JIM’S SPOT OF BOTHER
ISRAEL v IRELAND Crawford is fully ready if playoff goes to penalties
IRELAND’S Under-21 hopefuls opted against practicing their penalties in Tel Aviv yesterday — for fear that the Israelis were spying on their training session.
The Boys in Green could be taken all the way to spot-kicks tonight in their bid to qualify for the European Championships.
After last Friday’s 1-1 draw in Tallaght Stadium, the odds on tonight’s second-leg going the distance have been slashed.
However, boss Jim Crawford didn’t have his players brush up on their penalty taking technique in yesterday evening’s session. Instead, every single member of his 25-strong squad honed their skills while they were still in Dublin.
Crawford said: “We practised them all week, so the day before, you just don’t know who is watching. You know what I mean?
“That’s not me being super paranoid but I know what goes on at this level and there’s every chance that there could be cameras on you, there could be ground staff that are watching. We have done all our work on them.
Squad
“We’ve got 25 players in this squad and everybody has practised penalties during the week so there is no stone unturned. Whoever is left on the pitch, if it does happen to go to penalties, will be prepared.”
Crawford has called on his players to make history and fire Ireland to a first European Championships at Under-21 level.
A former Under-21 international himself, he knows what qualification would mean to his young stars.
When asked for his last words before sending the players into battle tonight, he replied: “The final message? Go and create history. I only got a couple of caps at Under-21s and I have never forgotten standing for the national anthem, putting on the green jersey.
“So what is it going to be like for these players to be the first group of Under-21s to qualify for a finals, in Georgia and Romania next summer?
“It’s something that will live with them for the rest of their lives. But more importantly, it will act as a springboard for their own development and profile to wherever they want to go in their own careers.
“What an opportunity. We are 90 minutes away from possibly achieving that but it’s not about pressure on the players. Go and play their own game and enjoy the occasion.” Crawford confirmed yesterday the Israelis have drafted in reinforcements from their senior squad in the wake of Ireland’s dominant display last Friday.
Doron Leidner, who played at leftback in a 2-1 win over Albania on Saturday, comes into the reckoning, as does midfielder Eden Kartsev and striker Liel Abada, who also started against Albania. Their presence in the 21s squad won’t alter the shape of Guy Luzon’s side, said Crawford.
“I don’t think it will change them too much tactically. It will strengthen them but they are the players we expected to come in for the first leg,” the Irish boss continued.
“When we found out they weren’t we then had to work on other players in terms of research and that was a surprise for us.
Compliment
“So we know everything about Karzev and Leidner and Abada who will be called down.
“It is a huge compliment to our performance on Friday that they had to go and get those lads in who played against Albania on the Saturday for the senior team. It won’t faze me or the players. Yeah, it’s a challenge but it’s something we always expected. We’ll be ready.”
Crawford is a four-time Premier Division winner with Shelbourne and a former Newcastle United midfielder from the Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish days.
But when it comes to career highlights, he says he is just hours away from potentially achieving one that tops them all.
“Look, by far and away it (European qualification) would be my greatest achievement as a coach, a manager and a player,” he said.
“At the very beginning of the campaign you are getting a group of players together to start it. There was a strong narrative about X amount of players had gone on to the senior team and we understood that.
“We’ve got to this point, where we’ve already made history by being the first Irish team to get to a playoff. But now we’re one game away from making the finals and that would be a fantastic achievement.
“But the players are the heroes here. They’re the ones who go out on the pitch, implement game plans and use their own individual brilliance and creativity to create chances and score goals.
“For myself it would be amazing and I’m sure it is the same for the other staff members as well.
“It would mean everything really, when you spend every day and every minute of a day thinking about it and how to prepare for windows.
“We have had bumps in the road, there is no doubt about it, like most do. But we never lost belief. We said at the start of every window, ‘let’s go and create history’.”
“He’s scoring as well. He’s really contributing to the games, so he’s a top player with a massive future. He’s got to keep working hard and keep himself in the right place.
“You forget how young he is, especially when you look at him, how good he is. And he’s so good physically as well.
“He’s got enough personality, a really important part of the group and everyone loves having him here.”
Coventry says Ireland are potentially just 90 minutes away from making a dream come true.
“I think it (qualifying for the European Championships) is something that’s always been in our minds. It is something that we have been dreaming about for a year now,” he said.
“As a group, I think to everyone it would mean so much. It is hard to put into words without sounding too cliché but it would be massive for everyone.”
He added: “Everyone is calm, everyone knows what we’re close to. We have aimed to be that close to it now for quite a while so it’s almost natural, it’s a bit more familiar.
“Everyone is calm, and looking forward to it. Everyone is calm and in a good mood and a good state.”