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Michezo magazetini leo...
Michezo magazetini leo...
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Rutashubanyuma
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Sturridge relishing Bridge return
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Updated Mar 27, 2011 8:11 AM ET
On-loan Bolton striker Daniel Sturridge is relishing the prospect of fighting for a first-team spot at Chelsea next season.
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Man City vs. Sunderland
The former Manchester City man has been impressing with Bolton, netting four goals in just six appearances for Owen Coyle's side.
Sturridge will re-join Chelsea over the summer and he is not worried by the big names he will be vying with to start.
The Blues splashed out £50million on Spain ace Fernando Torres in January to compliment the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
Despite the attacking options at Carlo Ancelotti's fingertips Sturridge is looking forward to impressing and grasping his chance with both hands.
"When I do go back to Chelsea I'm not going to be worrying about anyone who is at the club," he told the Bolton News.
"I really don't think Torres coming in affects me. Didier [Drogba] and Nico [Anelka] are fantastic players too and I can't wait to get back because I'll be able to show everyone what I can do.
"Football is about being in competition with all of these great players and showing what you can do amongst them. I want to show Chelsea that I can play at this level week after week and I can handle it.
"Bolton are giving me the opportunity and the stage to show what I can do and I'm loving playing under Owen Coyle.
"I was the one that initiated the loan because I wanted to play regularly but the club weren't willing to let me go on loan. They said I wasn't allowed to but I had to kind of force the issue."
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On-loan Bolton striker Daniel Sturridge is relishing the prospect of fighting for a first-team spot at Chelsea next season.
Sat., Apr. 2
West Ham vs. Man UtdBirmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Sun., Apr. 3
Fulham vs. BlackpoolMan City vs. Sunderland
The former Manchester City man has been impressing with Bolton, netting four goals in just six appearances for Owen Coyle's side.
Sturridge will re-join Chelsea over the summer and he is not worried by the big names he will be vying with to start.
The Blues splashed out £50million on Spain ace Fernando Torres in January to compliment the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
Despite the attacking options at Carlo Ancelotti's fingertips Sturridge is looking forward to impressing and grasping his chance with both hands.
"When I do go back to Chelsea I'm not going to be worrying about anyone who is at the club," he told the Bolton News.
"I really don't think Torres coming in affects me. Didier [Drogba] and Nico [Anelka] are fantastic players too and I can't wait to get back because I'll be able to show everyone what I can do.
"Football is about being in competition with all of these great players and showing what you can do amongst them. I want to show Chelsea that I can play at this level week after week and I can handle it.
"Bolton are giving me the opportunity and the stage to show what I can do and I'm loving playing under Owen Coyle.
"I was the one that initiated the loan because I wanted to play regularly but the club weren't willing to let me go on loan. They said I wasn't allowed to but I had to kind of force the issue."
Rutashubanyuma
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Wales v England: Five things we learned
Fabio Capello showed he can be flexible but England should not get carried away by victory against a poor Wales side
Darren Bent celebrates scoring England's second goal against Wales in Cardiff. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images 1) Time for a sense of perspective
As this mismatch played out it was easy to become carried away with England's superiority in a contest that had been billed as "awkward" by players and management alike. The one-touch football that purred at times, whether delivered through central midfield or from full-back, might have left observers drooling. But England had not needed to conjure a world-class display to dismantle these opponents. The gameplan was basic, not revelatory. They reacted to the furious atmosphere by pressing just as frenziedly all over the pitch, particularly in central midfield where Scott Parker, on a first international start since October 2006, was a blur of energy. There was combination play to admire down the flanks, and an onus on the full-backs to contribute as attacking forces. These are the type of tactics that prosper every week in the Premier League. Wales, a side coaxed into believing they might glean reward here, simply could not cope and had no answer.
2) Fabio can be flexible after all
After the depressingly rigid 4-4-2 that contributed to restricting England at the World Cup, here at last was evidence that the national side can adapt their tactics under Fabio Capello's management. The friendly in Copenhagen last month had suggested that Jack Wilshere and Frank Lampard, as an orthodox midfield pairing, could be rendered vulnerable. So Capello utilised a busy tackler in Parker, rather than the sitter and distributor that is Gareth Barry, to offer the pair protection and England felt comfortable. Ashley Young relished the space between Ashley Williams and Danny Collins, with Wayne Rooney exploiting gaps on the opposite flank, and the full-backs were invited to overlap when the midfield and attacking trios squeezed narrower. This might have been 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1 at times, but it was essentially a 4-3-3 which, according to Rio Ferdinand on Twitter, allowed the visitors "to press high up the pitch and give Wales no time to get playing". It certainly ensured England imposed themselves on the occasion.
