Report card: How did John O'Shea fare in his brief Ireland manager audition?
Results and performances
John Fallon: If these were qualifiers against the top two seeds in the group, results rank superior to the last campaign. And that’s before getting a crack at Belgium and Switzerland again in the reverse fixtures.
One 45-minute spell of the four halves was sub-standard and it proved costly for their sole concession against the Swiss. Belgium was a more complete performance and it’s reasonable to suggest that Evan Ferguson’s slip denied them a goal against a top four nation. Performances were better than results.
Brendan O'Brien: A draw when they maybe should have won and a defeat when they probably could have drawn. That doesn’t make for a strong case on the surface, but then friendlies are a ridiculously unreliable gauge at the best of times.
Ireland were okay against Belgium when the structure was undeniably tighter than under Stephen Kenny, but they were swamped in midfield by the Swiss before finding some steadier ground. Ultimately, though, they were toothless again in attack.
Style/Tempo
John Fallon: Holistically an upgrade on Kenny. Within moments of kick-off on Saturday, it was apparent Ireland were pressing in the right areas, rather than frantically chasing shadows to the detriment of their energy levels. Wingbacks Séamus Coleman and Robbie Brady are well into their thirties but the presence of three centre-backs behind afforded them license to roam. Kenny’s 3-4-2-1 formation was mirrored by his former No 3 who could have done with reverting to a back-four when they trailed against the Swiss.
Brendan O'Brien: The romantic idealism of the Kenny era is probably gone for good, lost beneath the crushing disappointment of the results and the team’s inability to deliver anything like
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