IRELAND’S 4-4-2 FORMATION leaves them outnumbered and outmatched against practically all modern international sides, midfielder Glenn Whelan said.

Under Giovanni Trapattoni, Whelan has become a regular face in the engine room of the Irish midfield and starts tomorrow evening’s friendly against Greece in a familiar role alongside James McCarthy.

But the Stoke City man expressed his frustration with Ireland’s reliance on an orthodox two-man central midfield in an era when the vast majority of their opponents are playing with three in the middle.

Whelan admits that he was “embarrassed” by Ireland’s performance at Euro 2012, and while he knows that Trapattoni’s tactics were a major factor in qualifying for a first major tournament in 10 years, now he feels it’s time for a change.

“When the manager was first brought in, [what] the board were thinking first and foremost is get us to a World Cup or to a Europeans. That’s what everyone wanted.

“It was ok getting us there but it’s then what do you do afterwards? What are you going to do once you’re there? I think that’s something we’re going to have to work on and try to improve.

I think he’s fiddled about a bit with systems and things like that and I think that’s helped a little bit because since I’ve been involved and been playing, I don’t think I’ve played against another national team that’s played 4-4-2.

He added: “If it’s me or Keith Andrews or Darron Gibson or Keith Fahey that’s been in there, we’ve been overpowered. We’re playing three against two and we don’t get the credit that we deserve really.

“We’ve taken a lot of stick but what can we do? We’re told by the manager to go out and play like this. It’s not for me then to say ‘I’m not.’

He’s the manager, he’s the boss. You do what he says because if you don’t, you’re not going to get picked.

After recalling Wes Hoolahan to the international side for the first time in more than four years, Trapattoni promised to vary his tactics against Greece and experiment with a 4-5-1 formation, playing Hoolahan in the hole behind a lone striker.

The Norwich City playmaker is among the substitutes tomorrow night but Trap has promised that he will play at least 45 minutes and Whelan thinks a new twist in the formation might give Ireland a boost.

“I think so because I’m the one who has moaned about it more than anything. I think we first tried it against Serbia and I think if you look at the first half against Serbia, it’s probably some of the best football we’ve played recently anyway.

“I think it suits us. I think it might help us. But it’s one thing saying it, it’s another thing doing it.

“The manager picks the team, he picks the way we play and if you’re told to do whatever, then you just do it. It’s obviously the manager’s choice.”

Asked if he is uncomfortable playing as part of a two-man midfield, Whelan said: “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that I’ve played X amount of games and in 99% of them, I’ve played against three men in midfield.

Like I said, if we’re told to do something, we’ll go out and do it to our best ability. He’s the manager. His neck’s on the line and he’s the one who could be getting sacked. I don’t think you’ve ever seen a player get sacked for giving in bad performances.

“You do what you’re told because he’s the manager and we’ve got that respect for him.”

Speaking about the criticism faced by the squad following Euro 2012, Whelan said: “I’ve got skin like rhino at this stage. You’ve got to take the good with the bad.

“After the Euros, me personally, I felt a little bit embarrassed when I came back. I was hard to be around, not only because of the pressure of being to a tournament for the first time in 10 years. It’s the letting down of family, the letting down of friends, of people who’ve supported you.

“That’s what it felt like to me and it was hard to take.”

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