We want to take game to Germany

Our columnist believes energy and endeavour can compensate for the missing experience when Ireland take on Germany tonight – even if the opposition can seem to hail from a different planet, never mind a different league

Nothing really surprises you in football these days, but it has certainly been an eventful week both at club level and here within the Ireland camp.

Although there has been a lot going on this week, our preparations have gone as well as they could have for tonight’s crucial encounter with Germany. The manager has been working all week on a 4-3-3 formation to try and nullify the strengths of the Germans. I’m sure at times it will be 4-5-1 but the manager is adamant he wants to take the game to them and be positive. I can understand why it’s been tough for him to change from our favoured system of 4-4-2 as we have been very successful in his tenure playing this way. But he has experimented with the new system in the games against Serbia and Oman, and nearly all of us have played it at club level at some stage, so I don’t see it being a problem.