No carnival on the night, only deliverance

ONE of the most successful nights in Irish football history. Butalso, due to the uncompetitive nature of the match, one of the most surreal.

Although the celebrations continued long into the night as Ireland rightfully enjoyed one of the team’s finest ever achievements at a raucous Lansdowne Road, the more muted affairs on the pitch were somewhat in-keeping with the Euro 2012 campaign. And, indeed, the entire Giovanni Trapattoni tenure.

Because, as persuasive as the end results have now been, the minimalist nature of Trapattoni’s formation means that the performances on the pitch haven’t always been as convincing. And while qualification should perhaps have ended all the arguments about the manager’s style, it would be wrong to not acknowledge the fact there are a significant proportion of the football public who are still not entirely enamoured with the manager’s approach, despite the undeniable success he has now delivered.