sport

How Far Have Trapp's Ireland Come?

Given the radio campaign advertising the availability of tickets for next week's World Cup qualifier against Cyprus, it would appear that the threat posed by the Cypriots is not firing great interest in the Irish fans. Bigger fish to fry they might feel, after their side's positive start to the qualification drag. Four points picked up on the road suggest that Giovanni Trapattoni may well have the Irish side off its face and back on its feet. But as they say, you need to walk before you can run - and looking past this fixture to later crunch games against supposed qualification rivals Bulgaria and Italy could well be folly.

Time had it that having Cyprus in your group meant easy points and a nice little holiday trip for your fans. But the progress made by Cypriot football in recent years suggests that the perennial whipping boys may have a big role to play in this qualifying group. Qualification should be beyond them, but results against the Cypriots may well determine the World Cup fate of the main contenders in Ireland's group.

From an Irish point of view, there are number of facets to this particular game that should draw the interest of the Green Army. Firstly, given that Cypriot football appears to be experiencing something of a golden age, this match should provide a stern test of the development of the Irish under Trapattoni. Secondly, given how recently the Irish played and were humbled by next week's opponents, it will offer an excellent opportunity to make educated comparisons between Trapp's Ireland and that of his hapless predecessor. And thirdly, given the disquiet and red faces those recent encounters created, the Croker clash will give the Irish squad a chance to put those embarrassments well and truly behind them.

Naturally after the 5-2 pummelling the Irish took in Cyprus in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, analysis of that defeat centred on the novice manager, Steve Staunton, and the increasingly limited resources available to the Irish at senior international level.

However, subsequent developments might suggest that we failed to give the islanders the credit they deserved. The Cypriots went on to draw with Germany and comfortably defeat the Welsh in that group. But perhaps more telling was the point they picked up at Croke Park - a result and performance that ultimately ushered Staunton out the door. We had known about the increasing confidence shown by the Cypriots on home turf, but they had until then failed to dispel the label of poor travellers. A point was the least they deserved on that night.

The belief that football on the Mediterranean isle is on the up has been further bolstered by the qualification of Anorthosis Famagusta for the group stages of the Champions League. Qualification itself, knocking out serial Champions League qualifiers Olympiakos on the way, was worthy of note - but securing four points from their first two games against Werder Bremen and Panathinaikos is surely the story of the competition so far.

Clearly, the Cypriots are no longer the kind of cannon fodder you looked towards to improve your goal difference, and should provide a decent test of Trapp's Irish rehabilitation.

The evidence of Ireland's first two qualifiers so far suggests that the venerable Italian is blessed with the kind of clarity of vision when it come to selecting and organising a team that poor Steve Staunton must pray comes with experience. Playing the Cypriots so soon after they fatally undermined Stan's position with more or less the same players should serve to illustrate this fact emphatically. Should that prove to be the case on October 15, then it will prove the FAI correct in paying dearly for real quality, whilst also highlighting their folly in backing cut-price options.

The most heartening aspects of the games against Georgia and Montenegro were the composed and orderly way in which the Irish went about their business and the effective and often polished displays coaxed out of players who heretofore had largely been peripheral. The sense of purpose and growing belief of the side were a testament to the Italian's methods, and a stark contrast to the shambolic, panic-stricken Staunton era.

The Irish should welcome a chance to banish the chastening experiences bestowed on them by next week's opponents - and it will be interesting to see whether Trapattoni's methods can exploit the thirst for revenge and redemption and channel it into another composed, thoughtful and disciplined performance. Should he do so, and another three points are garnered, then the feeling that Ireland are indeed making progress should ensure that the FAI does not have to spend too much money hawking seats over the radio in the remainder of the campaign.

Paul Little