Well, it was a lot tougher than hoped, but Ireland managed to get over the line against Andorra.
The 4-1 scoreline would suggest a comfortable evening for Stephen Kenny's side, but the reality was anything but. Ireland were under huge pressure for large portions of the game and could have been on course for a historically bad result after falling behind were it not for some initiative from Troy Parrott.
Speaking on RTÉ at halftime in the game when the score was level at 0-0, Richie Sadlier summed up just how many issues Ireland have in different areas of the pitch.
This might be the most damning analysis we have ever heard of any team and it's hard to disagree with it 😬 #ANDIRL pic.twitter.com/nyW7K1zVPV
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 3, 2021
What we're seeing now is very poor. This is a team that has been sold to us on the idea of possession football, getting on the ball and playing differently and playing brightly on the ball.
It is something in the training camp you would expect they are being coached to do and spend a lot of time doing.
They're not being able to work out how to get around Andorra players, and one of the many concerns is that there have been a couple of times Bazunu has had the ball, a couple of times the defender has had the ball, and the press from the Andorran players bamboozles them.
They lose it, go long, or have no ideas.
If you're looking in at this Irish squad and doing a bit of research you just think: press them at the back because they'll give it away, give them space in midfield because they have no real ideas as to what to do, don't mind the lads up front because they're very static, and even if you let the ball go wide you're going to get away with it more times than not because their end ball is so poor.
That message did not change after the game.
While Ireland would ultimately emerge as 4-1 winners thanks to a flurry of late goals, both Sadlier and Karen Duggan said there were a huge number of issues with the team's overall performance.
"When they got knackered - a group of players split between the Andorran League and Spanish fourth division - we started looking like a team, but that's not enough to be too excited about." - Richie Sadlier and Karen Duggan not getting carried away by Ireland's 4-1 win #ANDIRL pic.twitter.com/dxQ8CxoIpd
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 3, 2021
Much work to be done, even if that winless run is now thankfully in the rearview mirror.
SEE ALSO: Ireland Player Ratings As Troy Parrott Drags Team To First Kenny Win
