Disaster Or Disappointment? Is This a Work In Progress, A Long-Term Project?

Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ On Thursday 26th March the Irish national team (representing 26 of Irelands 32 counties) were involved in a very important World Cup Play Off football game with Czechia.

The winner, if it were to have been Ireland, would be in the final of the same playoff series against Denmark on Tuesday night 31st March at Lansdowne Road – Aviva Stadium – but, alas, that team was not to be the Irish. Instead the team played in an unimportant, though contractually obligated, friendly against North Macedonia resulting in an almost predictable 0-0 draw. This was despite Troy Parrot putting the ball in the net late in the first half only, wrongly in my view, to be judged offside. Was the game pointless as many would call it? No, it was not. Though not a competitive game in its true sense of the word it gave the manager of the ‘Republic of Ireland’ team a chance to look at unblooded players as each team appeared to have countless substitutes to choose from! The manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, can see what depth he has in reserve for what to me looks like a project, a work in progress at least I hope it is! Almost 40,000 fans turned up for this game and I would advise patience. Now back to last Thursday.

To many of the Irish fans who made the journey to the historic city of Prague the game was a disaster, which in my view it was not. Disappointing, yes heartbreaking, yes, disaster, no. the lads had done remarkably well to get to the playoffs in the first place against all the odds. The miraculous antics of Troy Parrot played a major but not the only part in getting us there. Parrot must now be rated among the best strikers in European football as his goal tally for club and country continue to rise. But Troy Parrot aside there were another nine outfield players and a goalkeeper involved in surprising the football world by getting us to Prague which, if we are honest, none of us expected! The result, 4-3 to Czechia on penalties, was bitterly disappointing but not a disaster. We went two goals up courtesy of a penalty scored by Troy Parrot and an own goal by the luckless Matej Kovar. The first was skill, the second luck but that’s football! The fans who made the journey, though disappointed and if my own trips abroad are anything to go by with Man Utd, would have had a great piss up and win or lose this was always the case. Firstly, and hopefully, drunkard celebrations but failing that drowning sorrows in alcohol. This was always the case but times and cultures do change. Somehow though I cannot see the ‘Green Army’ drinking cups of tea after the game!

Czechia pulled back to 2-2 after Ireland gave away an unnecessary penalty then the hosts equalised in the 84th minute. It went to a penalty shoot-out, never a great way to settle a game, and Parrott came coolly to score our first. Penalty taking is a skill as this shoot-out proved. Parrott possesses this skill as his first half penalty was evidence of as the keeper guessed the right way but Troy had no fears because he knew he put enough pace on the ball to beat any keeper. That is the skill, knowing how much pace to put on the ball, whether to shoot on the ground or go for one of the uprights, or straight down the middle, they are all calculations the player must work out with only seconds to do so. Many say penalty taking is luck which is clearly untrue as these shoot-outs went to show. After Parrott, Adam Idah then stepped up and again cooly put the ball into the net as did the experienced Robbie Brady. The Irish goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, then saved giving the ‘Boys in Green’ the advantage which unfortunately was not taken. The first three Irish penalty takers were composed, particularly Troy Parrott, but the last two through no fault of their own were less calm, it appeared to me watching on television. A lesson can be drawn from this experience, practice penalties because such shoot outs are always a possibility! No doubt Parrot, Brady and Idah practice at club level and this was evident as Troy Parrott showed calm in taking both his penalties.

In normal time this was a game of two halves. The first 45 belonged to Ireland while the second, as I expected, went Czechia’s way. The Irish Manager should have, and he may have tried to do this, prepared the lads for a different opposition team coming out for the second half. Czechia came out from the off and went for the jugular not giving Ireland a chance to settle. Ireland should have done the same, the moment they got possession keep the ball and go for the Czechian weak spots. Instead the ‘Boys in Green’ allowed a resurgent Czechia to come at them and as a consequence were on the back foot for most of the second half. I have seen this happen at Old Trafford back in the day, a visiting team have been shite in the first half, so bad they could not be any worse, then in the second half they come out like men possessed! I had a feeling Czechia were going to do just this, they could not be that bad in the second half as they were in the first. They weren’t and managed to equalise the scoreline the jammy fuckers!!

Once Ryan Manning made his howler and gave away the penalty it was always on the cards an equaliser would come. If anybody were to ask Manning, why? The chances are the lad could not answer, he wouldn’t know, it happens and there is little the player can do to stop it stupid as the action was. It is just something which happens like jumping up for a header then instinctively using the hands to get the ball, totally illegal and can result in sending off a player who commits this offence if in an area which prevents an opponent scoring a goal. It can also be calculated like Diego Maradona with his ‘hand of God’ against England in the 1986 World Cup Quarter Final game. Another calculated handball was that of Thierry Henry against Ireland in 2009 in a World Cup Playoff. Manning’s handball was not a calculated deliberate move, just an unaccountable instinct.

Late in extra time Irish player, Sammie Szmodics, who had only been on the pitch a couple of minutes was knocked out cold by a challenge from Czechia’s Stepan Chaloupek. The scene was worrying but reports later said he had regained consciousness and was under observation. Notably the infernal VAR was present but made no interference to make judgement on the challenge, once again showing the inconsistency of something no sane football fan wants! Get rid of the fucking infernal nuisance!!

Ireland hit the woodwork twice, the first when Nathan Collins hit the crossbar then Jason Molumby, who had a good game, hit the post. This was pure bad luck for the Irish and had these two efforts been an inch lower or to one side the result would have been put to bed. However it was not to be but fans should take the positives out of the game. The first half we dominated and in the second despite Czechia being rejuvenated Ireland for the most part defended well.

Supporters should perhaps look on this as a project with the European Championships in 2028 our next target to qualify. Seamus Coleman who has been a great asset at 37 years young will probably play no part in the Euros and young blood should be introduced now. This is not the end of this Irish side, their courage and commitment in getting to Prague proved this. To quote Winston Churchill after the allied victory in North Africa in the Second World War; “This is not the end, nor the beginning of the end, but it may be the end of the beginning”. This Irish team have proved beyond doubt their ability to respond and are still young enough to remain moulded together welcoming younger uncapped players threaded into the team over time. Give this manager time and opportunity and this team will, I believe, come good it is a work in progress.

Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist.