Friendly
05.06.2004 at 19:00 - Amsterdam
THE Amsterdam Arena. It conjures one of the great nights in Irish football since the dawn of the millennium and one of the first signs of the schism that has dominated it.It was outside the Arena, following Ireland letting a two-goal lead slip into a draw, that Roy Keane made clear he no longer tolerated the "draws are to be celebrated" mentality. Almost four years later, Ireland arrive back with a manager of an apparently similar mindset.
Last week's drubbing by Martins and Nigeria hurt Brian Kerr, despite all the factors excusing the result. He wants his team to win all their games.
Tonight against one of the most talented if divided forces in world football, that drive is going to face its sternest examination yet. Kerr has seen the sheer volume of games over a condensed period four in nine days whittle his panel down to 21, John O'Shea the latest to depart.
Still, the manager was keen to concentrate on what he did have. Graham Barrett's sterling display wide on the right on Wednesday night illustrated the positive aspects of this exhausting schedule.
"I was quite pleased with how Graham played. He worked hard, scored a goal from an unfamiliar position, Alan Quinn worked hard too," he said.
Kerr admits he would have preferred a more experienced team facing a side of such quality, but had no complaints about the way youth have grasped their chance.
"This is a big match for us. We have won two out of three games this week, and the team we put out against Jamaica must have been one of the least-capped teams ever to play for Ireland."
Shay Given will return in goal this evening, a position that was thought to be a problem after Dean Kiely's retirement. Not so, feels Kerr, after this group of games.
"We were able to use three different keepers in the three games. After Dean retired, people were saying that was a problem for us if Shay got injured. I think that has been addressed now. Paddy came in for his first start on Wednesday and performed very competently."
Among the other positives Kerr highlighted was the number of games Alan Maybury played in and using Andy O'Brien and Gary Doherty as a defensive pairing.
Although Doherty does not possess the defensive nous of O'Brien, the two seemed to compliment each other.
The Netherlands will be a massive test, though. With Patrick Kluivert and Ruud Van Nistlerooy not exactly bosom-chums, there is talk here that Roy Makaay will partner Manchester United's goal-scoring machine in Euro 2004. Indeed, as usual heading into a major championships, there are mumblings of Dutch disarray.
So, there is the possibility of a shock, slim as it might be. "Looking at their squad, you have to say Holland are one of the best teams in the world," Kerr said. "They have so much talent in their squad. We are playing a team with a very real chance of winning the European Championships."
With that in mind, Ireland can't expect to miss the number of chances they did against Jamaica. In the Valley the other night, Andy Reid must have wondered what was the point in him crossing the ball into the box, if nobody was going to finish it.
Chief culprit was Clinton Morrison, who is starting to look like a player devoid of any confidence in front of goal.
It wasn't so long ago, after the whirlwind start to his international career, Morrison was considered the answer to the age-old Irish problem of no natural finisher. That opinion is being revised with every game, although Kerr was swift to defend his player.
"Clinton continues to work hard for us, there isn't a player who works as hard. And he has concentrated on improving his game in other areas, his crossing has improved significantly, his link play with midfield, the way he can hold up the ball. And he is getting into the positions where he can shoot, and as long as he keeps getting into those positions, the finishing will come."
All in all, when the final whistle blows in Amsterdam this evening, Kerr will probably take a lot more positives than negatives from this tiring tour.
Ireland (possible): Given; Finnan, O'Brien, Cunningham, Clarke; Reid, Holland, Quinn, Barrett; Keane, Morrison.
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