KEITH ANDREWS: Polish win opens up our options ahead of key games
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be given some time off from the club to get home to Dublin for a couple of days. After a welcome opportunity to meet up with friends and family, on Sunday evening I made my way to the RTÉ studios for the FAI awards ceremony, having been nominated as the senior player of the year for the second year in succession.
Last year, Richard Dunne was, rightly in my opinion, given the accolade and I was delighted to have even been nominated. This year, I was nominated alongside Kevin Doyle and James McCarthy, so when I found out I had won this prestigious award, I was obviously over the moon.
Everyone who knows me is very much aware of the pride I take in representing my country. It was always my dream growing up to play for Ireland, above anything else. I fought long and hard to get to where I am in my career, going down to the bottom tier in English football and making my way back up again. At one point, I was sure the door had closed on any chance I might have to play for my country, as I was still playing football in League Two at the age of 27.
So, bearing all that in mind, when Peter Collins was announcing the award on Sunday night and reeling off previous winners such as Paul McGrath, Roy Keane, Steve Staunton, Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne, it sent shivers down my spine. These players are legends in Irish football and to be even associated with them is very humbling and an honour that will stay with me until the day I die.
Unfortunately, after the awards it was back to the real world of being a player who is currently out injured as I returned to Britain on Monday morning and commenced my rehabilitation at Bolton with a view to getting back playing as soon as I can.
On Wednesday night, I might have only been part of the television audience but, even so, watching the game against Poland brought back good memories for me as I made my international debut against them in Croke Park in 2008. The support they brought to Lansdowne Road was something I haven’t witnessed before. It’s normally our fans taking over opposition or neutral stadiums, but the sight of all those red and white scarves and flags confirmed just how big the Polish population in Ireland is.
The game itself was a tough one for us, the most positive things we can take from it probably being the result and the clean sheet we grinded out. In the first half, we found it very difficult to get any type of foothold in the game as the Polish side dominated possession. They always seemed to have an extra man and passed the ball very well, even when we tried to get amongst them.
Obviously the goal came against the run of play but it just shows how important set-pieces can be, We hadn’t really threatened at all up to that point but when we sent in a decent corner that wasn’t dealt with, Ciaran Clark was in the right place at the right time to supply the kind of clinical finish you would expect from a centre forward.
Half-time saw the introduction of Paul Green and I thought he made a real impact — he got amongst their midfield, making a nuisance of himself and then using the ball very well. I’m a big fan of Wes Hoolahan so I was delighted to see him get another cap. I enjoyed playing with Wes when he came on against Greece in November. He is a very clever player and always makes himself available for a pass. The way he took his goal from a lovely pass from Jeff Hendrick showed the class and composure he possesses.
The squad has changed drastically in the last year or two, something that was probably needed to a certain degree. We lost great stalwarts like Shay Given and Damien Duff when they retired and, unfortunately, haven’t been able to call upon Richard Dunne as he tries to overcome his injury problems. The younger players who have come into the squad in recent months have been a breath of fresh air. It’s impossible to replace players like Shay and Duffer but these new lads have given the group a different dimension and a much needed lift.
So, for all that we sometimes found the going tough, especially in the first half, the friendly against Poland was still a very worthwhile exercise with the big double-header against Sweden and Austria coming up next month. The manager was able to have a look at some fresh faces to see how they’d cope with the international stage as well as assessing a couple of different formations.
And I’m sure he now has a lot of thinking to do, as his starting 11 probably isn’t anything like as straightforward as it used to be not so very long ago.
It was sad to see the differences Mr Trapattoni and Stephen Kelly have had being made public in the last couple of days.
Back in October, in the aftermath of the Germany game and during the build-up to the match in the Faroe Islands, it was widely reported that the boss and Stephen had a training ground bust-up. Well, having been on the training ground throughout all of that trip, I certainly didn’t witness any arguments. And nor did anyone else. The fact is that, whatever happened between the manager and Stephen, actually took place between them in private, so none of us players really know exactly what went on. All I can say is that Stephen travelled to the Faroes with the rest of the side as normal.
Stephen is a fantastic lad and a fellow north side Dubliner with whom I get on particularly well, so for him to come out with his statement means he obviously feels very strongly about what’s gone on and what’s been said. I can attest that he is very patriotic and takes enormous pride in representing his country.
On the other hand, the boss has always seen Stephen as a very important member of the squad and I think I’m right in saying that this last squad was the first one he hasn’t been named in since the manager took over nearly five years ago.
I know Stephen was disappointed not to feature at the Euros in the summer as he had a very good second half to the season with Fulham, and possibly that frustration came out in the build-up to the game with the Faroes. I can certainly understand that frustration but, equally, on occasions when Stephen wasn’t playing as regularly as he would have wanted at club level, the manager would still always include him in his squad.
Like I said at the start, it’s sad to see the way this has unfolded and I hope it can be resolved.
