Takeaways from Ireland's stalemate with Belgium

Judging the opening scene of the year’s show is difficult when the main actor is absent.

There was more to be heartened than horrified by in Saturday’s stalemate against Belgium but the passing of time and arrival of manager will be required to quantify the worth of this exercise.

That it won’t be John O’Shea appearing from behind the curtain as the permanent boss was clear from the afternoon he was unveiled as stopgap for this window on March 4.

Director of Football Marc Canham spoke of contractual obligations delaying the big reveal and nothing has changed in the meantime to alter the timeline for the name being issued once the April 9 women’s Euro qualifier against England at Lansdowne Road is done.

If that commitment prevented the chosen one from watching events at Lansdowne Road play out live, he’ll have reviewed it by now.

O’Shea’s tenancy expires once Tuesday’s second home workout in four days against Switzerland concludes.

The newcomer will have the pair of June friendlies to impart his methods on the squad before they embark on a Nations League campaign in September, with promotion and a World Cup playoff berth as twin priorities.

So what will the heir apparent have learned from a game that visiting manager Domenico Tedesco derided as “boring”?

Reaction by his temporary predecessor O’Shea to several noteworthy matters will probably interest him.

There were parallels with the Stephen Kenny regime he was part of towards the end, insofar as an identical 3-4-2-1 formation and going short from goalkicks but differences prevailed elsewhere.

Here’s just a few of the takeaways from the first outing of a busy 2024:

Sammie seizes the spotlight:

Whatever about passport and personal matters interrupting