Job done but pundits turn nasty

What a week it has been in the world of Irish football. Providing players and staff with a stern test of character, our final qualifying double header was never going to be smooth sailing but little did we expect events around the two games to spark off so much debate and even controversy.

The match against Germany saw us face a side blessed with an abundance of world class talent. Noel King’s tactics and personnel decisions were questioned by most in the game, and it proved a very difficult evening. But as I said last week, having personally experienced 12 months ago what this Germany side is capable of, I genuinely don’t think it mattered what we tried to do in Cologne since. Fortunately, we had an inspired David Forde on the evening, and we were able to keep the scoreline respectable.

Since it is fair to say Germany were expected to beat us and qualify for another major tournament, for me the real test was always going to be on Tuesday night at home to Kazakhstan. As the final game in a bitterly disappointing campaign, it was vital we put on a good show in front of a sparse crowd at the Aviva.