CHEATING in football is a subject that has long been a pet hate of mine, and the more I see it the more certain I am that the practices now endemic in the game are a deadly threat.

No Irish fan needs to be told that right now. First off, I didn't think there was ever any chance that FIFA would order a replay or that the French would bend under what is still a worldwide outcry.

It would open up a can of worms that they simply will not deal with. Otherwise we would have seen FIFA meet the whole area of diving, feigning injury and cheating in a proactive way. UEFA tried with Eduardo and had their fingers burned by Arsenal's lawyers. They rowed back and were unwilling to go there again.

POSITIVE

The circumstances surrounding Thierry Henry's mortal sin and the consequences for Irish football have been well aired by now but, for me, there were other equally significant things about the return leg of the World Cup play-off in Paris that have consequences for the future – much more positive ones.

The fact that Ireland played with more adventure and freedom than we have seen for a long time was marvellous to behold and a sign that something changed within the dynamic of the Irish squad between the two legs.

It was noticeable that Robbie Keane and Damien Duff both acknowledged the need for more risk-taking in the few days before Paris while Giovanni Trapattoni stuck with his script. I don't see what they did as risk-taking at all.

If it's done properly there should never be a gamble involved, and for much of the game against France it was done very well indeed. The Irish players kept the ball well, moved it around the pitch well and, when they didn't have it, defended with the heart and commitment that is needed at this level.

Since Trapattoni took over I have expressed reservations about his focus on a system and especially because the system seemed so rigid. But he brought great things to the table and turned a disorganised squad into a much more coherent and, ultimately, confident unit.

Perhaps it was this confidence that allowed Keane and Duff to talk the way they did and to play the way they did.

I'm not suggesting that these are similar circumstances to Euro 88 when Ireland played some of best football we've ever seen against a serious Russian side simply because the talent of the players could not be submerged for too long in such a rigid system.

The players seemed to make a conscious decision to push past Jack Charlton's system and play the way common sense dictates you should play.

NO FEARS

I don't know whether that happened within Trapattoni's squad or whether the impetus for a huge change in attitude and performance from one leg to the next came from the boss.

If he was the target for criticism because of his rigidity it would be very unfair not to give him the credit for the way his team played in Paris, and it would be a very good sign indeed if he did make the call and told his players to have a right go.

A few things were sorted out in the Stade de France. The broadly held view that Ireland doesn't have enough good players has been nailed to some degree. It is also clear that Trapattoni's instructions, up to the Croke Park game at least, restricted Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan to such an extent that their natural football instincts were buried.

Both lads can play and any doubts I had have been removed. The key now will be to stick with this model. All the good things that Trapattoni has brought with him must be fostered and encouraged but so too must the other qualities that win football games.

That brings us, almost inevitably, to Andy Reid and players like him. My hope for the next six months is that Trapattoni can find a way to bring him back into the fold and give him a chance to play in the system and earn the trust of his manager.

If that happens it can only make Ireland a better team with wider options. I see that Trapattoni said he wanted to try something more creative in the months ahead and that's great news.

It will be hard to watch Henry and France in South Africa, knowing that Ireland did enough over the two legs to qualify and were denied by a clear case of cheating. But there is a lot to be happy about and plenty of hope for the future. If Trapattoni can keep them playing like this then the European Championship qualifying should hold no fears at all.

- John Giles