And just like that, the good will Ireland brought home from Portugal has disappeared.
Yesterday's performance was an incredibly poor one, a display which paled in comparison to what had come a few days earlier. Ireland looked out of ideas in attack and far from secure at the back.
As a result, the changes Stephen Kenny made to the team have been rightly questioned. He will need to get it right against Serbia on Tuesday.
Here's the team we would go with.
GK: Gavin Bazunu
Despite the result, Bazunu was once again excellent against Azerbaijan. There was little he could do about the goal, with the 19-year old pulling off a few impressive saves to stop the scoreline from being even more of a disaster.
Unfortunately, he can expect to be even busier against the Serbs.
CB: Andrew Omobamidele
The decision not to start Andrew Omobamidele last night seems a poor one in hindsight. Instead of shuffling the team around in the manner that he did, Stephen Kenny would have been much better off just slotting the Norwich man into the defence.
He showed against Portugal that he is more than ready to step up to this level. Bring him in for this fixture.
CB: Shane Duffy
Shane Duffy had a mixed showing against Azerbaijan. His defending was decent and he did get the all important equalising goal. However, his passing did let him down a number of occasions.
Despite this, there is no doubt that he should retain his place in the side. The Brighton man will be a key player at both ends of the pitch on Tuesday night.
CB: John Egan
John Egan did very little wrong in Saturday's fixture, with his ability to quickly switch the play a key part of Ireland's early onslaught. Unfortunately, the visitors soon adapted to this and began to cut off those long balls.
He is another player that will play a key role in midweek.
RWB: Matt Doherty
With Seamus Coleman ruled out of this due to injury, Matt Doherty will likely start in this position once agains on Tuesday.
He started brilliantly against Azerbaijan, although he did drop off somewhat as the game went on. Still, he remains one of Ireland's best attacking outlets.
LWB: Ryan Manning
James McClean was poor yesterday. Not only was he all over the shop defensively early on, but his crosses after the interval rarely found their target.
Ryan Manning is a more natural choice in this position and has proven at club level he can depended on to contribute in both attack and defence. He should be given an opportunity.
CM: Josh Cullen
Josh Cullen has probably been Ireland's best player over the course of the last two games. He rarely does anything flashy, but he perfectly fills the role that is required of him.
He breaks up the play, plays it simple, and can pick out a pass from distance on occasion. The Anderlecht man is an ideal midfielder at international level.
CM: Conor Hourihane
Jayson Molumby had a poor game against Azerbaijan. He did bring his trademark energy to the middle third, but he also seemed to lose the ball on any occasion that he managed to win it.
Conor Hourihane brought far more control to the middle third after his introduction. His presence as a left footed player could be important in drifting out and whipping in crosses when required.
Of course, his set-piece delivery is always a bonus to have in the side.
CAM: Jamie McGrath
Stephen Kenny opted to go for a very attacking line-up by selecting Troy Parrott ahead of Jamie McGrath yesterday, but it seemed like a harsh call considering how impressive the St Mirren man was in Portugal.
Having both him and Hourihane in the team would give Ireland a lot more options in possession, something they have struggled with at times. McGrath also has the ability to create chances from a central area, as opposed to depending on crosses.
ST: Adam Idah
He needs to improve his touch in front of goal, but Adam Idah's all-round centre forward play has been excellent over the last couple of games.
The Norwich man links brilliantly with his teammates, holding the ball up and laying it off expertly. His pace and physicality is also a nightmare to deal with for opposing defenders. We would love to see him get amongst the goals soon in order to push his game to the next level.
ST: Callum Robinson
Callum Robinson offered something different after his introduction against Azerbaijan. He seemed to be the only player to think outside of the box in terms of breaking down the deep lying defence, pulling a couple of tricks out of his bag to create scoring opportunities.
Stephen Kenny said the player felt he was not fit enough to last a full 90 minutes for that game, but he should have enough in the legs to start against Serbia. He could make a big difference to Ireland's forward line.
The Team In Full
Troy Parrott is another option to start up front, while Aaron Connolly looks like a good option to spring off the bench to stretch the Serbs late on.
Jeff Hendrick could also be considered for his running power in midfield, with Alan Browne another option after his return to the squad.
After some poor choice yesterday, Stephen Kenny certainly needs to get his team selection right for this game.
SEE ALSO: Brian Kerr Questions Stephen Kenny's Ireland Team Selection After Azerbaijan Draw
