#4 Ireland’s lack of creativity in attack their Achilles Heel
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Republic of Ireland knew that the only way they could get a result was to absorb all the Belgian pressure and then attempt to catch them on the break. However, once they had possession, they had very little clue finding methods to unlock the Belgian defence. They gave possession away too cheaply and seldom managed to deliver a quality cross for lone striker Shane Long to exploit.
It was a tepid display in the attacking third from the Irish, showing very little intent to take the game to Belgium. The decision to replace Shane Long for Robbie Keane – rather than play them alongside each other – suggested that the Irish management’s intent was to ensure damage control rather than force a comeback. With just a single point from 2 games and a must-win game against Italy coming up, they must look for ways to improve their attacking index.
