First, just a quick thanks to rugby for the half decent job it did of filling the international telly gap between November and last night, but, at last, Martin O'Neill's men were back in action so it was time for some proper football. And the team selection was so positive even John Giles was almost upbeat, hopeful that he wouldn't have to sit through another 90 minutes of rucking and mauling and Garryowens being hoofed in the direction of Jonathan Walters.
Apart from the seven changes, O’Neill had kept the faith in the team that lost to Scotland, his line-up earning him a lusty salute from the entire panel.
The Dunphy: “Imaginative and brave!”
Giles: “Brave in many ways!”
Liamo Brady: "It's a brave, brave selection!"
There was a theme here, like the gaffer’s choices were a profile in courage, which would leave you a bit nervous, Giles reminding us, lest we go giddy, that this XI had never actually played together before and that it was a “massive gamble”. He did, though, lift us up again, just as were about to switch in our despair to Fair City, telling us that this line-up included players actually capable of passing the ball to each other, so that was something.
Eamon was a little more upbeat, "I'm very, VERY happy to see that team," his passion for all things Wes Hoolahan, the new Andy Reid, once again knowing no bounds, his relief rather evident over it not being a repeat of the team in Glasgow that was "designed for a lump it up and chase it operation".
“It looks promising on paper,” said Giles, and you sensed a but, but Darragh Maloney stepped in to focus more on his panel’s general optimism.
“I’m reasonably optimistic, I’m not THAT optimistic,” said Giles, leaving Darragh a little deflated, the earlier buoyancy now going the way of a balloon after a brush with a pin. And then Liam, who spent much of the evening being a little ageist, reminded our host that “we’ve six players in their 30s and they’re not as fast as they used to be”, like we were Dad’s Army.
Still, Darragh noted their overall contentment with the selection, so how much did they think Ireland would win by?
Liamo: “I’d be delighted with a draw.”
Giles: “I would take a draw.”
Eamon: “Draw.”
Strewth.
Good news from George Hamilton, though, when we joined him in the commentary box: Muriel, the wife of the FAI liaison officer, had baked the referee a cake for his 41st birthday on Saturday. Granted, if he awarded us, say, a last minute dodgy penalty the Poles might have notified Fifa's ethics committee (stop giggling) about the gift, Muriel possibly summoned for a grilling about the tastiness of the cake lest the quality of the ingredients swayed the official. But when he didn't disallow that Peszko fella's goal in the 26th minute you wondered, frankly, about her baking skills.
Not a half to warm the cockles of your heart, really. Indeed, there was so much gloom in the studio we needed floodlights to see the panel’s faces.
Before we kicked off, Giles had told us it was important to play with fire in your belly and ice in your head. By half-time he reckoned Ireland’s bellies were jammed with ice, and their heads aflame. And he wasn’t happy about it.
Eamon was less critical, apart from saying it was "awful" and "shocking" and suggesting James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman's efforts were "non-existent" and that Glenn Whelan was "offering nothing" and that Robbie Keane had made "absolutely zero contribution".
Mind you, Liam made Eamon seem rapturous, still being ageist - "we have six 30 odd year olds!" - and demanding the introduction of Shane Long, James McClean and Stephen Quinn "because they have legs". "We're in BIG trouble," he told Darragh, who was probably close to switching over to Fair City himself at that stage.
Second half and the fire and the ice were back were they belonged, it was just like watching Brazil. (‘The shower who lost 7-1 to Germany?’ Hush).
But the clocks moved forward again, way too rapidly, and before you knew it time was as good as up and our Euro 2016 hopes looked banjaxed and …….
……. SHANE LONG!!!!!!!!
Well, cripes. As habits go, it’s not a bad one, this late late show carry-on.
The panel were almost doing a happy dance. Not quite, but almost.
Eamon: “We are bang back in this group! We have definitively proved we can compete at this level!”
Giles: “For the last 60 minutes of that game we were absolutely outstanding!”
And both genuflected before the deity that is our Wes.
Liam: “He was decent.”
Eamon: “Ah now Liam, HOLD ON - YOU’RE BEING UNFAIR!”
Liam: [Takes sip of water]
Eamon: “He was brilliant tonight!”
Liam: “You mustn’t go overboard, Eamon!”
Giles: “We’re not!
Liam: “I thought it was all down to McClean making a real difference on the left!”
Eamon: “Ah, no, no, NO!”
Liam: [Takes another sip of water]
Eamon: “The other thing is we’ve never beaten a country ranked higher than us for x number of years – well now, that’s another landmark!”
Liam [looking puzzled]: “We didn’t win.”
Eamon: “Well, sorry – it feels like a win!”
It did too, you know.
