The perfect start for Stan

NEW manager, new team, new era - old Duff. Well, not so old actually.

The Duffer turns 27 today but last night at Lansdowne Road he showed the way to all the neophytes, crowning his most exciting performance in a green shirt for a long time with the goal that set Steve Staunton’s team up for a hugely encouraging victory on the manager’s first night in charge.

Only Sweden’s Alexander Ostland would have been disinclined to join in the eve of birthday celebrations. Duff baffled and bewildered the fullback to such an extent the latter got a card to match his shirt for tripping the Ballyboden winger and, much to the glee of the Lansdowne faithful, was later reduced to diving theatrically over the end line just because of the mere presence of the number 11 at his back.

Staunton is entitled to take many positives from last night’s display, but the knowledge that Ireland’s most potent creative force is back to his best must rank highest of all.

Not that this was one-man display. New captain Robbie Keane, playing in a deep-lying role, was also determined to get in on the old boy’s act, bursting through the heart of a paralysed Swedish defence to blast Ireland into a two-goal lead early in the second half. Keane promptly ran to the dug out to embrace another familiar face, that of returned from exile physio Mick Byrne. As a chorus of ‘Ole, Ole’ rang around the ground, it was if the good old days were back again.

Then, just to warm the cockles still further on a bitterly cold night, Liam Miller - on as one of six second-half substitutes for Ireland - unleashed an explosive shot from fully 25 yards into the roof of the Swedish net.

We seem to have been hearing that it’s Miller time for far too long - this time, it really was.

A resounding 3-0 win was no more than Ireland deserved for a display which, as Steve Staunton had promised, saw his players, old and new, perform with imagination, spirit and a refreshing lack of inhibition.

As also predicted by the manager, Ireland were flexible tactically, shaping up somewhere between 4-5-1 and 4-3-1-2, as Kevin Doyle and Stephen Elliott alternated, and sometimes combined, as the spearhead. Both were lively and creative, offering the home side enough variety in attack to keep the Swedish defence and goalkeeper busy before the goals began to flow.

But last night was less about tactics than it was about the infectious relish and zest with which the team went about its business, and the quality of a number of the individual performances.

At the back Richard Dunne was a commanding presence, doing more than enough to suggest he has what it takes to replace Kenny Cunningham as the leader of the Irish rearguard. One well-judged tackle late in the first half to snuff out a threatening Swedish attack was almost worth a goal in itself.

In front of him, Steven Reid was strong and decisive in midfield. While distribution from the middle was not one of the most impressive aspects of Ireland’s first half, nevertheless it was his driven first-time ball out to the left flank which gave Duff the time and space to cut inside and score Ireland’s opener, via a deflection, with his right foot.

In the second half, the wonderfully composed and confident debut of Stephen Ireland suggested that Staunton also has in the ranks the kind of developing talent which could yet bring another dimension of guile and craft to a midfield which is still in need of serious attention in the absence of wise old heads like Roy Keane and Matt Holland.

Although more involved than he had been in the match against Switzerland, John O’Shea once again turned inan erratic performance in the heart of the Irish team before being replaced just after the break by combative Graham Kavanagh. On this evidence, the Manchester United man is still struggling to come to terms fully with the demands of the role.

But, overall, this was one of those nights when it seemed churlish to be over-critical. A friendly is only a friendly, and we would do well not too get carried away, but three goals scored and none conceded against World Cup qualifiers about as uplifting a start as Steve Staunton - and the Irish fans - could have wished for.