New look, same end result

It was the line-up and formation that many had awaited, but still the end result we’ve all become so accustomed to: an Irish draw.

There is a significant irony to the fact that one of Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland’s most modern line-ups played out what must have been one of its most mundane matches.

In truth, that is more a consequence of the context of this poorly-timed pre-season friendly, which is also one of the reasons it is a date set to be abolished from the international calendar. This was Ireland’s third consecutive 0-0 in this August friendly fixture. That, however, is not to say this particular draw was without plus-points ahead of the crunch tie against Sweden in September.

One other characteristic of such friendlies is the positive effect it has on Irish composure and passing. While that is perhaps inevitable given the lack of intensity, the extent of it is notable. A frequent feature of competitive games under Trapattoni — and, to be fair, a few of his predecessors — has been Ireland launching a ball far towards the opposite wing with their first touches. Here, the players were much more prepared to knock it around. After 10 minutes, the stats revealed Ireland had 65% possession. If it wasn’t quite tiki-taka, it was refreshing.

The question, as ever, is how much of this can and should be translated to competitive games. This is the true point of matches like this, to gradually condition improvements and enhancements. While Brian Kerr’s approach of just maintaining a winning record between 2003 and 2005 was probably an extreme, there is a balance to be struck. Trapattoni, to his credit, has probably finally found it. While there were understandable reservations about the Italian’s suitability to bringing a new generation into a new era after the European Championships in Poland, 2013 has so far proven him well capable of it.

Trapattoni’s use of a modern 4-4-1-1 here was in order to provide an alternative option for the Swedish game and, if the flatness of this occasion meant it wasn’t exactly stretched, it did allow Ireland to occasionally outmanoeuvre Wales in a manner they might not have in the past. Ultimately, only poor finishing and two fine Boaz Myhill saves prevented a win.

One encouraging spell around halfway through the first period saw Ireland unravel the Welsh three times, only to send a series of shots wide. Just after the break, then, Wes Hoolahan offered the kind of outside-of-the-foot through ball that completely opened up one end of the pitch and was of a type Ireland have simply lacked over the past few years. That kind of luscious touch is always more possible in a formation like this, with a talent like the Norwich star.

In a similar vein, Shane Long’s first-half miss was the result of an impressive drive and cross from James McCarthy. The Wigan midfielder undeniably has the ability to suit top-half Premier League teams but there remains a slight element of safety to his overall play. It brings to mind a lesson Roy Keane always cited as a transformative moment in his career, when Bryan Robson told Keane he needed to take more risks and thereby learn when to do so as well.

There is an element of that with the economical McCarthy, which is why that eye-catching surge was a real positive. If he can balance a bit more of that with his overarching defensive responsibility, it will only add to the greater dimension provided by the likes of Hoolahan.

At the other end, however, the side were impressively unmoving in defence. There was a focused conviction to some of the blocks and challenges that recalled the best 2011 performances, not least one Seamus Coleman interception just before half-time.

Conditioning that kind of solidity remains crucial, even if this game was anything but.