The Loss of Tradition?

The tolling of the bell on the age of traditional journalism will this week ring louder in the minds of many. Newsweek, the media institution that once held an enviable position in the lives of millions of Americans, has announced it is to cease publication at the end of the year. Rather than slip quietly away however, it is instead to reincarnate itself as an all-digital publication in early 2013. To some this represents an unthinkable treason.

Since 2001 Newsweek has seen its paid circulation fall by over 50 percent to a meagre 1.5 million readers in June of this year. Its fall is undeniably and intrinsically linked to the rise of digital media in the last decade. Simply put, it has failed to maintain its relevance to the modern news consumer.

Tina Brown, founder of The Daily Beast website (with which Newsweek merged in 2010), pinned the magazine’s demise on the “enormous disruptive innovation” of the media industry, stating that “no one single person can reverse that trend.”

The question is should this development worry those of us that care about quality, accurate and insightful journalism? Are we now moving towards a free-for-all type of environment where the decaying of old journalistic values is unavoidable, and the consequences unpalatable?

While those who harbour fears over the evolution of journalism fret with the best of intentions, they’re beliefs are perhaps somewhat misplaced. For every moronic tweet that makes one doubt the value of technological advancement there exists a counterbalance of good; a link to a well-written opinion piece for example, or a breaking news story that traditional media will not disperse until the turn of the hour.

Social media and digital news sites are not bound by the constraints of the clock. They tap into one of the very core essences of news; briskness of reporting, and in doing so put the consumer at the heart of news like never before. If this ability to process and produce news in real-time is prudently harnessed within the constraints of accuracy why should we not embrace it?

Poor journalism has always existed, slipped through the cracks and been hoisted on undeserving readers. The new world of digital media is no different. What we should not forget though is that an abundance of fine journalists also ply their trade for these new sites. After all, the audience hasn't gone away they've simply altered how they access news.

Storyful, the Irish online news gathering platform, is an example of the regeneration of the industry. Where Newsweek has fallen by the wayside since the advent of the Internet era, sites such as Storyful have found a niche and gained a strong footing in the industry, providing trustworthy content to broadcast, print, web and digital platforms.

As Markham Nolan, Managing Editor of Storyful, recently explained; old values inform new practices: “It is old school journalism, it’s the same values, it’s the same principles in terms of vetting who the people are, who the sources are and the information that they’re [providing]. You just have to apply it with new tools and in a new environment.”

 The traditional newspaper may have waned in popularity, but is yet to be consumed by the new media as some would have you believe. After all, the co-habitation of old and new isn't such an absurd notion. In fact it might just be that a broader choice of news services will appeal to a wider audience and result in a more engaged and informed society. If the print media has to increasingly content itself with being the weekend choice of consumers- a phenomenon known as the ‘leanback’ experience where readers have the time to absorb and enjoy their content- then so be it. The two platforms need not be mutually exclusive.

To some people the cocksure pretender new media will never be anything but a subversive power. To others however, it is a cause to rejoice over. The exchange of views and informed debate that is the lifeblood of journalism courses through the industry at its very foundations like never before.

Roadmap For Departure

Today it was announced that the Wolfson Economics Prize has been awarded to a proposal on how a country could best leave the Eurozone. A year ago such a proposal would have been greeted with little more than a theoretical appreciation, now it has real world significance. 
Credit Suisse, in May, estimated there was about a 15% chance of Greece leaving the Euro. Others like Standard & Poor's believe this likelihood to be "at least" a one-in-three chance of leaving the Eurozone. While the Greek election results may have allayed fears to some degree, the threat looms large. Fears also remain over other fragile Euro economies like Ireland or Spain for example especially should the Greeks leave which would set a precedent and perhaps initiate a domino effect.


Advocates of leaving the common currency point primarily towards the benefits of a cheaper currency on exports, leading to increased employment and eventually sufficient levels of growth to escape from the grips of seemingly endless austerity. Accompanying such a plan would be an Icelandic style debt default and away we go free of our terrible debt burden and with the reassurance of more prosperous times ahead. So the attractions are clear, how about the practicalities? We will examine these from an Irish perspective. 

