HERE’S the deal with the Republic of Ireland: Aesthetics don’t matter. Not in the slightest. Martin O’Neill isn’t in the entertainment business.
Of course, the vast majority of international qualifiers don’t make for great viewing.
By the laws of average, there will be some redemptive moments in games but, generally, international football can be dull as dishwater.
The joy – or otherwise – can only be found at the final whistle and what the big neon scoreboard reads. In freezing cold Vienna on Saturday night, the scoreboard in the wonderful Ernst Happel arena made for blissful reading for Martin O’Neill’s players and the 3,000-plus Republic of Ireland supporters.
James McClean’s angled drive on 48 minutes sent the pockets of Irish supporters into raptures – which was enough to win the game and put the Republic top of Group D while delivering an almost fatal blow to Austria’s 2018 World Cup prospects.
In the mixed zone afterwards, Ireland defender Shane Duffy summed it up best.
“People can talk about the football and the way we play,” he said, “but results is the most important thing.”
The Republic have taken 10 points from a possible 12 as the qualifiers go into hibernation for the winter, and they were further boosted later on Saturday evening when news filtered through that Wales and Serbia shared the points in Cardiff.
“The most important thing is that the players do enjoy coming,” said O’Neill.
“They want to play for their country obviously and I think there’s a good spirit there. Some of the senior lads help promote that, I think John O’Shea is excellent at doing that. And we’re not too bad ourselves, with the backroom staff, in helping things.
“And, again, [Seamus] Coleman – he wants to play for his country and he’s just showing it out there on the field. He has taken the captaincy on to a really great level.”
For most of O’Neill’s reign, the Republic of Ireland have been criticised for their stripped-back, direct style and their steadfast resistance to play through the midfield. Undoubtedly, there has been a zealous interest in what this Irish team can’t do, rather than what they can do. But think of how the opposition feels. Facing Ireland must fill the opposition with a sense of dread.
Even though Ireland’s opponents will invariably have more possession – as Austria did (60 to 40 per cent) on Saturday night – at their best, O’Neill’s side can make superior opposition look ordinary.
And if they make the opposition look ordinary, then that’s a great leveller because the Republic of Ireland are the walking, talking image of ordinariness. As a consequence, they’re rarely involved in epic encounters because a big part of their game plan is to stifle the opposition and prevent them from establishing any rhythm in their play.
Austria had moments but they had no rhythm. It takes a lot of hard running and defensive organisation to pull it off. O’Neill has a group of players that will run themselves into the ground.
James McClean played with a pain-killing injection to soothe a back injury, scored the winning goal and left everything on the pitch in Vienna. Likewise, Jonathan Walters.
Once Harry Arter realised it wasn’t a night for fancy footwork or short passes, he displayed the qualities patented by McClean, Coleman, Robbie Brady and Walters in abundance in the second half, while David Meyler denied Austria’s key men space when introduced as a firsthalf substitute for the injured Glenn Whelan, and initiated the sweeping counter-attack that led to McClean’s goal.
After a difficult opening half hour, Wes Hoolahan claimed another assist with a slide rule pass for McClean to finish just after the restart.
And while he was busy in the opening period, it was only in the second half that Jeff Hendrick showed his technical qualities, controlling two notable high balls out of the night skies with a velvet touch and finding a green shirt with most of his passes.
You would have to travel far to witness a more untidy first half of football than what was served up in Vienna two nights ago. There were over-hit passes, under-hit passes and more aimless clearances than the eyes could handle. But, critically, Ireland’s work-rate was insatiable. Austria struggled to find the pockets of space to get behind their visitors and, in truth, they probably didn’t have enough creativity to storm Ireland’s goal.
Indeed, long before the end of Saturday night’s tie, Austria had been harassed into virtual submission.
David Alaba, the home side’s one world class performer, threatened with a long-range effort in the second half but was a peripheral figure in midfield, particularly with Arter and Meyler snapping at the heels of the Bayern Munich man.
Marcel Sabitzer went closest for the hosts but his clipped effort five minutes before the break came back of Ireland’s crossbar and Ciaran Clark cleared the danger. A few minutes later, Brady and Hoolahan combined superbly down the left flank but Jonathan Walters could not convert Brady’s thunderous cross and the ball flashed over Austria’s cross bar.
Shorn of three starters through injury – Shane Long, James McCarthy and Stephen Ward – the Republic were full value for their first victory over Austria since 1963, and remain unbeaten after four games.
Substitute Louis Schaub tested Darren Randolph’s alertness with a speculative drive in the 58th minute while striker Marc Janko couldn’t re-direct his from closerange header after latching onto Julian Baumgartlinger’s centre in stoppage-time.
Even in the midst of rare away win against higher ranked opposition, O’Neill gave out-offavour Aiden McGeady – a late substitute in Vienna – a timely nudge ahead of the Wales game in Dublin next March. After playing for Spartak Moscow and Everton, McGeady is now turning out for modest Preston North End and has lost his starting place for Ireland.
“I’ve never really doubted Aiden’s ability,” said the manager.
“He has real ability in the final third of the field, which is the most important thing. That’s where he comes alive.
“But he has to help himself too. I think he should take some solace, comfort or a bit of strength from the fact that the minute he’s fit again I’ve included him in the squad. He has shown his worth – I know I’m going back a little while but he did start it all off for us in Georgia [Euro 2016 Qualifier win in September 2014].
“Now, what he wants to do is remind himself of that and get back to that sort of form. Which I think he can do.”
Saturday night’s result didn’t exactly eclipse the Euro Qualifier win over Germany last year or last summer’s dramatic victory over Italy in Lille at the Euro finals. But it’s up there.
You know it’s up there because of the energy with which O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane embraced at the final whistle in Vienna.