3) Lampard's international career is far from over
The change in formation suited Wilshere, but it was Lampard who arguably benefited most of all. The 32-year-old had endured a week of suggestions that his days at this level were numbered, born largely of Capello's apparent reluctance to tweak his favoured system and the injury problems the veteran has suffered this term. Yet this was the set-up employed by Chelsea, in which Lampard prospers more often than not, and he revelled in the familiarity of it all, even as the right-sided of the central three. There were galloping runs forward through gaps in the Welsh rearguard, and clever inter-plays with team-mates to keep possession ticking over in the centre. He gained an 85th cap here, with the penalty rolled into the corner seven minutes in providing a first international goal in 18 months. England had needed his calm head early on. Thereafter this proved all too easy, but it appears there is life in Lampard yet.
4) Darren Bent can thrive at this level
The Aston Villa striker's conversion of Young's centre 15 minutes in meant that he had scored with his last three shots on target for England. Capello would like to play Andy Carroll as his front-line pivot, but Bent offers more fluid movement which can drag markers out of position and, potentially, allow team-mates space in which to inflict damage. Gérard Houllier might note the understanding that the striker demonstrated with his club-mate Young. This was a first competitive start for the forward – he had previously mustered only 30 minutes of competitive action, against Croatia and Switzerland under Steve McClaren and Capello, as a substitute – but he can no longer go ignored, even if Carroll represents the future. The booking picked up by Rooney here means he will miss the next qualifier of the campaign, against the Swiss at Wembley in June, which technically leaves Bent as this team's first-choice striker. That status is well deserved.
5) Gary Speed may have taken on the impossible job
For all the criticisms flung at Capello, only one of these managers appears to be on a true hiding to nothing. Gary Speed left a relegation battle at Sheffield United to take up the reins with his national team, but Wales remain pointless at the bottom of the qualification section and this performance did not suggest a radical change of direction from the John Toshack era. This was supposed to be a derby-like occasion akin to a Premier League fixture. That quickly proved unrealistic. After all, the Welsh boasted only five Premier League players in their starting line-up, though even that was deceptive: James Collins and Wayne Hennessey are embroiled in a relegation battle at the foot, Aaron Ramsey is only recently returned from long-term injury and spells on loan, while Craig Bellamy is currently loaned to Cardiff City in the Championship. They wilted early here, unable to deal with England's pressing and movement. Only when the visitors were lulled in a period towards the end did they threaten, belatedly, to build up a head of steam. Yet even that did not yield reward. The crowd may have whipped up an intimidating atmosphere in the stands, but the English had nothing to fear out on the pitch.
Fabio Capello showed he can be flexible but England should not get carried away by victory against a poor Wales side
As this mismatch played out it was easy to become carried away with England's superiority in a contest that had been billed as "awkward" by players and management alike. The one-touch football that purred at times, whether delivered through central midfield or from full-back, might have left observers drooling. But England had not needed to conjure a world-class display to dismantle these opponents. The gameplan was basic, not revelatory. They reacted to the furious atmosphere by pressing just as frenziedly all over the pitch, particularly in central midfield where Scott Parker, on a first international start since October 2006, was a blur of energy. There was combination play to admire down the flanks, and an onus on the full-backs to contribute as attacking forces. These are the type of tactics that prosper every week in the Premier League. Wales, a side coaxed into believing they might glean reward here, simply could not cope and had no answer.
2) Fabio can be flexible after all
After the depressingly rigid 4-4-2 that contributed to restricting England at the World Cup, here at last was evidence that the national side can adapt their tactics under Fabio Capello's management. The friendly in Copenhagen last month had suggested that Jack Wilshere and Frank Lampard, as an orthodox midfield pairing, could be rendered vulnerable. So Capello utilised a busy tackler in Parker, rather than the sitter and distributor that is Gareth Barry, to offer the pair protection and England felt comfortable. Ashley Young relished the space between Ashley Williams and Danny Collins, with Wayne Rooney exploiting gaps on the opposite flank, and the full-backs were invited to overlap when the midfield and attacking trios squeezed narrower. This might have been 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1 at times, but it was essentially a 4-3-3 which, according to Rio Ferdinand on Twitter, allowed the visitors "to press high up the pitch and give Wales no time to get playing". It certainly ensured England imposed themselves on the occasion.