                                                           Economist Roger Bootle of Capital Economics

As the Wolfson entry states leaving the Euro would be a combination of two distinct monetary events;


(a) Currency Conversion and redenomination of wages, prices and all other domestic values into the new currency; (an Punt Nua as it is being touted)


(b) Change in the exchange rate of currency, i.e. a devaluation


In addition to the core monetary events are other concerns;


-How and when to leave.
-Subsequent legal effects and relations with outside interests, i.e. EU, creditors, markets.
-Consequences of debt default.
-Social Consequences.


It is would be desirable that any decision to leave the common currency be made in private as much as is possible. Additionally the imposition of capital controls to combat the risk of large scale withdrawals would serve to protect the exiting country's interests. There are many obvious obstacles to this optimal exit strategy. Firstly the ability to keep plans of such a nature confidential is far from certain. Given that reports, although not substantiated, have already surfaced over plans for a Greek exit being drawn up the question must loom even larger. Additionally any sudden announcement of withdrawal from the Euro would seriously damage the democratic foundations of the State having allowed for no discussion or democratic will of the People to be accounted for. Policy makers should thread very carefully in this regard. Setting a precedent for the abandonment of sound democratic practices, regardless of necessity or motive, would have a strong and long-lasting impact on society. While it seems likely that a country would be able to leave the Euro while still remaining part of the EU and that a new currency would be acknowledged by the International community this should not serve to disguise the inevitable difficulties with such 'successes'. It would be desirable to disclose as much information as possible in a reasonable time frame to other EU member states in order to retain goodwill and to smooth the transition for the entire EU. This unfortunately would compromise the need for secrecy in any such plans. Similarly honouring a large degree of debt obligations would lessen the negative impact of a withdrawal but a weak nation like Ireland would be in no position to do so. From the outset then it appears that the theoretically most advantageous exit strategy is questionable at best when faced with the realities of  the political and legal backdrop.


The redenomination of euro to the new currency (An Punt Nua) offers an array of difficulties. The Capital Economics Report dismisses the notion of stamping euro currency to indicate its new identity as An Punt Nua. This 'overstamping' has previously been the most common method of administering a new currency. As the production of new notes and coins is likely to take between four and six months this has often proven to be the most convenient method. The report's suggestion is two-fold;


a) To rely on non-cash transactions
b) To continue to trade in euros for the remainder of transactions where option a) is not viable


The notion of using a new currency of lesser value (the exchange rate of the euro having risen in comparison to An Punt Nua) to pay for goods seems to be somewhat overlooked by the report. The authors contend that small level payments becoming hypothetically 30% more expensive (given the rate change) should not pose a significant concern. While it is important to remember that no ideal solution exists and that this method may indeed offer the most desirable option, I would tend to disagree with the opinion expressed in the report. The ordinary consumer whose disposable income is already greatly reduced due to austerity measures that have been implemented is likely to find it extremely difficult to manage in a scenario where such transactions, even if infrequent, become far more expensive. One doesn't bare to think what anarchy would befall the nation should a situation akin to that presently at Ulster Bank again rear its head. In such a scenario cash becomes an ever more valuable asset.

A capital flight or 'run on the banks' is also a very acute risk. It is extremely likely that citizens would seek to withdraw large amounts of cash from banks, especially if the euro were to be worth more than the new currency. The solution offered to this is largely to prohibit access to deposits for a period of time until arrangements could be made for withdrawals to be treated as foreign currency debited against An Punt Nua. There is also the likelihood that institutional investors will seek to withdraw their holdings from Irish banks and instead deposit them in a 'safer' bank. Such a 'flight to safety' further diminishes the liquidity of the banking sector. Less liquidity means greater likelihood of a banking collapse or alternatively greater outside assistance from the ECB in the manner we are currently witnessing. It would, however, be foolhardy to expect the ECB to blindly continue to pump vast sums of money into a failing banking sector once they become sufficiently disillusioned with their chances of getting their money back.


The devaluation of the new currency is the kernel of the argument for leaving the common currency. Devaluing to such an extent that competitiveness is restored and export led growth allows the economy to grow out of its current difficulties. Managing the devaluation is fundamental to the success of the strategy. It is estimated by the report that Ireland would require a devaluation of roughly 15% but that initially this may reach closer to 25%. A problem arises when the depreciation goes beyond the desired levels and are marginally less beneficial to the economy. That is, that the price of imports rise by more than the price of exports as seen in the Icelandic economy. The core solutions set out by the report are;

"Act pre-emptively and put in place credible monetary and fiscal frameworks: inflation targets should be laid down; establish limits to the use of quantitative easing; publish a framework to constrain fiscal policy; and task an independent body to monitor the authorities' adherence to these targets."

