The double-header against Sweden and Austria was always going to be the true litmus test for Ireland's chances of reaching the World Cup playoffs.
And after a vital goalless draw in Stockholm's Friends Arena last night, Ireland remain in contention - with the proviso that the Boys in Green have had a strong record in competitive internationals away from home under Giovanni Trapattoni, remaining undefeated away from Dublin in qualifiers for World Cup 2010, Euro 2012 and the current 2014 World Cup campaign.
The manager must take credit for those away performances as his tactics seem to work in those conditions.
Selections pay off
Prior to the match, the thought of Paul Green in direct combat against Zlatan Ibrahimovic would have been the cause for many a sleepless night. But the Leeds midfielder was excellent defensively, energetically getting stuck into his task of aggressively closing space in front of the back four which kept Ibrahimovic quiet when he dropped deep, adding to Sweden's hesitancy.
In contrast his distribution was relatively poor in comparison to his midfield partner and Ireland's Man of the Match James McCarthy whose passing was intelligent in the middle of the park although Sweden dominated possession with 59 per cent of the ball. Judging from his performance and the attributes he shows for Wigan in the Premier League it was strange that McCarthy was only deemed worthy of a start due to an injury to Glenn Whelan.
The selection of Jon Walters on the right of midfield was an interesting choice. But from early in the match it was clear what role he would play. Long balls were often aimed at the Stoke target man for him to flick on, while it also opened up space for Seamus Coleman to push forward and exploit the space that Walters left on the right.
Ireland also had passages of play when they kept the ball and most of their half-chances coincided with those periods of patience rather than the direct approach.
However the fact that Ireland lacked cutting edge and failed to muster a shot on target was at least countered by a committed defensive performance.
Defensive shape
In theory Sweden started with a 4-2-3-1, but in reality it was a 4-4-1-1 with Ibrahimovic prowling behind Tobias Hysen.
In possession Ireland played a 4-4-2 with the impressive McClean stretching play from the left, with Walters tucking in slightly allowing Coleman to overlap down the right. McClean also pegged back Sweden and Celtic right back Mikael Lustig keeping one avenue of attack busy.
But out of possession, the Boys in Green were effectively structured in a solid 4-5-1 with Robbie Keane dropping back to aid Green and McCarthy which also forced Sweden to play the ball longer than they may have hoped.
Hoolahan also reprised that role - with some variation - when he replaced the captain with 13 minutes to go. And although Keane played his role quite well, the Norwich man could still have had a case for starting.
A little too late for Hoolahan
Hoolahan's substitute role was a lost opportunity especially as Sweden's two sitting midfielders are not defensive-minded.
Kim Kallstrom and Rasmus Elm are relatively attack minded and Ireland's No 7 on the night could have taken advantage of that potential weakness to dictate Ireland's forward forays from that area.
As you can see below Hoolahan (7) played a much more withdrawn role just to the right of the central midfield pair, while Keane (10) was much closer to Shane Long (9) in terms of their average positions over the 90 minutes.
Austria will line out in their traditional formation in Dublin on Tuesday, but playing at home Ireland cannot follow the template used against Sweden, as performances at the Aviva Stadium have been distinctly inferior to displays on our travels.
Greater control of possession and a move away from 4-4-2 against Austria would be an important step which would suit Hoolahan in a withdrawn role providing the link between midfield and attack. But that is unlikely to happen...
©INPHO/Donall Farmer
