While almost all of the talk in relation to last night’s match was centred around the performance of individual players vying for inclusion in the Euro 2016 squad, Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was also pleased with many other aspects of the 1-1 draw with the Netherlands.
Harry Arter, Stephen Quinn and David McGoldrick’s performances were naturally scrutinised ahead of the squad announcement on Tuesday night but there was a lot more on offer over the 90 minutes for the manager to take into the France tournament.
Individual performances aside, one of the things that became abundantly clear was the system that the manager is really starting to favour, and it was certainly tested last night.
O’Neill’s formation is loosely based on the midfield diamond, but essentially the Ireland XI lined out as 4-3-1-2, with a huge emphasis on that three-man unit sitting in front of the back four, with Glenn Whelan pulling the strings, flanked either side by the aforementioned Arter and Quinn.
The three appear to move as one, preventing anything from coming through the middle, much like the role that Whelan plays at Stoke, as well as holding on to the ball in an attempt to calm things down while in possession.
Arter started last night on the right of Whelan with Quinn mirroring the Bournemouth man on the left, but all three roles proved interchangeable and there was a real sense of unity between them.
And some of Whelan’s passing last night was exquisite, with two first-time cross-field balls to the advancing Coleman as good as you would see in world football.
Going forward, both Quinn and Arter were given free rein to push forward and link up with McGoldrick and the strikers, with support from either full back.
Both Seamus Coleman on the right and Robbie Brady on the left have been assigned that wing-back role when in possession, which comes naturally to the attack-minded duo.
And Ireland showed last night that it will take a very good footballing side to break through what is essentially a seven-man defensive wall – perhaps a nod to O’Neill’s predecessor Giovanni Trapattoni, who to his credit made Ireland teams very difficult to score against, if not much else.
The system also allows Jonathan Walters to play in a more advanced role, adding real menace in support of the relentless Shane Long, creating a real defenders’ nightmare.
The system looks like one that will best serve the Ireland manager in France and could spell the end of starting roles for both Aiden McGeady and James McClean.
McGeady was utilised in the number 10 role in the away fixture in Germany, but it appeared alien to the Everton midfielder, while McClean has been handed a few centre-forward cameos, perhaps with O’Neill looking for answers as to where the duo, who he obviously rates, can be best used.
The striker’s role looks unlikely for McClean, and O’Neill said as much in the post-match press conference, but the West Brom midfielder could perhaps find himself auditioning for that left wing-back role in future campaigns, as an alternative to Brady.
But there will be no dislodging Brady for the Euros after showing last night what he can bring to this Ireland team when he has his left-foot radar finely tuned.
The Norwich man’s set-piece delivery was exceptional and with the Ireland players now confident and knowledgeable of attacking the right spaces, goal chances will certainly follow.
Brady’s defensive duties have been put under the microscope in recent games but last night’s performance showed that he has learned a lot over the past 12 months, with his pace and ability to read the game giving him an extra yard tracking back or breaking down play.
And there were a couple of times when his footballing brain would have been telling him to take the ball down, but Brady was happy to put his boot through the dropping ball to move play back into the opposition half.
Another aspect of last night’s game that O’Neill was oddly enthused about was playing for large chunks of the game without the ball.
The quality of the Dutch side in possession, if not going forward, was obviously something that attracted the Ireland boss to last night’s fixture.
The realist in O’Neill is under no illusion that there will be several segments of play, especially against Belgium and Italy, where Ireland will be chasing the ball and this is something that the side are certainly working towards on the training ground – the less glamorous aspect of being an Ireland international.
The Ireland team work tirelessly when out not in possession with strikers Long and Walters leading by example, however, last night there appeared to be a lot of needless haring about with the ball deep in the Dutch half, while other over-zealous moments led to needless free-kicks and cautions.
Energy consumption will be key in the warmer summer climate and the manager will surely advise players better when it comes to putting pressure on the ball, with Quinn’s midfield interception showing how quickly you can turn defence into attack when a more calculated run is made.
The one disappointing aspect of last night’s game from the manager’s perspective will be the soft goal that was conceded with only five minutes remaining on the clock.
A lapse of concentration from Duffy, having performed so well all night, allowed Luuk de Jong in to equalise, but a portion of the blame must also be placed at Darren Randolph’s door, as the keeper started to come before getting caught in no man’s land.
The West Ham sub keeper had another shaky moment earlier in the game when his weak left-footed clearance cannoned off the Dutch striker, but luckily the ball rebounded out of play.
And these moments are a timely reminder to O’Neill that he is perhaps bringing a trio of goalkeepers to France with only a handful of league appearances this year between them.
Keiren Westwood’s performances this year for Sheffield Wednesday really need to be considered at this stage.
The Ireland manager had special praise for Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers for his input helping out the squad this week with David Forde and Westwood away due to club commitments.
Perhaps Rogers’ excellence was a sign that the on-duty keepers are lacking a bit of sharpness after a near-dormant season on the respective benches at Stoke and West Ham.