Should these measures fail however, and the new currency devalue to a larger extent than is expected or desirable it will serve to devalue citizens personal wealth while delivering diminishing positive impact to the growth of the economy. Devalued wealth means more expensive goods and services. The impact could not be avoided. The average price of petrol is, at present, 159.9 c per litre. Already hugely costly. Now imagine with a devaluation of An Punt Nua of 25% and the price at the pumps becomes a frightening 199.88 c per litre. And lets face it we may export a lot in this country but equally we import a lot too. Expect many of what we would consider to be fundamental goods & services to either disappear completely or become significantly more expensive.


The other main concern raised by leaving the Euro is that in the minds of most experts it would absolutely be accompanied by a large-scale debt default. Both go hand in hand. A debt default means we as a nation could not, in all likelihood, access credit from anywhere. Certainly not the money markets, and probably not the IMF. Should this arise where then do we find the money to continue the smooth running of the country. The payment of wages being perhaps the most obvious casualty. A deficit of €16bn would have to closed in this country through extreme cutbacks in expenditure. To put it into context the current public sector wage bill is approximately €14bn, cut that and you still have another €2bn to find. It's a huge swathe of money that would have to be cut and which would in all lieklihood result in untold hurt for citizens. Unfortunately we have already witnessed across Europe the degradation of social harmony and a disregard of peaceful protest. Given the circumstances in which people find themselves in their motives can largely be appreciated. Should even greater hardship be placed on the shoulders of our citizens I wouldn't bet against the same unsightliness on the streets of our cities, towns and villages. Eventually people will tolerate no more.

I may seem to have disregarded the work of the Wolfson prize winners in the summary it inspired above. Far from it. As the saying goes; you can't make a silk purse out a sow's ear. The contents of the report will never make for pleasant reading and will inevitably raise concerns as to the efficacy of the recommendations as expressed above. Perhaps given all its drawbacks it may be the best option for a struggling nation like Ireland, burdened by a crippling sovereign debt and bowed by continued austerity and the absence of growth. It is my opinion that this is not the case and that exiting the Euro remains the option of last resort, that for now at least we need not consider. What is not in doubt is that this is an issue that is becoming increasingly significant across the Eurozone and will in all likelihood continue to do so for the forseeable future. For now the departure remains conveniently contained in its hypothesis only. Should the time come for it to break into reality we'll all be scrambling for the Woolfson Prize winning entry 2012, here for your convenience.... 


http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/WolfsonPrize/

Spain.
A few questions answered.

So Euro 2012 in the end went the way of WC 2010 and Euro 2008, no surprise there. In winning an unprecedented three major tournaments in a row the debate has been opened as to whether this Spanish team is the greatest international side we've ever witnessed. Certainly they are the greatest I have ever witnessed. That, however, won't count for much come the final reckoning I'm sure.

What matters more than debating the merits of the great teams and ultimately declaring one the greatest is that we appreciate each of their contributions while we can. Its easy to lose oneself in the nostalgia of the past and forget the joy of the present. Spain have developed the game, brought something new to the table for all to examine, dissect and try to imitate. They have set their own course and remained true to it. As Cesc Fabregas reminded everyone after Sunday nights final their style is borne out of necessity as much as anything else, "We have to play this way. We can't play long balls because Iniesta is not strong, I am not strong, Silva is not strong, Xavi is not strong." Borne of necessity or not, what this group have moulded their strengths into is something to behold. The passing is incredible but that is only part of the greater story. Sublime passing is futile if not facilitated by the imperious movement of the Spanish. Angles are of the world of mathematics but so too of football; creating and exploiting in an endless, fluid cycle. Defensive strength is in turn a product of the possession game. This side is unusual in their defensive emphasis; defend WITH the ball, 'typical' defense is only a contingency plan should the original fail from time to time.

