FOR WHOM THE BEL’ TOLLS
Lukaku double strike means Ireland must beat Italy to avoid an early flight home from France
AND so north to Lille, the ragged Republic of Ireland ranks now march. The equation is simple, yet the feat which will require its accomplishment is huge. Anything less than a win over Italy and the guillotine will fall on the team’s exposed European Championship neck.
After this humbling afternoon in Bordeaux, even the most fervent Ireland fan would find it hard to argue against another early Euro exit.
While manager Martin O’Neill insisted afterwards that the group could yet take another twist, and his team would ‘give it everything’ against Italy, this one-sided outcome has cast a long shadow.
On the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Ireland were routed just as Napoleon’s troops were 201 years ago as they sought a route to Brussels. Unlike Napoleon’s finest, Ireland didn’t have a cut. Rather than a swirl of cutlass, and fire of musket, they conceded the high ground all too tamely and were beaten into submission by three second-half goals inside 22 minutes.
This was almost as painful as the 4-0 mauling by Spain in the finals of Euro 2012. At least, Ireland got to half-time with their cagey gameplan intact yesterday.
But from the moment Romelu Lukaku broke through in the 48th minute – the same time as Wes Hoolahan scored in Paris last Monday – Ireland’s flimsy resistance crumbled. The Everton striker added his second and Belgium’s third in the 70th minute, after Axel Witsel had headed a second unattended in the 62nd minute.
Lukaku may be much maligned and a striker who blows hot and cold, but his contribution was clinical in Bordeaux. The goals were a fair reflection of Belgium’s dominance, for they were clearly the more talented team, and also Ireland’s glaring lack of ambition.
Ireland set out their stall from the peep of the first whistle, and it wasn’t pretty. Five midfielders were strung like white beads across the back four in a layer of protection while Shane Long was left to plough a furrow further up the park.
On a day when Ireland needed to be brave, to get the ball to feet like they did against Sweden, they opted for caution. Belgium are a very good team, but not a great one like Spain four years ago, yet they were given the tools to put Ireland on the back foot.
As the wagons were circled around Darren Randolph’s goal, it seemed a matter of time before the lines were breached. That Ireland reached halftime on level terms was a fair achievement, which reflected on their industry as they sought to plug gaps as the Belgians punched holes.
Glenn Whelan, on his record-breaking 73rd appearance in central midfield, was like a firefighter on 24-hour call as he dashed hither and thither, hose and rosary beads to hand.
Alongside him, however, James McCarthy struggled. Unfairly panned for his performance in the opener against Sweden, the flame-haired midfielder looked off the pace yesterday and was unable to provide a shield. He was culpable, in part, for the first two Belgian goals.
Initially, he dived in on Kevin De Bruyne by the touchline and by the time he got off his backside, the Manchester City man had burned his way towards the Irish box where he teed up Lukaku for a sweeping left-foot execution.
For the second goal, after Ireland had rallied briefly, McCarthy was caught ball watching as Witsel drifted in on his blind side to thump a header powerfully past Randolph. It was his final act as he was spared further difficulty by O’Neill, who promptly withdrew him. A mixed day for Everton players.
It would be harsh to finger McCarthy for blame as the team, collectively, were poor and lacked zip in their play. Criticism of Randolph, too, for the goal would be unfair, though he got a hand to Witsel’s header. The goal came after a move of almost 30 passes that started, as all three goals did, in the Belgians’ own half.
Fears that Ireland had given their all against Sweden surfaced as they struggled to match the slick passing and fluidity of the Red Devils, for whom Eden Hazard was a constant threat.
On reflection, O’Neill might have opted for fresher legs, rather than stand by 10 of the 11 which ran their hearts out against the Swedes. Like Giovanni Trapattoni four years ago, perhaps O’Neill was too loyal, when he needed to be more calculating. Robbie Keane again came on late and to little effect.
Apart from a looping Stephen Ward header – the Burnley man the single change for the injured Jon Walters – in the 19th minute and a half decent claim for a penalty when Long was caught on the noggin by Toby Alderweireld moments before Belgium countered to score the opener, there was little seen of Ireland in their opponents’ box.
Trailing 3-0 there was an awkward moment late on when Robbie Brady’s goal-bound shot caught Jeff Hendrick on the ear, which stung. The cuffing was nothing compared to the hiding the Belgians inflicted as they roared back into Group E and the tournament. With three goals, and a plus one goal difference, they are on track for the last 16, and coach Marc Wilmots is back in everyone’s good books.
For O’Neill, the spotlight will be fierce in the coming days. He must somehow galvanise a squad whose morale has taken a huge battering. He has little time to turn things around as Wednesday is hurtling down the tracks.
Only the wildly optimistic will argue that Italy may take things handy as they are already through to the last and will rest a clutch of players on yellow cards.
Italy are, and always have been, a tournament team who don’t take any game lightly. Runners-up four years ago, they know the most straightforward route to Paris on July 10 is to top their group.
Gianluca Conte, brother of Italy coach Antonio, was present in Bordeaux to assess what challenges Ireland may present. His match dossier may be shorter than his elder sibling expected.
Ireland can do better than this. They know they have to. The challenge for O’Neill is to come up with a selection, and a strategy, that gives Ireland the best possible chance of applying a tourniquet to the bleeding inflicted by Belgium. Unlike yesterday, Ireland must die with their boots on. Nothing else will be sufficient.