Trap has not lost the Irish dressing room

There’s no getting away from the fact that the last few days have been very tough and although it would have been easy not to write this piece — especially in the midst of all the headlines surrounding the manager’s position — I think it’s important that the fans know exactly how much we the players and all the backroom staff here are hurting.

Friday evening’s game was one of my most demoralising experiences in an Irish shirt. Yes, the Germans were a fantastic side, playing to the top of their game, but it’s very hard to take being beaten 6-1 in your own backyard.

The fans and media got their long awaited wish for a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation, and although we were relatively comfortable for the first 30 minutes or so, after that, the Germans took the game by the scruff of the neck and we couldn’t handle them.