3) Lampard's international career is far from over
The change in formation suited Wilshere, but it was Lampard who arguably benefited most of all. The 32-year-old had endured a week of suggestions that his days at this level were numbered, born largely of Capello's apparent reluctance to tweak his favoured system and the injury problems the veteran has suffered this term. Yet this was the set-up employed by Chelsea, in which Lampard prospers more often than not, and he revelled in the familiarity of it all, even as the right-sided of the central three. There were galloping runs forward through gaps in the Welsh rearguard, and clever inter-plays with team-mates to keep possession ticking over in the centre. He gained an 85th cap here, with the penalty rolled into the corner seven minutes in providing a first international goal in 18 months. England had needed his calm head early on. Thereafter this proved all too easy, but it appears there is life in Lampard yet.
4) Darren Bent can thrive at this level
The Aston Villa striker's conversion of Young's centre 15 minutes in meant that he had scored with his last three shots on target for England. Capello would like to play Andy Carroll as his front-line pivot, but Bent offers more fluid movement which can drag markers out of position and, potentially, allow team-mates space in which to inflict damage. Gérard Houllier might note the understanding that the striker demonstrated with his club-mate Young. This was a first competitive start for the forward – he had previously mustered only 30 minutes of competitive action, against Croatia and Switzerland under Steve McClaren and Capello, as a substitute – but he can no longer go ignored, even if Carroll represents the future. The booking picked up by Rooney here means he will miss the next qualifier of the campaign, against the Swiss at Wembley in June, which technically leaves Bent as this team's first-choice striker. That status is well deserved.
5) Gary Speed may have taken on the impossible job
For all the criticisms flung at Capello, only one of these managers appears to be on a true hiding to nothing. Gary Speed left a relegation battle at Sheffield United to take up the reins with his national team, but Wales remain pointless at the bottom of the qualification section and this performance did not suggest a radical change of direction from the John Toshack era. This was supposed to be a derby-like occasion akin to a Premier League fixture. That quickly proved unrealistic. After all, the Welsh boasted only five Premier League players in their starting line-up, though even that was deceptive: James Collins and Wayne Hennessey are embroiled in a relegation battle at the foot, Aaron Ramsey is only recently returned from long-term injury and spells on loan, while Craig Bellamy is currently loaned to Cardiff City in the Championship. They wilted early here, unable to deal with England's pressing and movement. Only when the visitors were lulled in a period towards the end did they threaten, belatedly, to build up a head of steam. Yet even that did not yield reward. The crowd may have whipped up an intimidating atmosphere in the stands, but the English had nothing to fear out on the pitch.
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Heitinga issues Toffees warning
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Updated Mar 27, 2011 8:07 AM ET
John Heitinga intends to consider his Everton future in the summer if he continues to be left on the bench at Goodison Park.
The Holland international has been in and out of the Everton side in recent weeks and is unsure why he is not in David Moyes' first-choice line-up.
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Man City vs. Sunderland
He believes he merits a place in Moyes' best XI, particularly after playing in the World Cup final against Spain last summer.
However, the 27-year-old will not rush into a decision over his future after being wanted by several clubs during the January transfer window.
"I have certainly not come here to sit on the bench," said Heitinga in the Sunday Mirror.
"Together with Phil Neville, I have more experience than all the others. I have played in four major national team tournaments and I have played the World Cup final.
"I don't want to moan. At the end of the day it is all down to me. Apart from not playing sometimes, I love it here in England.
"I am still aiming for big success here in England. Well, I have played 65 games in the Premier League in two seasons. That is a start.
"I hope being out is a temporary thing. I will decide in the summer what I will do."
He added: "It's strange for me to sit on the bench at Everton. I will always claim that I am the best central defender at this club - definitely since the World Cup.
"I could understand it if the manager leaves me out of the team when I make big mistakes. But right now I can't get over the last few weeks.
"The manager is not a big talker. Never has been. He does not explain his decisions to others either. He just says everybody will get playing time.
"I'm not worried about the future. My career is still going up. I can tell that by the massive clubs who came knocking on the door for me in the winter.
