The Italy midfielder’s angry reaction to being asked to warm up against Sweden when a goal was needed was heartfelt but we can’t have players debating managers’ decisions mid-matchOn Monday evening Daniele De Rossi questioned his manager’s request for him to warm up when Italy were in desperate need of a goal to rescue their fading hopes of qualification for the World Cup. In a passionate outburst he pointed to Lorenzo Insigne, a forward, and reminded one of the team’s backroom staff in no uncertain terms it was a win Italy needed, not a draw. Trust me, what De Rossi did was something that at some time or other every player has felt like doing.I have felt De Rossi’s anger – the...
Republic of Ireland manager’s substitutions abandoned the heart of midfield to Christian Eriksen and Denmark, and the manner of defeat could hardly have been worse for O’NeillMartin O’Neill said he would take a couple of weeks to mull over the implications of the Republic of Ireland’s play-off defeat before deciding whether to follow through on the informal agreement he reached a month ago to remain in charge for another two years.He would be entitled to reach the conclusion that one ghastly loss does not negate the positives that preceded it; results have generally been better than expected during his four years in charge. The question is would that continue to be the case? The answer is probably not but he...
Midfielder leads by example and will need more of the same in Basel after Switzerland’s Denis Zakaria and Granit Xhaka controlled proceedingsThere should be no sense of Steven Davis not being appropriately recognised by supporters of Northern Ireland. There is recurring, audible hero-worshipping of the midfielder when he dons his country’s colours. So there should be; Davis has not only epitomised his nation’s resurgence under Michael O’Neill’s astute guidance, he stands apart from many in this era when international football can appear a nuisance to more than a few of them.Switzerland’s visit for the first leg of this World Cup play-off marked Davis’s 100th appearance for his country. He is the third player to reach that total for them. The...
The Republic and Northern Ireland managers, Martin and Michael O’Neill, realise the importance of a thoughtful approach to their World Cup play-offs against Denmark and Switzerland“Thinkers are the deadliest men”Liam Brady was playing for Internazionale in Serie A when he said this to Hugh McIlvanney in the Observer in 1984. Brady had won two Italian titles with Juventus and was discussing the stylistic contrast between Italy and England, where Brady had been such an elegant force at Arsenal for a decade, and was the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year in 1979. “The public don’t necessarily want a lot of hectic, brainless action,” Brady added. “They like to see quality, thinking players.” Continue reading...
The worst defeat in the history of the US national team is a catastrophe for the sport’s growth in America, but should come as no surpriseThe worst defeat in the history of the United States national team, the record will show, played out over an hour and a half on a sweltering weeknight before a few hundred spectators at Ato Boldon Stadium, confines so modest even its namesake questioned why it was chosen for a World Cup qualifier, and ended with the Americans walking off in a soft parade of stunned silence and thousand-yard stares. But truthfully Tuesday night’s loss to Trinidad & Tobago was a failure years in the making, an outcome undeserving of the surprise it elicited. Not...