That is not, to answer another pressing question regarding this team, to say that they are boring. Arsene Wenger became an unlikely traitor from the cause when he claimed that the sole purpose of Spain was to hold onto the ball to defend rather than to attack. Rubbish Mr. Wenger. As one of the greatest purveyors of the finer points of the game Wenger's comments were disappointing to say the least. He is not entirely wrong either though. Possession is little without penetration. The marriage of these qualities makes for joy, excitement and exhilaration. Mostly it brings success. At times it looked as if Spain's success in this tournament was in doubt. Times when the aforementioned penetration was lacking, to be more precise. The fact that the matter is that they rely on Iniesta, Silva, at times Fabregas and lately Jordi Alba for this crucial facet of play. The rest play in front of the opposition. As such the burden is great on only a small few and at times they falter. Crucially though, as is they crux of Wenger's comments, it isn't for the want of trying. The way in which the Spanish play requires that quartet to go past the defenders and relies on the ability of others to find them. The accuracy required is incredible and invariably more often than not the ball will be intercepted. But such is the manner of their game plan, they need only make it work once and the likelihood is that win the game.

Wenger's misunderstanding is this: Spain are limited in ability not in attitude. Limited may seem a perverse tag with which to label some the greatest footballers of our time, but they are. Fantastically good in the strength of their play but limited in their range of abilites and consequently the team's ability to change style when required. Even the 'false 9' is only a tweak to the same system. There is no Plan B, pass to win or pass to lose. Consequently La Roja are predictable and generally quite easy to plan for. In theory if not in execution. Furnishing the enemy with the plan of attack and implementing it to claim victory regardless is no small feat. This is what Spain do time and again. Excuse them please if this bunch of players who have developed a style of play that has brought joy to millions, reinvented the game and won three major tournaments sometimes falls short of the thrills and spills we demand of top level football. The improbable skill of their players renders their shortcomings largely meaningless, and allows them triumph over all before them time and again.

The European champions are not boring. They simply are not cavalier, they are not pacy, they are largely not spectacular. Their expression of the Beautiful Game is a subtle, refined, exquisitely beautiful version. Don't look for joy where it is not, don't intentionally ignore the gifts this team frequently bestow upon us. Appreciate, instead, their style, their manner, their brilliance where it does exist; pass and move football. They lack the flying wingers, the goalscorer phenomenon centre forward, the cult figure enforcer, all these qualities with which we readily identify with and reward with adulation. What this team lacks in such qualities they more than make up for in their abundance of skill and guile. Outwitting rather than out-running, out-muscling and out-jumping.

In my humble and in many ways uneducated opinion this Spanish team will be ranked among the greatest but not quite at the pinnacle of the finest teams ever. That title, for the time being at least, still rests with the Black Pearl and the Samba beat of Brazil's incredible 1970 World Cup winners. Crucially that team provided the exhilaration that Spain cannot frequently muster. 

What cannot ever be taken away, however, is their achievements and the manner in which they were attained. Limted, but undeniably great- the ironic truth of this fabulous group of players that must be acknowledged to protect their legacy from detractors in the ilk of Mr. Wenger.

The Italian Odd Couple


Selection permitting, come this evening we may have witnessed the sublime brilliance or infuriating petulance of one of the game's most peculiar strike partnerships; Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano. Very much cut from the same cloth the partners upon which Italian hopes are likely to rest are mavericks, playboys, eccentrics, the list of terms is endless. Given the temperament and tendencies of Balotelli one would be forgiven for expecting Cesare Prandelli to partner him with a level headed role model from which he could learn to curb his eccentricities. Instead the coach seems to embrace what makes the young City striker what he is and revel in the possibilities of his strike force. There really is a growing sense of master and student between the two. Upon arrival in Poland, Prandelli did, however, note one restraint he'd placed on the pair, "Mario actually wanted to share a room with Antonio but we didn't want to overdo it." A wise move one suspects!

