Analysing Ireland: Ireland must look beyond Long ball game

There was a moment, barely three minutes into the Belgium game last Saturday, when it became obvious it was going to be a dog of an afternoon for Shane Long.

James McCarthy won a loose ball deep on the left wing and with Wes Hoolahan dropping short as a tidy short-pass option to keep possession, McCarthy chose to bang the ball 40 yards up the line on top of Long and Toby Alderweireld.

An impossible pass for Long to collect under pressure — it bounced loose and Belgium regained possession, an outcome which basically replayed itself again and again.