The Mathematics of Defeat

When George Hamilton doesn't do it, Jim Beglin does! RTE's co commentary team of Hamilton and Beglin have once again conspired to hex an otherwise solid performance by the Irish soccer team as they went down 1-0 to the french. 4 minutes before Thierry Henry pulls a rabbit from his top drawer of striking party pieces, Jim Beglin opens his trap, "I don't like saying this but Henry is having a poor game!". In the tradition of George Hamilton who will take a final minute in Macedonia to his grave, Jim Beglin, in my book should get Carling Opta points for an assist. As soon as the curling Umbro sphere left the foot of Thierry it was only going one way, and Jim Beglin had no small karmic part in the only goal of the night.

Indeed the Irish team is flawed. Kilbane was non existent leaving only Roy Keane to contend with Zidane and Vieira. Ergo, there was very little forward movement from the centre. Damien Duff was marked out of the game, leaving Andy Reid to be the only wing threat to the french. Brian Kerr should have made changes sooner. Kilbane was redundant and should have been replaced by Finnan, swapping Reid into the centre to create while Keane held. Finnan gives you width and defensive competence to deal with anything Gallas could supply down the left and I think the manager must take the majority of the blame for the inability of the Irish to threaten.

So between the two of them, Brian Kerr and Jim Beglin, neither of whom kicked a ball, they conspired to hand the french a scrappy one nil win they didn't really deserve. The Irish didn't deserve it either. A draw, as the cliche goes, would have been a fair result.