Some examples. Germany at home was surely a perfect candidate for some mild tinkering and though it was a committed performance against a side who were understrength and easing up, it was hampered by a lack of innovation. Liam Miller could have come into the side to make a three-man midfield with Lee Carsley and Andy Reid, with maybe Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane supporting Kevin Doyle up front, or some variation on this. It would have offered more control in midfield and given Germany something different to think about.

Instead Andy Keogh was chiselled into a right-sided player and Ireland had two wingers who, with due respect to their energy and workrate, were never going to beat their men. Away to the Czech Republic, against a notably technically superior team, again it was two wingers and the central midfield being overrun for half the game. Away to Germany, ditto. Away to Cyprus and then Slovakia, with two wingers, even though it was patently obvious that Stephen Ireland just didn't have the discipline or natural game to play in central midfield with just one other body.

All because retaining that classical 4-4-2 line-up seems so sacrosanct. Nobody's claiming that a bit of tactical manoeuvring would have turned Ireland to world beaters, but it might have made them tougher to play against.

Ireland's two most impressive cameos were at home to the Czech Republic, where they went with an extra body in midfield, and the first fortyfive minutes at home to Slovakia, where the placing of Stephen Ireland just off Kevin Doyle upped the general inventiveness levels as much as Damien Duff 's trickery.

Coincidence? Perhaps. The fact remains that Ireland probably aren't good enough, certainly not across the midfield, to go out and control a game possession wise while being a stickler for 4-4-2 in every single game.

There's proof across Europe that some imagination can work wonders.

Poland, under Leo Beenhakker, are topping their group and tend to play 4-2-31. Croatia are topping England's group with a fluid, attractive 4-1-3-2 system that's seen them unbeaten under Slaven Bilic. In the same group, Guus Hiddink received kudos for outsmarting Steve McClaren recently and has his Russia team prepared to play any number of formations, 3-4-12 a favourite. When Romania went into a big game with Holland only a few weeks ago, coach Victor Piturca recognised that the Dutch were more talented player for player and threw an extra watercarrier into the middle for a 4-3-1-2 formation. They won 10 and qualified for Euro 2008 well ahead of Holland. Even Alex McLeish and Scotland knew the difference in setting up a team, between, say France away (4-5-1 defensive), and Ukraine at home (4-4-11 attacking) in the space of a month. Ireland went with more or less the same shape and modus operandi away to the powerhouses of the group as they did at home to San Marino.

Of course there are worries that the Irish players might not be up to trying something new, the serious dearth of players in Champions League action telling a story. Only two (both defenders) of the starting line-up against Cyprus play with clubs in this season's tournament, with just another one in the squad. Look through the countries going to Austria/ Switzerland next summer and there's nobody with a lower amount. The likes of Croatia (five players in their last squad), Romania (eight) and Russia (five) are getting bigger numbers in the competition. Ukraine have a large number of a fine Shakhtar Donetsk side while Serbia have nine players across Europe. Scotland have the Celtic and Rangers group. It gives exposure to different styles, formations and methods of playing, to more accomplished players and without such experience, Ireland could well fall further behind. Technically, and as we've seen, tactically.