I don't know what game some of you were watching.
Ireland started a B team, we scored horrendously against the run of play and played nothing like "possession football" - miles behind in every stat. Then when Ireland got up they switched to play more defensively and to minimise exertion because they have a game they need to win mid-week yet they still created chance after chance.
It was only luck and Ireland's other obligations that stopped us getting done by 5 or 6 nil.
I don't think the goal was possession football, but rather not fudgeing panic and hoof the ball long whenever we receive a pass football, which was well evident.
Though to be fair, when Ireland turned things up to change the game and pressed us high at the start of the second half, we had no answer and kept giving the ball away. Once they took the lead they eased off and we had a bit more breathing space. but it's hard to escape the feeling that whenever Ireland felt like they needed to go up a gear or two, they could and we'd have no answer for it. The backline in particular was very shaky when pressed.
That's true, but the way we played did seem to force a change in how they played. As you say, at the start of the second half they came out and pressed high, and we wilted a little - but we forced a good Euro side to come out in the second half and changed the way they played off the ball. I think that in itself is a positive.
It's not as if they were struggling in the first half either, the impression I got is that their instructions were to get a goal as early as possible in the second half and then see the game out, which is pretty much what happened. I think they wanted to avoid any negative media coverage if they didn't win, but at the same time not expend too much energy in getting there.
I do think we did some good things, our goal was a very good international quality goal with accurate and decisive touches, and quick ball movement which is what you need at international level. We were able to find some decent possession in the middle of the park but the players we have there now may well be some of the best we've ever produced so that's not exactly surprising or revolutionary. The challenge though is how to transfer that into controlling games and being able to beat sides like Ireland. Because that game wasn't controlled by us, it was bossed by Ireland from the first minute to the last, even when they were down.
And I do think that's disappointing because I thought that this All Whites side would be much more of a match for a second string Irish side, whose first-string side is at best a middling European team who may not even make it to the 24-team EURO next year. Ireland won the game very easily, and too easily in my eyes. Anything but a win against Lithuania on Monday would be a massive disappointment.