity to do so were it not for his manager’s astute decision-making late on.
2. Robbie Keane is not a lone frontman
With 62 goals in 135 appearances at international level, it’s easy to see why O’Neill was reluctant to drop Robbie Keane for tonight’s match.
Keane is also in excellent form at club level, whereas the same cannot be said for many of the other Ireland strikers competing for a place in the side.
Yet this evening, the Ireland striker contributed little in the time he spent on the field aside from a clever dummy in the build-up to Ireland’s first goal.
Of course, the 34-year-old will always be a goal threat, but he is patently ill-equipped to lead the Irish attack in a 4-5-1 formation. Martin O’Neill’s side need someone like Shane Long, who — unlike Keane — is quick and offers genuine presence in the lone striker role.
Keane may well start as part of a two-man attack force in the next match against Gibraltar, but against Germany thereafter, the more energetic presence up top provided by Long is surely the better option.
3. Harsh to blame David Forde for goal
http://vine.co/v/OzzErKUUtiV
David Forde has plenty of detractors and there are probably a few occasions in the past, such as in the World Cup qualifier against Sweden, where he could have performed better.
However, blaming him for the Ireland goal today is very harsh.
The ferocious shot from Genk’s Tornike Okriashvili was totally unexpected and flew well over the Millwall stopper’s head before finding the net — the type of shot that it is difficult to imagine any goalkeeper saving.
If anything, much of the blame should be leveled at the Irish defence for allowing their opponent too much time and space to shoot in the first place.
4. James McCarthy largely ineffectual in unfamiliar role
Aside from Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy is undoubtedly Ireland’s most highly rated player from tonight’s lineup.
Yet the performance he produced this evening was unrecognisable from the displays he invariably gives in the Premier League for Everton.
He did lay on the first goal of course, setting up Aiden McGeady who finished clinically following McCarthy’s nicely weighted pass.
But the goal aside, the Glasgow-born star was largely anonymous, and failed to serve as the driving force in midfield that many hoped he would develop into by now.
Instead, he saw little of the ball, having been asked to play in a more attacking role than his normal sitting position at club level. He consequently looked a little lost and confused, as he struggled, for the most part, to make any real impact on proceedings.
5. Have we all overestimated Georgia?
Georgia away was expected to be a tough fixture and so it proved. Isolated results have been impressive in recent times for the team who were once regarded as footballing minnows, especially in Tbilisi, where they conceded just one goal in games against Spain and France during their last qualifying campaign.
Yet while the hosts today were well organised and often frustrated Ireland, they seldom looked like scoring and offered minimal attacking threat.
Of course, Ireland struggled themselves, but manager Temuri Ketsbaia’s recent suggestion that his team are capable of finishing third seems fanciful on today’s evidence.
So after watching this evening’s rather tepid affair in Tbilisi, it’s frankly difficult to imagine Scotland, Poland or Germany seeing much to be fearful of in either side’s game — apart, of course, from McGeady’s penchant for the phenomenal.
McGeady double seals victory in Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying opener>
As it happened: Ireland v Georgia, Euro 2016 qualifier>
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2-1 Aiden McGeady Analysis All-Ireland Senior HC Euro 2016 Talking Points Georgia Ireland Republic