Póg Mo Goal’s no-holds-barred player ratings
PERHAPS the merits of the Nation’s Cup will truly be seen when the next round of fixtures takes place in May, with a genuine competitive edge.
The case for abandoning football altogether was made in the first half of last night’s clash with Wales, but Ireland emerged rejuvenated after the break and posted a decisive victory.
The antics of up to 6,000 Scots in Dublin’s Temple Bar for the last two days points, perhaps, to a colourful conclusion to this tournament. But for 45 minutes, the exercise looked doomed as Ireland and a severely depleted but awful Wales side stumbled around like two boxers unwilling to throw a punch.
However, Ireland would not have been flattered had it finished 5 or 6-0 at the finish and the introduction of Clark and Coleman to international football, plus the continuing dizzying form of Damien Duff are reasons to be hopeful ahead of next month’s qualifier with Macedonia.
Shay Given
Barely troubled but had a couple of long-range efforts to parry away. Revelled in his captain’s role but as one online poster put it: “Poor old Shay Given. He thought he was going to get some match practice.”
John O’Shea
Solid and dependable. There is an understanding building between Sheasy, Dunne and St Ledger but the Man U man has a tendency to take the easy option and thump the ball to no man’s land to get out of danger.
Richard Dunne
Having Dunne alongside Clark is a massive boost and the importance of their club relationship shouldn’t be dismissed for Ireland. Has a tendency to take the easy option and thump the ball to no man’s land to get out of danger.
Sean St Ledger
With Wales offering zero threat, it was a decent showing from the Saint who continues to struggle at club level. He wasn’t tested so his hatchet-man style of defence was adequate last night.
Ciaran Clark
Impressive debut for the Villa man who, it must be remembered, is being deployed out of his favoured position. He was composed and not over-awed by the occasion. Almost marked his first outing in the green with a goal with a fleeting header just wide of the post. The thought of Kilbane taking his place against Macedonia next month is worse than seeing Fianna Fail returning to power. It’s time for change.
Seamus Coleman
Much of the reporting deems Coleman’s debut to have been disappointing but Ireland, as a whole, were awful in the first half due to zero creativity in the central-midfield positions. Coleman was composed, solid on the ball, without launching any real attacking threat. Perhaps he was conscious of Trapattoni’s style of play and wished to launch his case for inclusion in next month’s qualifier by simply sticking to the manager’s game-plan. For a player earning his first cap, he was not afraid to encourage, nor castigate, his team-mates, a sign that the young Donegalman’s confidence levels are at their highest.
Glenn Whelan
A decent showing from a player who has not seen much game-time with his club but Ireland were poor in the first half, unable to create anything of note against a shocking Welsh team, and the two midfielders have to take the blame for that. Picked it up in the second half with one excellent break out of defence.
Darren Gibson
Excellent goal but, like Whelan, he has to take the flak for Ireland’s inept display in the first period. If the defence is untroubled and the forwards are living off scraps, the engine-room has to get things motoring. Gibson seems incapable of doing this. Still, if he can pull off a strike like that when it matters, he might make a name for himself…..like Alan McLoughlin.
Damien Duff
Duffer is flying it. A man-of-the-match performance following on from a confidence-boosting run of form in the Premier League. Duffer was the one creative outlet in the first-half and at the heart of everything good about Ireland’s second half performance. We need Duffer to maintain this hot streak.
Kevin Doyle
Worked as hard as ever with little or no supply from midfield. Doyle has to create openings by himself which is, again, an indictment of our lack of creativity. His form for Wolves is no doubt affecting his confidence but unless Robbie Keane starts banging them in, Doyle has become Ireland’s attacking talisman.
Jonathan Walters
Proved a real handful, especially in the second half. He’s guilty of taking too many touches to create an opening, and reminds you of an old League of Ireland forward, like Tommy Gaynor. His physical presence is an asset to Ireland’s lightweight strikeforce. But does he do a better job than Leon Best? Caleb Folan looked a better prospect with the ball on the deck and played a crucial role in Ireland’s last campaign but Folan seems to have dropped off the radar with a move to the MLS and Walters has a chance to make that impact role his own.
Shane Long
Unlucky not to score and looked lively, bringing his form at Reading to the national side. Perhaps he should have started the game, and he offers us something extra coming off the bench.
Keith Fahey
Brilliantly taken goal and he made a mockery of Trapattoni’s initial decision not to include the Birmingham City player in the squad. His touch is assured and he has that bit of class about him.
Andy Keogh
Made no real impact on his introduction here and is a player who is in danger of missing out if he can’t pick things up at his new club Bristol. His hair still looked nice.
Paul Green
Can look assured in game like this when the opposition are poor. He was taken to the cleaners by Russia so this is no indication that Green has learned from that experience. The fact is, however, that
Green, Andrews, Gibson, and to a lesser extent Whelan are four interchangeable players who don’t offer any real creative alternative to Ireland’s style of play. Fortunately for Green, as he is essentially a clone of the other three, it means he keeps getting into the squad.
Marc Wilson
The hope is that he can shake things up by breaking into the quartet named above. Not on long enough here.
Darren O’Dea
Not on long enough, but unfortunately, another reminder that many of our internationals are struggling for game-time, or that Trap’s picks are operating in the lower levels of the English leagues.
Conclusion:
Ireland created more chances in the second half than we’ve seen from them in a long time. Long and Duff are enjoying rich veins of form and hopefully Trap sees sense and sticks with Coleman and Clark. If Keane can keep on the goal-trail in the coming weeks, we are heading into the crucial qualifier with Macedonia in ever-improving shape.
Now if only James McCarthy could be added to the mix.