REP OF IRELAND v ANDORRA REACTION:IT WAS an unconvincing performance. It seemed overly cautious, too. It was Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland. It was six points from the two opening games. It was all about arriving at the October qualifier against Russia, at what we presume will finally be a packed Aviva Stadium, and then a trip to Slovakia.
“These are the games we’ve got to win,” said Glenn Whelan of the opening two matches. “We said that. Hard game out in Armenia. I think a few teams are going to find it difficult out there. We got our three points and are glad that’s over with but we know the next two games are massive for us if we want to qualify.”
The last campaign was notable for some heroic draws away from home, especially in Bari, but the failure to win such games haunted the team in the end.
“In the last campaign the away draws were good at the time but they didn’t prove so good because we didn’t qualify. We have looked at that and know the more wins at home the better.”
There was no threat of a draw last night, never mind defeat, but that wonder strike from Christian Martinez left the Irish side a little shook up in the dressing room at half-time.
And then the coolest man in the stadium strolled in and sorted matters out. “The manager is the coolest man I know,” claimed Whelan. “He has come in and settled us right down because obviously it unsettled us them scoring late on (before half-time) but we come out second half cool as you like and got the third goal early enough – which relaxed the nerves.”
Trapattoni is cool. He is also hard to read. Just when you think the full backs will be given licence to raid, they stay back. Just when you think Paul Green will gallop forward, he instead atones for last Friday by guarding the centre backs all night.
“I was a bit nervous early on against Armenia,” admitted Green. “I couldn’t get to grips with it early on. It was my first competitive game and maybe the nerves were showing. The management didn’t really speak to me about it. I just trained as usual on Saturday and the team was picked and I was in so they showed faith in me and I hope I repaid it.”
Even if his left-footed strike had not gone in, Kevin Doyle would have been a deserved man of the match. Doyle is a leader now, so we ask him about the wounded Russians.
“On paper Russia are the strongest team, but maybe Slovakia and ourselves are surprising everyone. We’ve got a great chance of topping the group. We knew that before and we’ve put ourselves in a very good position after two games.”
