Expanded Europe may suit us just fine

Unfortunately, it rather highlights our predicament hanging off the back of the pack, but hasn’t it been, in the main, an enthralling, well-contested championship so far?

More grist to the mill for those leading the clamour to leave the format just as it is and resist Michel Platini’s plans for an expanded 24-team tournament next time round.

No doubt many across the continent will point to Thursday night as a foretaste of the slackened competitiveness we will encounter if we decide to let just anybody in. But while a swelled line-up might do nothing for the competition itself, it could be just what European football needs. Or Irish football anyway.