Kerr’s lack of options shown up by Swiss

The many exhaustive inquests into Ireland’s elimination from the European Championship by Switzerland in Basle lost sight of one enduring truth about Ireland.

It is this: To thrive in any international match, we must work to exhaustion.

It is a fact of life that the Republic invariably suffer by comparison with opponents in the skill elements of the game. Continental opponents tend to be more comfortable on the ball, more adept at controlling it, more versatile in their use of it.