Players are "reasonably" pleased

AFTER the welcome initial flurry of goals at the EsehenMauren Sportspark on Saturday evening, the Irish players conceded that mentally, they switched themselves off to a degree.

"This is going to be double figures," someone predicted after Ian Harte made it 4-0, but the thing is games like this rarely are. Four up against inferior opposition, all too understandably, the edge goes. The bad team brings the good one down to their level.

There was no great sense of satisfaction amongst the players. Merely a job reasonably well done, establishing the tempo Mick McCarthy had sought from the outset, effectively ending the game as a contest after four minutes and 30 seconds.

The more direct, 4-4-2, pressure game espoused by the previous regime often negated any advantage which technically superior sides enjoyed, making Ireland tough to beat, but the same pattern of play largely forfeited the advantage against technically inferior opposition as others such as Luxembourg demonstrated.

The theory that the change in tactical approach was the main difference seemed to be something that had never been put before to Andy Townsend, admittedly a horses for all courses footballer, who was a loyal disciple of the old regime.

"Well ehhh, maybe, maybe, maybe," he thought, looking intently skyward. "I mean, maybe. Yeah," he mused some more. "Looking back now it was probably more up their street to bang balls down their throat all day long. Maybe. But, I suppose what's done is done.

Yep.

The naivety of Liechtenstein's play was manifested in a number of ways, not least by Martin Heeb's unerring accuracy in picking out Ian Harte's head with four kick outs in that first quarter. "Heading is one of the strongest aspects to my game," Harte revealed afterwards.

"I couldn't believe I was involved so much," he added. This had the additional benefits of settling Harte down almost from the kick off, and playing to the strong left side of the Irish team - Steve Staunton, Harte, Townsend and Keith O'Neill all being naturally left footed.

The four first half goals came from that flank, as did the fifth to a point, Harte's intelligent return header across the face of the goal for Niall Quinn (his excellent cross having set up the striker's first), thereby giving him three assists to add to his 20th minute strike on his 19th birthday.

Explaining the exaggerated dip on his shot, Harte admitted: "I struck it well but a defender came and just got a touch on it, and that made it dip slightly." As for the throw in which O'Neill's tenacity turned into a goal, Harte said: "Ray wanted it short but I saw a gap in behind the full back and I know Keith is fast."

Harte, regarded amongst his elder peers as possibly the pick of McCarthy's new wave of likely lads, now has two goals from five caps (and one in just seven appearances for Leeds). O'Neill has four in his short career.

Yet the normally ebullient 20 year old Norwich striker wasn't nearly so content with his lone strike or his overall contribution, with the uneven, hollowy pitch hindering his first touch.

"I got one. Should have got a lot more. I don't think I set the world alight or anything like that which maybe I should have done against opposition as bad as these."

As professionals, these guys don't really enjoy playing rank amateurs. "They just stick with you," said O'Neill. "I went over to have a word with Alan McLoughlin when the ball was out of play and yer man (Patrick Hefti) came over and was listening to our conversation." The wonder to O'Neill was that Hefti didn't come off with him when he was substituted.

"You get into bad habits. Like, you make good runs against good pros but against bad players for some reason they block it because they don't know. They just have a different way of thinking."

"It's surprising really, it's probably easier against a better quality side in some ways," reflected Alan McLoughlin, who bemoaned not scoring at all from four attempts (the Irish enjoying 26 in all, 13 on target, to two by the home side). Ditto Gary Breen, who otherwise "loved" the three man defensive system.

"I normally play on the right, so it's great that the manager has the faith to put me in the middle because I'm starting off a lot of the team plays. It just suits me, it plays to my strengths: a lot of running and that, and I enjoy it. In a flat back four you're generally very disciplined, just clear your lines. You can express yourself more (in the three) and I think it's definitely the way forward at international level as well."

Harte's self contentment was probably only rivalled by Ray Houghton, equally outstanding in his effervescent, Strachanesque way, and of course two goal Niall Quinn. The big man just seems altogether happier in himself.