Their 'rap-list' takes some reading. Ballotelli's training ground darts throwing 'pranks', experimenting with fireworks, confrontations with team mates, appearing unannounced at press conferences- of different teams, wearing an AC Milan jersey on national TV while playing for great rivals Inter, its all there. Not to be outdone the jovial Cassano can lay claim to "sleeping with 600- 700 women", being sent off and subsequently abusing the referee in the Italian Cup Final of 2003, imitating Fabio Capello, falling out with Sampdoria president Riccardo Garrone and generally being one to overeat and under train. As he puts it " I was born tired", tired in this sense we can take to mean lazy. Throughout much of his stint in Madrid he was ridiculed and lampooned as a clown of ever increasing weight and lessening value. Claims such as those made in his autobiography, 'Telling Everything' that he had a friend in Madrid whose job it was to "bring me three or four pastries after I had sex" probably didn't help his cause. Not that he cared what the media had to say about him one suspects. Cassano, like Balotelli, is a free spirirt. Just this week Balotelli's agent compared him to Peter Pan. In a curt reply to questions on the matter the young striker asserted that he is "more of a man than Peter Pan" although he did accept "I could be Peter Pan because I do things my own way, I'm a bit free". On the eve of a quarter final of the European Championships it was all a little surreal. Saving his best for last Balotelli out did himself in response to James Milner's claim that there are two Ballotellis- the one who can the win the game and the one who can get sent off at any minute- by simply saying; "he's fortunate that he knows two of me!"

For all their misdemeanors however they remain incredibly talented footballers, capable of putting England to the sword tonight should they be on their game. Cassano, at the age of 29, has collected two Italian Super Cups, one Serie A title and one La Liga. Ballotelli's haul at the age of 21 is truly remarkable; 1 Italian Super Cup, 1 Coppa Italia, 1 FA Cup, a Premier League Title, 3 Serie A titles and a Champions League. Their combined medal collection is one to marvel at and, given their idiosyncrasies, a huge testament to their incredible talent. José Mourinho once called Ballotelli "unmanageable". Roberto Mancini though perhaps gave the best insight into managing and tolerating such a talent in equal measures;

"I told him, if you played with me 10 years ago I would give you every day maybe one punch in your head..I don't speak to him everyday, otherwise I would need a psychologist, but I speak with him because I don't want him to lose his quality." Mario can be one of the top players in Europe. I don't want him to lose his talent."

Infuriating and inspirational in equal measure; the Odd Couple will tonight be given the grand stage upon which to silence their doubters and fire Italy to a semi-final date with Germany. Balotelli once wondered aloud after scoring against Manchester United; Why Always Me? Now that he has a partner in crime in the world of footballing mavericks, concerns of being singled out should no longer trouble him.

Book Review: A Life Too Short
The Tragedy of Robert Enke
by Ronald Reng


On 10 November 2009 Robert Enke ended his life. It was a tragic end to a harrowing battle with depression that had consumed from the inside out and transformed him both as a footballer and as a person. Enke and the author of the book, Ronald Reng, had intended on penning his life story together. Instead Reng was forced to do so alone.

The marks of Reng's close friendship with Enke are all over this biography. It is written very much from a friend's perspective; careful, sensitive and above all incredibly detailed. As such Reng's story flows effortlessly from the pages with a feel of authenticity. The detail in which the story is told is remarkable. From Enke's childhood in former East Germany to the highs of being Germany's national goalkeeper and every aspect of his personal life in between Reng   regales tales of his gentle, assured, simple demeanor. We get a picture of a man unimpressed by the trappings of wealth and flashiness that accompanies his chosen profession, happier instead with his wife Theresa, their countless dogs and later their children. Professionally Enke's career took him from Bundesliga protégé, to Benfica starlet, Barcelona reject and eventually, via loan spells at Fenerbache and Tenerife in the Spanish Segunda División, full circle with redemption in his home country at Hannover 96. He was courted too by the likes of Manchester United,  Manchester City and Schalke. Rumours late in his career even abounded that Bayern Munich were interested. It was a career that promised to reach the very heights of the professional game yet somehow seemed to be dragged back at every turn. Just as his stellar performances with Hannover had earned him a place in the national squad, and subsequently as first choice keeper- the pinnacle of his career- the scourge of depression that had first afflicted him in Barcelona returned. This time it would prove too much to overcome.


Perhaps most remarkable about 'A Life Too Short' is its ability to transcend the ever lurking finale of Enke's death for much of the book, making it read and feel like any other sport's biography. Until the culminating chapters the book retains its balance between the two main narratives of football and depression, it is the Enke the Goalkeeper and Enke the Husband we are most familiar with throughout. Enke the Depressive only appears intermittently. 