"One of them was so serious and so concrete. But I did not want to leave in the middle of a season. And Everton did not want to let me go.
"That was a good sign. I feel I can still become an important player here for the fans and the team."
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Updated Mar 27, 2011 8:07 AM ET
John Heitinga intends to consider his Everton future in the summer if he continues to be left on the bench at Goodison Park.
The Holland international has been in and out of the Everton side in recent weeks and is unsure why he is not in David Moyes' first-choice line-up.
Sat., Apr. 2
West Ham vs. Man UtdBirmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Sun., Apr. 3
Fulham vs. BlackpoolMan City vs. Sunderland
He believes he merits a place in Moyes' best XI, particularly after playing in the World Cup final against Spain last summer.
However, the 27-year-old will not rush into a decision over his future after being wanted by several clubs during the January transfer window.
"I have certainly not come here to sit on the bench," said Heitinga in the Sunday Mirror.
"Together with Phil Neville, I have more experience than all the others. I have played in four major national team tournaments and I have played the World Cup final.
"I don't want to moan. At the end of the day it is all down to me. Apart from not playing sometimes, I love it here in England.
"I am still aiming for big success here in England. Well, I have played 65 games in the Premier League in two seasons. That is a start.
"I hope being out is a temporary thing. I will decide in the summer what I will do."
He added: "It's strange for me to sit on the bench at Everton. I will always claim that I am the best central defender at this club - definitely since the World Cup.
"I could understand it if the manager leaves me out of the team when I make big mistakes. But right now I can't get over the last few weeks.
"The manager is not a big talker. Never has been. He does not explain his decisions to others either. He just says everybody will get playing time.
"I'm not worried about the future. My career is still going up. I can tell that by the massive clubs who came knocking on the door for me in the winter.
"One of them was so serious and so concrete. But I did not want to leave in the middle of a season. And Everton did not want to let me go.
"That was a good sign. I feel I can still become an important player here for the fans and the team."
Rutashubanyuma
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Luiz backs 'special' Torres
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 10:00 AM ET
David Luiz is confident Fernando Torres will reap the rewards of his hard work and score 'loads of goals' as soon as he breaks his duck.
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Man City vs. Sunderland
The £50million Chelsea striker has been overshadowed by fellow winter recruit Luiz since both players arrived at Stamford Bridge on deadline day in January.
While defender Luiz has slotted in well at the back and even managed to find the net twice, Torres is yet to get off the mark.
Brazilian centre-half Luiz understands how frustrated his Blues team-mate must be but has been impressed by his attitude in training.
And Luiz believes that Torres is such a class act that once his first goal goes in, the floodgates will open.
"It's not just because he's Fernando Torres but, for any forward, it's really hard when they don't score," Luiz said in the Daily Express.
"We all see Fernando working hard, day by day, a really professional guy, such a kind man and a great personality.
"I am sure that, as soon as the first goal comes, he will score loads of them because Fernando is a very special player."
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 10:00 AM ET
David Luiz is confident Fernando Torres will reap the rewards of his hard work and score 'loads of goals' as soon as he breaks his duck.
Sat., Apr. 2
West Ham vs. Man UtdBirmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Sun., Apr. 3
Fulham vs. BlackpoolMan City vs. Sunderland
The £50million Chelsea striker has been overshadowed by fellow winter recruit Luiz since both players arrived at Stamford Bridge on deadline day in January.
While defender Luiz has slotted in well at the back and even managed to find the net twice, Torres is yet to get off the mark.
Brazilian centre-half Luiz understands how frustrated his Blues team-mate must be but has been impressed by his attitude in training.
And Luiz believes that Torres is such a class act that once his first goal goes in, the floodgates will open.
"It's not just because he's Fernando Torres but, for any forward, it's really hard when they don't score," Luiz said in the Daily Express.
"We all see Fernando working hard, day by day, a really professional guy, such a kind man and a great personality.
"I am sure that, as soon as the first goal comes, he will score loads of them because Fernando is a very special player."
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Ancelotti keen on Blues stay
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 9:19 AM ET
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists he wants to see out his Stamford Bridge contract at the least after underlining his happiness in London.
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Man City vs. Sunderland
The Italian helped the club win the Double last season in superb fashion, but their main hope of winning silverware this term is via the Champions League.
