Despite watching his unbeaten Ireland Under-17 side exit the European Championships, head coach Colin O’Brien is convinced that the future is bright for Irish football.
Ireland played out a highly entertaining 1-1 encounter with Belgium, but failed to progress following their third draw of their campaign, with tonight’s opponents and the Czech Republic going through from Group A.
Ireland were outplayed for large parts of the tough test against the highly rated Belgium side, however, a 74th-minute Timi Sobowale goal gave the hosts hope as O’Brien’s side searched for a late winner, which would have sent them through.
A valiant effort to put the Belgians under real pressure for the final 15 minutes, however, Ireland came up short and had to settle for a share of the spoils as O’Brien’s side finished their campaign on three points.
"We’re bitterly disappointed that we did not find a play for the win," said O’Brien, speaking to RTÉ Sport after the game. "But when you put it into perspective, about how the players played for the whole tournament I think there is a broader picture here.
"If you package together some of the play they did in each of the games and we can keep adding, I think the future will be bright."
Ireland have attempted to play an entertaining brand of football throughout the tournament, but it was their defensive game that was really tested throughout the Belgium game as the visitors put huge pressure on the Ireland goal right up to their breakthrough in the 65th minute of the game.
But again, O’Brien gave credit to his side for showing their steel and determination to cope with the relentless Belgian attack with an otherwise fine defensive display.
"They had a number of chances but we defended our goal brilliantly and from my point of view I thought the players never gave up on the ball, defending it, covering each other brilliantly, and you have to do that against quality opposition.
"They really knew how to defend the box and you have to give them great credit for that and the maturity of their positioning and their desire to make sure that Belgium weren’t going to succeed."
As it happened, O'Brien side had to play the best team in their final game, which turned out to be a real disadvantage to a fatiguing Ireland side who also had to plan without two key players, Festy Ebsoele and Conor Carty, who were suspended for the final encounter, while goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was injured.
Ebsoele, in particular, can feel hard done by, missing out on the match as a result of a red card that was picked up in the Czech Republic match, which the Ireland coach has described as cheating from the opposition player.
"Some of options were taken away from us before the game, [missing] some of our key players," said O’Brien, who was still upset about Ebsoele’s sending off in Waterford.
"Hopefully, that will act as a catalyst for change for future tournaments and how they handle certain situations for cheating, and we suffered tonight."
Having drawn with two quality sides, Belgium and the Czech Republic, Ireland’s exit essentially came down to their inability to beat Greece, who finished bottom of the group with just one point.
And O’Brien acknowledged that his side are still a work in progress and must learn how to be more effective in the final third, in terms of decision making and their final execution.
"The players tonight and over the tournament have competed and performed, they played some good football at times," said O’Brien.
"We need to keep adding and keep getting better, and we still need to improve our decision making and execution in the final third of the pitch."
Lifeline!!! Timo Sobowale acrobatically turns home an Irish equaliser. There's still hope in Tallaght #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/VrhSUAl3ZA
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) May 9, 2019
O’Brien has worked with this Under-17 squad throughout the last 12 months preparing for this tournament and the head coach takes a lot of satisfaction having watched the journey his side has been on over the past year.
And the coach believes the side were still learning in the game against Belgium, from a team who O’Brien feels are already at a higher standard in their development, with key players like Jeremy Doku playing in the first team at Anderlecht.
"These countries have components of their game that are ahead of us so you have to maximise your own strengths as well.
"Doku has played five times for Anderlecht’s first team already this season, so these are the kind of games that the players need, and they will go away from this game knowing there is another level and that is brilliant for their own development.
"It is hard for them to see that now, but it is better for them in the long term.
"We were prepped for that all year, learning how to adapt in matches, when to press high, when to defend deeper.
"There is a real tactical maturity compared to when they started the season. From where they started to where they are now, they are better.
"And for me as a head coach, right now, that can be hard to see, but you have to look at the broader picture."
After a decade of dour football at the senior level, the Irish game has received a lot of stick in terms of the way the teams play and the perception that the country is not producing good young footballers.
"He's a classic midfield player" - Ireland U21 manager Stephen Kenny is a big fan of the silky Joe Hodge pic.twitter.com/4npmGbtaLZ
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) May 9, 2019
But O’Brien believes that his side’s performances, at times, over the past three matches disproves that theory and he is convinced that the Irish public were able to see that for themselves over the course of the tournament.
"It is how they are being educated. It is not a shock to me to see some of the good football we played, because we encourage them.
"They have learned some great lessons, they have been in every game.
"But the big thing for me is that the nation can start making up their own mind about young Irish players and how they play."
And while the education continues, with this group moving up to Under-18 and Under-19 representative sides, and O’Brien already in preparations for next year’s Under-17 campaign, the coach admits that the fighting Irish spirit will always have a major part to play, complementing this new approach to how the game should be played.
"Fundamentally, it is part of our DNA, we do have that fighting spirit and you cannot just dismiss that out of a programme with young players.
"That is part of us. And you have to harness that, and nurture that, along with the footballing side of things."
