Whilst even the most optimistic Irish supporter only dared to dream of a draw last night, and it seemed an outside possibility at half time, the scale of the 4- 0 drubbing by Spain is this morning becoming apparent. Concessions of early goals, lax defending and formation and selection decisions have all come in for fierce criticism in the wake of Ireland’s early exit from the Euro championships.

Whilst Spain were never likely to be overly taxed, the basic errors made by Ireland set all manner of unwanted records. The defeat was the worst for Ireland in competitive matches for more than 40 years, Spain completed over 800 passes, setting a European championship record.

Whilst Giovanni Trapattoni has vowed not to make things easy for his countrymen on Mondays match against Italy, there can be little room left for optimism and serious questions will need to be addressed upon their premature return.