It has been a season of frustration for the Blues with their mid-season slump severely hindering their chances of landing the Premier League title while the addition of Fernando Torres has failed to yield immediate dividends.
That has let to question marks being raised over Ancelotti's future with chief executive Ron Gourlay refusing to confirm the vastly-experience coach would be retained next term.
Ancelotti has now confirmed his position, stating he is happy at Chelsea and in England and is looking to stay to at least 2014 as he will then be considering the possibility to coaching Italy.
"I hope to stay where I am," he told the Daily Mirror.
"Here is paradise. I stay really Italian but I appreciate the English, even if they aren't very flexible. But I admire their love of the rules.
"For now I am thinking only about the Champions League final and I have made this clear to the squad.
"I am working all out to reach Wembley and the minimum of fourth place in the Premier League.
"One day I will return to coach Italy, but I don't know when. The national side? Maybe after 2014."
RivalsDM
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 9:19 AM ET
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists he wants to see out his Stamford Bridge contract at the least after underlining his happiness in London.
Sat., Apr. 2
West Ham vs. Man UtdBirmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Sun., Apr. 3
Fulham vs. BlackpoolMan City vs. Sunderland
The Italian helped the club win the Double last season in superb fashion, but their main hope of winning silverware this term is via the Champions League.
It has been a season of frustration for the Blues with their mid-season slump severely hindering their chances of landing the Premier League title while the addition of Fernando Torres has failed to yield immediate dividends.
That has let to question marks being raised over Ancelotti's future with chief executive Ron Gourlay refusing to confirm the vastly-experience coach would be retained next term.
Ancelotti has now confirmed his position, stating he is happy at Chelsea and in England and is looking to stay to at least 2014 as he will then be considering the possibility to coaching Italy.
"I hope to stay where I am," he told the Daily Mirror.
"Here is paradise. I stay really Italian but I appreciate the English, even if they aren't very flexible. But I admire their love of the rules.
"For now I am thinking only about the Champions League final and I have made this clear to the squad.
"I am working all out to reach Wembley and the minimum of fourth place in the Premier League.
"One day I will return to coach Italy, but I don't know when. The national side? Maybe after 2014."
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Wenger urges Gunners composure
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 10:03 AM ET
Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal troops to keep their heads and retain belief ahead of the highly-anticipated Premier League title run in.
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Man City vs. Sunderland
The Gunners slipped to five points behind leaders Manchester United after they were held to a 2-2 draw at West Brom while Sir Alex Ferguson's troops beat Bolton late on.
Arsenal feel two goals down at The Hawthorns and Wenger has no doubts about his squad's talent, stating they simply need to stay calm and composed in order secure positive results.
The club's mental ability has been called into question after going six years without adding to the trophy cabinet and the Frenchman knows that maintaining belief is also crucial.
"It's important to keep calm, relaxed and focused," Wenger told the Official Arsenal Magazine. "Not to rush your game, not to become too nervous. That's an important part of it.
"Every year we have a stronger second half of the season. I think in the last five or six years we have always had a young team, and they grow up during the season. This year that's happened again.
"You need belief too because if you look at what everybody outside was predicting for our team this season, nobody was counting on us to fight for the title. So we are doing better than expected, but now we want to get over the line."
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Updated Mar 26, 2011 10:03 AM ET
Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal troops to keep their heads and retain belief ahead of the highly-anticipated Premier League title run in.
Sat., Apr. 2
West Ham vs. Man UtdBirmingham vs. Bolton
Everton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle vs. Wolves
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
West Brom vs. Liverpool
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Arsenal vs. Blackburn
Sun., Apr. 3
Fulham vs. BlackpoolMan City vs. Sunderland
The Gunners slipped to five points behind leaders Manchester United after they were held to a 2-2 draw at West Brom while Sir Alex Ferguson's troops beat Bolton late on.
Arsenal feel two goals down at The Hawthorns and Wenger has no doubts about his squad's talent, stating they simply need to stay calm and composed in order secure positive results.
The club's mental ability has been called into question after going six years without adding to the trophy cabinet and the Frenchman knows that maintaining belief is also crucial.
"It's important to keep calm, relaxed and focused," Wenger told the Official Arsenal Magazine. "Not to rush your game, not to become too nervous. That's an important part of it.
"Every year we have a stronger second half of the season. I think in the last five or six years we have always had a young team, and they grow up during the season. This year that's happened again.
