O’Neill’s Irish need to be brave

ONE of my boys lives in Normandy and is a big Marseilles fan. He phoned me yesterday and said that he doesn’t know who he wants to win when France meet Ireland tomorrow morning (1am).

It’s a strange game for us but I’ll be rooting for Ireland – having 88 caps for them it would be odd not to – but I do have split loyalties. I played in France for six years and I’ve got an enormous affection for that country.

I embraced the culture and realised that it’s a beautiful place. I’ve had loads of calls from French friends and journalists keen to discuss the match.

When France hosted the World Cup in 1998 I was a player with Nancy, having moved there from Marseilles a year earlier. I was devastated that Ireland had not qualified but I loved being there as a fan, feeling the euphoria at France’s triumph. I was at their semifinal against Croatia, cheering them on.

Martin O’Neill’s team must cope with that fervour in Lyon. I felt it with Ireland in 1990 when we played Italy in a World Cup quarter-final. Jack Charlton, our manager, had a special way of dealing with it.

The night before, Jack called the players down to reception and produced a keg of Guinness, announcing: ‘‘Tomorrow you are playing Italy in Rome, the referee won’t give you anything and you will be going home the next day.’’

We all entered into the spirit and the next day we produced our best performance of the tournament in a 1-0 defeat. Years later I asked Jack why he did that, and he said: ‘‘I didn’t want you lying nervously in your beds, taking sleeping tablets.’’ Deschamps is likely to field the team who beat Romania in the tournament’s curtainraiser, with striker Olivier Giroud supported by Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet.

Meanwhile, the draw has opened up for Belgium, but Marc Wilmots’ side is still to confirm its title credentials before its round of 16 match against undefeated Hungary tomorrow.

Belgium finished second in Group E after an opening defeat by Italy, but Wilmots refuses to

Ireland will have to play at their very best tomorrow to stand a chance . They will fear that every 50-50 will go against them. Luckily they have a manager who faced similar circumstances when Northern Ireland played the Spanish hosts at the 1982 World Cup, with no one giving them a hope of a victory.

They won 1-0 and Martin gave an interview in which he said that they had wanted to attack and be brave. He needs to take the same approach.

They sat back against Belgium but their players aren’t good enough for that. They were transformed against Italy, playing positively and fielding two strikers in Shane Long and Daryl Murphy. It was Ireland’s finest display at a tournament. Tony Cascarino played 88 times for the Republic of Ireland from 1985-99 TIMES see it as a blessing in disguise, even if the draw means they will avoid Spain, Germany, France, England and the Italians until the final.

Wilmots hinted that he would rather face one of the heavyweights.

‘‘These are games in which you have nothing to lose,’’ he said. ‘‘Matches like we played against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup are nicer.

‘‘In this Euro there are no easy games, no small teams.’’