Blow: Nikica Jelavic put Croatia ahead just before half time

But his strangest change was to introduce Simon Cox in midfield, rather than recognised left wingers Stephen Hunt or James McClean, after withdrawing Aiden McGeady.

Trapattoni said: ‘It is too early to talk about changes. I know you want to know but we have to think about how the players are with their fitness and also Spain is another game. We have to think about it very much.

‘Spain drew but it is only one point and then we can recover because we have to remember how many games we played without conceding a goal. The team was ready but we conceded a goal after two minutes and perhaps Shay didn’t see the ball because there were three or four players in front of him. Psychologically we were inferior and we had no reaction.

‘I have seen the goal again and the second goal was clearly offside. They deserved to win because they were superior in midfield. I have thought about the next game and I gave
Robbie and Doyle a rest and put Walters, Cox and Long on and we didn’t have many chances but we played better in the second half.

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