Early in his career Enke found himself uncomfortably in the middle ground of the goalkeeping fraternity; not so cautious and spectacular of those who remained rooted to the goal line like German hero Oliver Kahn, yet no so advanced as the '11th Outfielder' in the ilk of Edwin Van der Sar and the 'radicals'. Eventually though he carved his own niche; assured, decisive, unspectacular but ultimately comfortable in his own skin. The same too may be said of 'A Life Too Short'. There is nothing of the 'typical footballer' in the story, but more of the 'professional' seen in the likes of Eamon Dunphy's 'It's Only A Game'. In his epilogue Reng writes "his style of play went unacknowledged because he wasn't a fierce goalkeeper who trod a solitary and reckless path. Robert was something better...a goalkeeper...who didn't make a spectacle of his virtues and who firmly believed that ambition could be realised politely and respectfully." If Enke didn't enjoy the acknowledgment he felt he deserved at least the same will not be said of his story. The book will remain a fitting testament to a fine goalkeeper and a beloved friend. It's finest achievement may be in further eroding the stigma of mental illness that is attached to professional athletes, and pave the way for greater understanding and acceptance. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay Reng's work is my unusual dependency on the Backspace key in writing this review; 'Enke' not 'Robert' I had to remind myself. Somehow I too felt as if I'd known the man. 


Buy, Borrow or Burn?


Beautifully simplistic in its delivery, devastatingly sad in its message, 'A Life Too Short' has wrestled itself into the top drawer....


Buy!

In the Midst of Realisation

For days hope and optimism took hold on the seemingly arid landscape of the Croatian aftermath. Cause to believe seemed scant initially, yet as the movement grew more and more followers were converted. Eventually the perennial dictator was overthrown and the pretenders ruled. Their time was short lived, however. On Thursday reality came out swinging and wasted little time in reestablishing the natural order. Within three minutes our siesta was over. As is the disposition of autocrats, retribution was swift, prolonged and harsh.

Spain were simply sublime. They passed and moved with their customary aplomb, tiki-taka flowed as beautiful as ever. The travesty of the night was not the defeat, rather its origin and manner. The Spanish were more than capable of overcoming this Irish side on the merit of their own ability. The helping hand we extended was an unexpected and unwarranted contribution. Having seemingly sought to aid in our own demise, the Spanish wasted little time in granting our wish.

Giovanni Trapattoni is a fine coach with a distinguished past. He has steered the nation to its first European Championships in 24 years. On Thursday, however, it was his performance that was most glaringly inept. Robbie Keane alone up front, was an incredible decision. Simon Cox in midfield equally so. Trapattoni, in yesterday's press conference explained his decision to deploy Cox in the unfamiliar role, pointing towards his capacity to occupy Xabi Alonso and diminish his influence on proceedings. Sound in principle, not so in execution. Cox was never the man for the job. The chance of the Irish turning the Spanish over were slight from the outset. Accordingly one would imagine the Irish management would be economical with such glimmers of hope, seek to encourage and develop them in training and ultimately plot a course to unlikely success. In the end they were being rapidly dwindled away through inexcusably poor decisions.

Like most things in life, however, this loss cannot be attributed to one single individual. The broad brush strokes of the rights and wrongs of Trapattoni's decisions do not account for the many shades of grey that afflicted this Irish team. Some of the Republic's greatest servants have faltered at these Championships. Shay Given, seemingly not fully fit, simply does not make the sort of mistakes that led to Spain's second goal. Once David Silva had dispatched the ball to the net Ireland's dream was irrefutably unattainable, our championships over. Robbie Keane was never given the opportunity to prove his worth to those that now doubt him and cut a forlorn and frustrated figure. Richard Dunne too struggled at times. His stumble in the opening minutes, after a fine tackle, gave Torres the opportunity to pounce for the opener. Although Stephen Ward was ultimately responsible, the man that has so often been Ireland's most impenetrable line of defence; Dunne, was on this occasion found wanting. His knee jerking and buckling under the burden of his weight a microcosm of the team; burdened, buckling, and ultimately beaten. Our best may not have been enough at these championships, and given the evidence of the past week one would suspect as much. Frustratingly, however, we will never know.

