Reunion with Italy recalls rosier Republic of Ireland past, and underscores size of task

Richard Jolly writes Ireland are starved of the kind of top-end talent that led stout sides of years past, like the one that beat Italy at World Cup 94.

Players of the Republic of Ireland attend a training session on Tuesday ahead of their Wednesday match against Italy. Miguel Medina / AFP / June 21, 2016

The Republic of Ireland have been here before. In Euro 2016, as in Euro 2012, their participation could be concluded by defeat to Italy, a group campaign proving a demoralising affair. Four years ago, it finished 2-0 to the Azzurri, Irish frustration at a tournament where they had scored a solitary goal epitomised by Keith Andrews' late red card.

Four years on, Ireland have at least procured a point. They were in effect eliminated after two games then. Now, aided by a change of format, a third offers the chance of progress. But fail to win and they will surely be heading home.

And Ireland have not beaten Italy in a competitive game since 1994. Yet that victory ranks as perhaps their greatest triumph, a 1-0 win over the eventual World Cup finalists, given greater resonance by being staged in New York, home to so many Irish and Italian immigrants.

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It was 22 years ago. Ray Houghton, scorer of the superlative only goal, is 54 now. Paul McGrath, whose performance in defence was so classy that Roberto Baggio named him in his all-time 11, will be 57 later this year. They were Ireland’s golden generation, the men who qualified for their first major tournament, in 1988, and reached the last eight of the 1990 World Cup.

Since their heroics at Giants Stadium, Ireland have won one match at a major tournament, beating a dreadful Saudi Arabia side in the 2002 World Cup. There have been honourable draws and losses that have ranged from the respectable to the dispiriting, but no more victories. Their task Wednesday night is a huge one.

They may take heart from a qualifying campaign where failure beckoned before an upset was engineered. Ireland sat fourth in Group D before an unexpected win over World Cup winners Germany, courtesy of Shane Long’s goal, resolute defending and a spirit that made the improbable possible. The concern for Martin O’Neill is that his predecessor Giovanni Trapattoni also proved capable of galvanising his side in qualifiers. His team then performed miserably in Euro 2012.

Four years on, it is a moot point if O’Neill’s squad is stronger than Trapattoni’s. He is a more flexible tactician and one with a greater willingness to involve squad players.

Yet the group who were cornerstones of the team during Ireland's wilderness years are nearing the end. Damien Duff and Richard Dunne have already reached it, Shay Given is a back-up goalkeeper and the record scorer Robbie Keane is confined to cameos, neither deserving a place in the starting 11 nor fit enough to command one. Only John O'Shea remains in the side, despite losing his place at Sunderland.

Ireland have the oldest squad in France and the problem that only three who could be deemed top Premier League performers are players are near the peak of their career. Of those, Seamus Coleman excelled to create Wes Hoolahan's goal against Sweden but his Everton teammate James McCarthy has been below par and Long has been starved of service in attack.

The talismanic Jonathan Walters, the hero of their play-off win over Bosnia, was missed in the 3-0 defeat to Belgium. He had come to personify Ireland, a late developer's hard-running style and relentless endeavour compensating for a comparative lack of talent. An Achilles injury is unlikely to prevent a willing worker from volunteering for duty against the Azzurri.

If he is unavailable, O’Neill’s attacking options are limited: Keane has 67 international goals but only one against opponents of any calibre (Sweden) in the last five years.

In defence, he could bring in the accident-prone Richard Keogh for the accident-prone Ciaran Clark, but the choice is unappealing. They are nowadays.

When Italy beat Ireland in the 1990 World Cup quarter-final, Jack Charlton could omit David O’Leary, Ronnie Whelan, Tony Cascarino, Frank Stapleton and John Sheridan from his starting 11 and the great Liam Brady from his squad.

If a reunion with Italy could make the Irish nostalgic, it is little wonder.

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