Ireland World Cup blow exposed shortcomings

RUSSIA 2018: Denmark boss questions O’Neill’s tactical plan after play-off agony

The verdict was brutal in its simplicity when Denmark boss Age Hareide paused to consider the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup misery.

Asked to assess his old friend Martin O’Neill’s tactical plan to edge the Republic past his team and into next summer’s finals, Hareide was to the point.

“If you lose 5-1, you are not successful,” he said.

A campaign based on defensive resilience and the ability to finish strongly ended in chaos at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday as Ireland abandoned their tried and trusted methods and were found wanting when presented with a different challenge.

O’Neill, like Giovanni Trapattoni before him, has lacked world-class stars and needed to adopt an approach which is far from easy on the eye, but has been largely successful during his four-year reign.

The 65-year-old, who took Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals, maybe cannot win in some respects.

If he sets up his team to frustrate opponents, they lack a cutting edge; add more creativity and the defence leaks like a sieve.

Hareide played with former Northern Ireland international O’Neill at Manchester City and Norwich, and was diplomatic when asked about the disparity between his old team-mate’s attack-minded approach as a player and his conservatism as Ireland boss.

“I think it’s a matter of finding a way,” Hareide said. “I knew Martin as an attacking outside-right at Nottingham Forest and a central midfielder when I played with him. He wanted to see a lot of the ball and play all the time.

“He had a very attacking team (as manager) at Celtic, although the other teams weren’t really on the same level as Celtic. But I think he has found his way with Ireland.”

O’Neill’s way saw the Republic reach the World Cup play-offs despite being seeded behind Serbia, Wales and Austria in Group D.

It was an achievement that was largely founded on their success on the road, where they beat Moldova and also won in Vienna and Cardiff alongside draws with the Serbians and Georgia.

But it was at home where they struggled with only Georgia and Moldova losing at the Aviva Stadium, and there lies the problem.

When asked to soak up pressure and then exploit the desperation of their hosts, they prosper; handed the task of taking the game to their opponents, they struggle.

O’Neill has verbally agreed to stay on and seemed nonplussed at the suggestion that he might reconsider in the wake of a heavy defeat.