Midfielders must step up to the mark

I watched last Sunday’s scoreless draw with England on television and listened with interest to the analysis of Kenny Cunningham and Keith Andrews.

What they were saying, in essence, is that the long ball — or direct football, if you prefer to call it that — is still Ireland’s best option. And, more than once, Kenny Cunningham said that we shouldn’t apologise for that.

My immediate thought was that nothing has really moved on since Giovanni Trapattoni was manager.