Whats our problem with Cyprus?

At the end of the day it was the 3 points that mattered. Coupled with Bulgaria’s inability to win in Tblisi, these 3 points may prove crucial when all is said and done in Group 8. On the balance of it, we deserved the win over Cyprus, but only just. There was a sense of slight trepidation hanging in the North Dublin air after securing a tense 1-0 win. Why did it end up so difficult? Memories of leads lost against the likes of Israel came to mind mid way through the second half. What was happening?

We started brightly and from the moment Robbie Keane headed home from close range after 4 minutes, we were utterly dominant. Cyprus simply couldn’t deal with the guile and penetration of Damien Duff’s running. Duff was back to somewhere approaching his best, evident by his roaming inside and out, switching wings and befuddling the Cypriot full backs.
Aidan McGeady put in his best shift in an Irish shirt for some time. Penetrative and incisive, his all round play was excellent. All negative talk of Trapattoni’s gamble to start Darron Gibson alongside Glenn Whelan was beginning to evaporate.

Trap had claimed the quartet of Keane, Doyle, Duff and McGeady provided enough firepower to bury Cyprus, and at half time, the question was; who were we to question Il Gaffer?
But things changed at half time, and credit must go to Angelos Anastasiadis. He was forced to change his starting XI in the warm up when his best player was injured in the warm up, but by half time he had figured us out.

With a couple of quick changes the Cypriots quickly began to assert. The inexperience of Gibson and Whelan at the highest level really started to show, and for lengthy periods, it was Cyprus doing the probing. Every self respecting Irish football fan could see that a change was needed, and for me Whelan was the one for the chop. He was largely ineffective all night. His role in Trap’s team is to break down any of the oppositions forays into Irish territory…the Gattuso role. Win it back, and get to someone who can play a pass. Last night he was a yard off the pace. It was as if he had no trust in his own ability.

The game was crying out for the introduction of someone who did trust themselves. Someone with creativity, someone who would put his foot on the ball, slow things down and wrestle the initiative back from Cyprus. It’s clear who that someone is, but for whatever reason, Trapattonni can’t see the talents Andy Reid possesses.

It’s common knowledge now, that Reid and Trappatoni had words after the Georgia game in Mainz. Fair enough, that the manager just may not ‘fancy’ Reid, but sometimes the good of the team needs to come first, and Trappatoni’s stout refusal to even consider Reid is worrying.
It seems that even Liam Miller was ahead of Reid in the pecking order to play last night, even though Reid keeps him out of the side at Sunderland. For me it is extremely disheartening that our manager fails to see the talents of our most creative and intelligent midfielder, plumping instead for 2 young reserve team midfielders.

But let’s not stray from Trap’s objectives. The key to qualifying may well be to keep picking up home wins, and while we got away with it last night against a depleted Cyprus side, it’s only a matter of time before we’re found out. An Italian midfield will overpower and outclass a partnership of the likes of Whelan and Gibson, so here’s hoping it’s a case of “lesson learned, won’t be doing that again!!”