"You need belief too because if you look at what everybody outside was predicting for our team this season, nobody was counting on us to fight for the title. So we are doing better than expected, but now we want to get over the line."
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Robbie Keane strikes to give Ireland the edge over Macedonia
Euro 2012 Qual Group B
Republic of Ireland 2
Euro 2012 Qual Group B
Republic of Ireland 2
- McGeady 2,
- Keane 21
- Trickovski 45
- David Hytner at the Aviva Stadium
- guardian.co.uk, Saturday 26 March 2011 22.09 GMT <li class="history">Article history Ireland's Robbie Keane celebrates after scoring against Macedonia during the Euro 2012 qualifier. Photograph: Cathal Mcnaughton/REUTERS Happily for Giovanni Trapattoni and the Republic of Ireland, it was the visiting goalkeeper who 'had a Macedonia'. Edin Nuredinoski entered this tie largely as an unknown but he ensured that he etched his name indelibly on to the Ireland effort to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals.
Twice in the first half, he blundered horribly to present first Aiden McGeady and then Robbie Keane with goals and, try as they might to make things interesting, Trapattoni's men closed out the result. It should never have come to it, but Ireland were ultimately indebted to Keiren Westwood, the goalkeeper, who made his competitive debut. With 15 minutes to go, he blocked one-on-one from the excellent Ivan Trickovski and the home crowd exhaled in relief.
Ireland have bad memories of Macedonia from a pair of dismal results against them in the late 1990s, which spawned the phrase that equates to a nightmare performance. It was Nuredinoski who could hang his head here. He was even wearing an orange jersey, as Ireland had done in 1997.
Ireland started the day in second place in Group B and, bizarrely, they finished it in third, due to head-to-head result complexities. Their campaign, however, escaped damage and, not for the first time, Trapattoni could savour the primacy of the result, although he did profess himself to be happy with the performance.
He said that McGeady had been the game's outstanding player while he also felt vindication over his selection of Darron Gibson, Kevin Foley and Darren O'Dea; the latter pair were also competitive debutants.
"I have total reason to be happy for three reasons," Trapattoni said. "Firstly, the result; secondly, the performance of the team overall and of some players specifically and, thirdly, because I am always questioned about Gibson, Foley and O'Dea. They did well tonight."
Trapattoni's assertion that his team had "controlled the game very well" was open to question, but there was no doubt that they did so for the opening half hour. During that period, they established a two-goal lead and it might have been more had the substitute Shane Long not sliced his finish, after running the inside right channel and checking inside.
The opening goal was the stuff of dreams for Ireland, coming as it did after 84 seconds, but it looked worse for Nuredinoski with each rerun. Kevin Doyle worked the ball to the left where McGeady darted back inside to shoot low and right-footed for the near corner. The shot packed a punch, but Nuredinoski looked to have it covered. When it reared up off the patchy turf, Nuredinoski, diving to his right, could only help it into the net.
Worse was to follow for the goalkeeper. Having spilled a shot from Damien Duff only to recover ahead of the onrushing Doyle, he erred again on Gibson's 25-yard free-kick. Again, the shot was well struck, but it ought to have presented few problems. To Ireland's delight, Nuredinoski fumbled and Keane pounced for his 46th international goal. Keane was not the favourite to get there first but Nuredinoski was embarrassingly slow to get down.
"The mistakes of our goalkeeper affected the result," said the Macedonia coach, Mirsad Jonuz. "But it will be different when we play Ireland in Skopje in June. We hope to have our first-choice goalkeeper back by then."
Ireland lost Doyle to what Trapattoni said was a serious knee ligament injury, which threatens the remainder of his season, and Richard Dunne was booked for a tackle on Goran Pandev and he will be suspended for the trip to Skopje.
Pandev sparked the Macedonia revival with a through ball for Trickovski, which he finished coolly and, from a position of comfort, Ireland contrived to ensure that their supporters endured anxiety. The tackles flew in and Boban Grncarov was lucky to escape with a yellow card for a kung-fu style kick that bloodied Long about the head. Jonuz made attacking substitutions, going to two up front and his team played more inside the Ireland half. Trapattoni's men did go close through Duff, but it was Trickovski who had what his manager described as "the chance of the match." Westwood, though, made himself big and Ireland survived. One of their specialities is doing things the hard way.
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