No salvation for Trap’s weary troops

And on the last day the sun shone and the Irish baked.

It took two weeks, but the sweltering summer everyone had expected and packed for finally arrived on an Irish match day here in Poznan yesterday after two evenings when the elements were more reminiscent of Portumna, Portlaoise and Passage East.

At one point, the thermometer breached 30 degrees and humidity soared above 70%, but for those making merry in the enclosed and packed Stary Rynek, or main square, the temperature and humidity bordered on unbearable by mid-afternoon.

The fear was that dehydration would kick in among fans whose bodies and minds had already been subjected to over a week of high-living and similar concerns were muttered about a team preparing for a third game in 11 days.

Weather or not, this was going to be another big ask on their third trip to the well. For Stephen Ward more than most. He hadn’t missed a minute of the two warm-ups against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary or in the fixtures against Croatia and Spain.

Another five players – four of them defenders – had played the 180-plus minutes of the first two European Championship games, while Glenn Whelan, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane had missed a mere handful of minutes each.

This was the starting side Giovanni Trapattoni decided should be sent out to battle yet again. One that was bound to be tired, certainly demoralised and in need of an injection of fresh blood with frustrations to unleash and points to prove.

Would Ireland really have lost all that much by replacing John O’Shea with Stephen Kelly? Would the midfield have been any more outnumbered by giving Darron Gibson the nod ahead of Whelan? Would their goal threat have been lessened by swapping Shane Long for Keane?

Seven of Trapattoni’s squad played no part in the tournament. Before this, Shane Long had all of 16 minutes. James McClean was afforded 14 in total and Paul Green 10. Gibson and Stephen Hunt were among those left kicking their heels.

Every squad at every tournament has similar players with similar tales to tell but not every side is already eliminated with a game to go and so badly in need of rejuvenation as this one with its eight 30-somethings and pending retirement(s).

What was there to lose?

There were improvements last night. Undoubtedly. Both collectively and individually, Ireland were a step or two above what they had produced previously and yet it was still mistakes from Whelan and Shay Given that paved the path for Italy’s opener.

The debate about personnel, tactics and those costly errors that have cost the team so dear this month will linger on through the summer but there is another issue which has been addressed less but is every bit as important.

This Ireland team simply doesn’t possess the nous or ingenuity to score enough goals, particularly against the top teams. In the ten years since 2002 when they claimed two – and conceded four – against Russia they have managed to do something similar against the elite.

In October of 2009, they played a belter of a 2-2 draw with an Italy side that was virtually qualified for the World Cup at Croke Park. A year later they conceded three goals before clawing a pair back against Russia at Lansdowne Road.

The side’s shortcomings going forward were all too obvious again last night in the first half hour where Italy’s inevitable nerves were begging to be exposed by their own loose passing and lax marking.

Time after time, burgeoning attacks broke down thanks, not so much to the descendents of ‘catenaccio’, but rather a missed pass here or a bad touch there by the players in white and green and one incident on the verge of half-time typified it.

Damien Duff, long the chief instigator of all that was inventive on this Irish side, sold Ignazio Abate a delicious dummy which nutmegged the Italian but the Fulham winger’s next touch was unsure and offered the defender the opportunity to recover, which he duly did.

Even still, it was a brief glimpse of what could be.

The mind skates back to Paris – again – in 2009 when France were flummoxed and the heart yearns for an Irish team that at least attempts to play the ball through an opposing team rather than over or around it.

It happened just once last night, when Kevin Doyle was sent a delivery along the floor and flicked it on to Keith Andrews for a shot that was saved by Gianluigi Buffon. If only that were norm rather than the exception.