The reality of our ineptitude was crushing, yet looking around the stadium you'd never have guessed. Of course there exists a correlation between expectation and reaction, and in that context greater lee-way is afforded to the Irish players. Were Spain to be knocked out after two games, conceding seven goals and scoring one, nobody would expect their fans to be as understanding as Ireland's were last night, such would be the disparity between expectation and performance. Regardless, the actions of the Irish supporters were truly magnificent. Thousands of miles away, a silence descended in homes and bars as people became aware of the growing symphony of Irish voices lamenting the travails of times gone by. As the din grew greater, so too did its influence. The singing spread, and before long enveloped the homes and establishments that had fallen silent. One final stand against the reality of the situation. As the chorus of voices sang the Fields of Athenry, you could see a people yet again pick themselves up off the canvas and dust themselves down. Exhibiting the best of what this country has to offer in terms of resilience, character and loyalty, their actions unfortunately spoke louder than those of our heroes on the pitch. This was the fan's turn to inspire the players, to express our appreciation for their efforts no matter how futile they ultimately had proven, and to remind them of the esteem in which they are held for their service to the jersey. It is not enough for the players to content themselves with gallant defeat, it is not enough for them to comfort themselves with the strength of their support nor to disguise their failings. But that is not what the final few minutes of Thursday night were about either. In their darkest hour the players deserved our support. The extended, ever-looping rendition an indication of the willingness of the fans to oblige and of the shared catharsis that had enveloped the stadium.

The biting reality of our greatest fears hurt. The embarrassment as bad was as we could have envisaged. Yet unity, loyalty and a steadfast refusal to be bowed exhibited the best of our country. The team must improve, of that there is no doubt. Now, more than ever before, they owe it to their fans.

Standing on the Precipice

Challenges invigorate the mind,  the body and the soul. They keep old men young, give impetus to one's existence and purpose one's profession. Some are small, but important nonetheless. Others are mammoth. 

In the world of professional sport this narrative can sometimes seem crude and misplaced in the context of the realities of 'real- life' problems. Even so, it is often the challenges our sporting figures encounter that inspire us to face the more mundane difficulties of everyday life. Today, in Ireland we as a nation are hurting. We are tired and confused, misled and misinformed. Many people find themselves subjected to crippling financial burdens while simultaneously striving to keep family units intact. Challenges have rarely been greater. It is in this context that we look, more than ever, to the heroes of the sporting sphere. Last weekend promised much but delivered scant reward with the All Blacks crushing the 'Potato Paddies' as the afterthought they view us as, and the damn Croats having enlisted some sort of divine script-writing intervention ensuring an opening day defeat at Euro 2012. Hope, however, springs eternal and so tomorrow we will willingly undertake our usual pre-match routine; self-deprecating jokes prepared, apologetic pardons assigned, acknowledgement that really we don't have a hope registered and suppressed, and finally vocal chords prepped for another night of "You'll neeever beat the Irish....". Only the Irish would sing a song whose premise is so wholly refutable. Tongue firmly in cheek then! Tomorrow the Rep. of Ireland face reigning World and European champions Spain, standing on the precipice of elimination. So too, in a sporting context, will the challenge that awaits be so daunting and seemingly insurmountable.

The premonitions and proposals as to which team represents Ireland best hope of survival is largely futile. Only Trappatoni will decide, and he is likely to make only minor changes. That however, makes it no less interesting to contribute to the generally obsolete debate!

It seems likely that Robbie Keane will retain his place in the side, and that he may be joined by Johnathon Walters in place of Kevin Doyle. Noises from the Ireland camp at today's press conference seemed to indicate a five man midfield with Walters as the extra body and Keane playing the role of lone striker. This to my mind represents nothing in the way of progressive and constructive influence on the team and their subsequent chances of causing an upset. Walters, presuming he plays the deeper role (presuming he plays that is!), offers endeavour, strength to hold the ball and set up attacks and a reasonable ability to cross the ball. Unfortunately the situation calls for more. For my money, Shane Long is our best striker at these championships and should be given his chance to prove as much. He is the only of our strikers that can legitimately claim to carry any sort of form into the summer, and may prove ideal for the task at hand.

