U-21 TOURNAMENT: Irish under-21 manager Don Givens has made sweeping changes to his starting 11 for tonight's second game of the Toulon festival, against Italy in the Stade Mayol in the host city (kick-off 7.0 ).
A very disappointing Ireland were humbled 2-0 by an enterprising Japanese side in Nimes on Tuesday night, leaving Givens furious, saying that up to seven of his team failed to perform to an acceptable level.
Goalkeeper Joe Murphy and striker Graham Barrett were perhaps the only two players to come out of the game with any real credit and Givens had little sympathy for many of the rest of the starting 11 as he wielded his axe.
"We probably had seven players who played poorly against Japan," said Givens.
"No disrespect to Japan, but it doesn't matter who you play, you can't have that. The first 40 minutes was the worst a team of mine has played since I took over two years ago.
"I know the potential we have with this team. You can carry one or two not having a good game, but not seven. I've made five changes and will be looking for a huge improvement in performance level."
Ireland's defence was its most deficient department against Japan and, of the back four, only captain Jim Goodwin survives the purge.
Shaun Byrne drops back to replace Jonathan Douglas at right-back, while Clifford Byrne and Paul Tierney also come into central defence and left back respectively in place of Brian O'Callaghan and Keith Foy.
Brian Cash, Joe Gamble and Michael Keane get their chance in midfield as Givens switches to a 4-4-2 formation.
Andy Reid is fortunate to keep his place despite a below-par display at the Stade des Costieres on Tuesday night. The Nottingham Forest winger gets another chance in attack alongside the impressive Barrett who, despite a virus over the weekend, was one of Ireland's better players, spurning three good openings to score.
"Yes, I haven't been well," said Barrett. "But I felt sharp and dangerous. It was just my finishing that let me down. I could have got a hat-trick, but it wasn't to be. Overall, we were very sluggish, especially in the first half.
"We didn't come out of the blocks quickly enough and Japan were well up for it," added the 20-year-old Dubliner.
A minor consolation for Ireland was that South Africa and Germany drew 1-1 in the other group game so no team has taken any significant lead in the group.
Ireland will hope to revisit the happier times, of the last occasion this squad met Italy, beating them 2-1 to lift the UEFA Under-16 title in Scotland four years ago.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Murphy (Tranmere Rovers); S Byrne (West Ham Utd), Goodwin (Celtic), C Byrne (Sunderland), Tierney (Manchester Utd); Cash (Nottingham Forest), Miller (Celtic), Gamble (Reading), Keane (Preston North End); Barrett (Arsenal), Reid (Nottingham Forest).
