Five things we learned from Ireland v Switzerland
Selecting Darren Randolph to start against the Swiss suggests Martin O’Neill believes the Irish number one jersey is the West Ham custodian’s to lose.
Competition will be fierce over the coming months with Rob Elliot, Shay Given and David Forde desperate to impress and force their way on to the plane departing for Euro 2016.
Currently backup to Adrian at his Premier League club, Randolph was rarely called into action last night but produced another competent performance to solidify his status as Ireland’s first choice goalkeeper.
Blackburn Rovers’ Shane Duffy and Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark formed a new-look central defensive partnership and both individuals took the opportunity to enhance their reputations by combining for Ireland’s goal and producing a solid overall display.
Switzerland’s ability to counter-attack from deep and utilise Breel Embolo’s pace made for some uncomfortable moments throughout the ninety minutes yet Ireland’s young defenders can be pleased with their night’s work.
John O’Shea looks a certain starter in the heart of Ireland’s back four later this summer with Shane Duffy and Ciaran Clark leading the chase to partner him
The Republic of Ireland were in defensive mode for much of last night’s encounter despite scoring early and watching Shane Long flick a header off the Swiss crossbar.
It is a recurring theme under Martin O’Neill with his Irish side unable to retain possession for long periods and instead forced to concede territory rather than impose their will on the opposition.
O’Neill must find a way to improve his squad’s ball retention skills in the coming months to avoid a repeat of Ireland’s previous dismal European Championships showing.
Martin O’Neill decision to deviate from his preferred 4-5- 1 formation to a more orthodox 4- 4-2 setup failed to get the best out of wingers Alan Judge and Aiden McGeady.
Brentford’s Judge did little wrong on his first senior international appearance, was neat in possession and spent most of the evening working hard to close down a busy Swiss midfield.
In contrast, Aiden McGeady made little impression on the opposite wing, was substituted on the hour mark and will be bitterly disappointed not to have made more of his opportunity.
An early goal, Switzerland’s positive attitude plus a host of Irish players looking to make an impression meant last night’s encounter was one of the more entertaining friendlies played at the Aviva Stadium for some time.
Kevin Doyle’s unfortunate injury temporarily took the sting out of proceedings in an otherwise high-tempo game but competition for places means the build-up to Euro 2016 will continue to bring a welcome edge to Ireland’s upcoming matches.
That’s good news for Irish supporters who have been forced to sit through some awful friendlies in the recent past.
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