Playing Long up front, with Keane in behind offers us a genuine attempt at disrupting the Spaniards. In all honesty neither Long, Walters nor anyone else is likely to strike fear into the hearts' of the defending champions, nor is it likely to prevent the Spanish Armada of little'uns laying siege to Shay Given's goal from every conceivable angle. Remember though, there's always hope, the crutch of every unwavering, loyal but equally illogical supporter! Spain, like Barcelona like to play the ball out from the back by pushing the full-backs on and splitting Ramos and Piqué to receive possession. Long is quick and crucially young and willing. The sight of him hurtling at the centre-backs might not win possession but it may very well unsettle what can be a flaky center-back partnership. Those two guys fancy themselves as footballers with the ball on the deck, justifiably so at times, what they fail to acknowledge is that they are liable to a rush of blood to the head. 'Put 'em pressure Jack' might just be called for again! Playing Keane in a withdrawn role, acting as a fifth midfielder when in defence is perhaps the most contentious issue with this particular blueprint for success. He is, however, more than capable of performing it successfully. Playing Keane in this role allows him to occupy Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets, who otherwise a flat midfield four will find hard to engage allowing them the freedom of the park. Keane's efforts may indeed prove strenuous on his ageing legs, and ultimately fruitless in regaining possession directly but it will serve to hurry the likes of Alonso instead of giving him all day to pick his passes and unlock our defence. That leaves our wingers to pick up their full-backs, and Whelan and Andrews free to sit a little deeper. Along with our back four, playing a slightly higher line, this leaves a 'back six' to pick up Spain's front four whatever shape that might take. Even if one of Busquets or Alonso feels the need to join in it still conceivably allows us an extra man in defence to deal with Spain's attacks and the higher line leaves less space to pass through us.

In attack the system too allows us some scope for optimism. If we're going to win this game, or take a point, we're going to do so through either playing counter-attacking football or through set plays. Possession football and intricate passing moves are not our forte as countless column inches and even more video evidence will testify. Long, in my opinion, offers most of what Walters does and quite a bit more besides. Having him on the pitch offers us three 'get-outs' to turn defence into attack and relieve the onslaught. Firstly, is playing the ball directly up to Long. His strength defies his size and more often than not it will stick. His distribution skills are also better than Walters. From there he can lay it off to Keane, Duff or any other of the supporting cast. Alternatively Long offers an option in behind which as a lone striker neither Walters, nor Keane nor Doyle do. The Tipp man is extremely quick and makes intelligent runs behind the defence. Perhaps most importantly, should he manage to spring the offside trap and evade his markers, I'd fancy him sticking it away unlike the other options at our disposal, bar Keane. Thirdly, our wingers breaking quickly can act as an outlet for balls out from the back. McGeady especially should have the pace to trouble his marker. Finally, another benefit of adopting this system is that is gets Robbie Keane involved in setting up attacks as well as trying to finish them off. Playing as a lone striker as he may well do tomorrow is a pointless exercise. He simply doesn't have the ability to play that game anymore, if indeed he ever did. Playing him behind Long gives him the opportunity to get on the ball and instigate attacks. We sorely lack creativity in possession but Keane remains the greatest proponent of creativity in our ranks. He still has that ability to thread careful passes in the final third that can give us a little more guile to break the Spanish resistance and also aid in retaining the football.

Regardless of the system, it will require unwavering commitment, clinical execution and a slice of luck for Ireland to succeed tomorrow. It is the biggest task of the players careers, to a man. It is perhaps one of the manager's greatest tasks too. We have long been prepared to play the role of jovial revelers off the pitch and plucky underdogs on it and tomorrow, in the end, may prove no different. If so we will slip comfortably back into our rightful position in the pecking order, gain acclaim from all involved for our spirit and the support of our fans in Poland and comfort ourselves with the undeniable truth that this team is a bunch of lads that always give their utmost effort in the name of our country. What we must not do is acquiesce to such a fate without the application of the group's collective wisdom to the job at hand. The burden in this regard falls largely with the manager. One defeat does not mean that the playbook need be ripped up, but alternatives must be at least given real consideration. If ultimately this too proves unsuccessful, there will be no shame in having tried. As Lou Brock once said;

"Show me a guy who's afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time." 

A challenge awaits this team. They should not be afraid to attempt to change the destiny others have prescribed for them in the fear of humiliation at the hands of the Spaniards. Regardless the team will return home with the best wishes of the nation, and so too the manager for all he has achieved in guiding us to this moment. And rightfully so. If however, he feels that his players cannot adapt to subtle changes perhaps he should reconsider the professions of faith in their ability to which he is prone, as his words then are no more than empty rhetoric. There is no shame in losing tomorrow, the only shame, Mr. Trapattoni, will be in failing to give the players their due chance to compete.