Ireland commenced their UEFA Nations League campaign with a humiliating four one defeat by Wales in Cardiff this evening. The hosts, with several emerging youngsters aligned with their classy established trio of Allen, Bale and Ramsey, were utterly dominant and displayed technical quality far and above that provided by a quite abysmal Ireland. The match, one could not describe it as a contest, was done and dusted by the thirty seventh minute when Wales scored their third goal. The hosts added a fourth on fifty five minutes and continued in cruise control thereafter despite a rather cavalier element of carelessness from the aforementioned Ramsey who presented substitute Shaun Williams with a goal scoring opportunity which the Dubliner accepted with some degree of aplomb on sixty six minutes. Goalkeeper Randolph had a night to forget with poor positioning for two of the goals and while valiant skipper Coleman did strive to offer some semblance of quality effort, his back four colleagues Clark, Duffy and Ward had nights to forget. There were some early right wing forays from Christie but poor delivery of the final ball while the central midfield duo of Hendrick and Hourihane were seemingly invisible. O’Dowda did offer some semblance of hope, showing a certain degree of ability to control and pass the ball and debutant Robinson did not lack for effort but squandered the one clear opportunity set up for him by skipper Coleman. Walters battled valiantly but to no avail and one rather fears that his race may well be run. Question marks must and will be raised in relation to the five man management team and one must wonder what indeed does each of them contribute to the cause?.