Shackles of Trap regime have been cast off – but we still must get 'little details' right

For 45 minutes last night, I was convinced we were witnessing a bright new dawn. But was it a false one? Despite losing, I don't think so.

I still believe the O'Neill regime can bring success, but for this to happen some adjustments need to be made.

At this level, you must take your chances. Shane Long could have had a hat-trick last night and while he remains the future for us, there are times – like when he was one-on-one with the Serbian 'keeper in the second half – when he needs to opt for the simpler option.

It is ironic too that Seamus Coleman was at fault for the key Serbian goal, despite the fact I feel he will become our key man in the next campaign.

But what he needs is extra protection from his wide players. Those wide players also have to assume responsibility in the scoring department. Robbie Keane isn't getting any younger. Others have to step up to the plate.

Yet positives remain and there was a moment in the first half of last night's match which summed up the difference between the old regime and the new one.

Spotting a gap in behind Aleksandar Kolarov, Coleman took a chance and sprinted forward, inviting Aiden McGeady to find him with a quick throw-in and turn a mundane run-of-the-mill moment into a potential opening. A corner resulted. But it could have been more. Would we have seen him take such a chance under Trapattoni?

It's unlikely. Part of the problem with the Italian's reign was his insistence on Ireland operating off a rigid 4-4-2 system – where players had to hold position and wait for the pressure to come on.

That is the Italian way. The Irish way is somewhat different. We like to play with more energy, to get in amongst the opposition, to tackle, pressurise and put our own stamp on proceedings. Rather than wait for something to happen, we make it happen.

Certainly it is happening for this Irish team under Martin O'Neill. The atmosphere is so much better than it was in the dying moments of the Trap reign and these days the team plays with a higher energy. For 25 minutes last night, the performance was as good as I have seen Ireland play in a long time.

Part of this comes down to the manager's philosophy – his willingness to allow our players to express themselves. Trapattoni, by way of contrast, placed our full-backs in straitjackets. O'Neill has set them free.

With Coleman – a guy with such electrifying pace – he can only benefit from the liberation because he, along with his Serbian opponent last night, Branislav Ivanovic, has been the stand-out full-back in this Premier League season.

And he was good in the first half last night, charging down the right wing with absolute confidence, all the while offering Ireland an additional attacking option which we rarely saw under the Trapattoni reign. Ironically then, he was the guilty party which allowed Serbia score.

Still, I like the way this team is going. Tactically, we're playing a different game now.

Under Trap, it was 4-4-2 – straight lines and an inflexible system. Now we play the 4-4-1-1 formation, which is the done thing in the Premier League and allows teams to effectively have five men in midfield when defending and at least three in attack when pressing forward.

Last night the link man was Wes Hoolahan – who did well, was very unfortunate to have a goal disallowed in the second minute and was later seen scrapping for possession around the edge of the Irish box, appreciating that in the modern game, graft matters as much as craft.

Over time, though, my preference would be for Keane to assume this role – which may seem harsh on Hoolahan given how effective he was in spells last night – but that says more about Keane's consistency in front of goal and also Long's capacity to frustrate a backline on his own.

At West Brom, I loved it when Long was in our side. More often than not he made a silk purse out of a sow's ear and we saw him do so again last night, pressuring Ivanovic into a needless mistake, before showing fine composure to lob Vladimir Stojkovic and put Ireland ahead.

But it was a lack of composure later on which cost us – from Long at one end of the park and Coleman in the defensive sphere. Get these 'little details' right and Ireland will be in business.