THE ODD COUPLE
O’Neill is one of my best pals, says Roy
ROY KEANE was asked this week if Martin O’neill is his best friend. Had a journalist posed the question, it would have been shot down in a not-so-friendly manner, as he was to do with several queries later in the day.
as it happened, a schoolgirl was the guest interviewer, so Keane duly obliged.
‘Is he my best friend? no, probably not. There are a few lads in Cork who are my best friends,’ said the Republic of Ireland assistant manager with a smirk.
‘But we have a very good working relationship, very professional. I think we get on pretty well together because we don’t see too much of each other. I think that’s a big factor. But he’s one of my best friends, yeah.’
Somewhat unwittingly, Keane had hit upon what is perhaps the key to their success, the fractured frequency of international football suiting their contrasting — yet complementing — qualities.
every few months they gather to galvanise their players for a week’s worth of herculean effort, and invariably the squad respond.
For the sum of its parts of this Ireland team should not be two points clear at the top of a World Cup qualifying group which includes Serbia, austria and tonight’s opponents Wales.
They probably should not have made it to the last 16 of euro 2016, either, but did so because of their brilliant management team — and that is why the Republic are currently in pole position in the race for Russia 2018. O’neill is the criminology- obsessed professor and it would be interesting to read his profile on Keane, the man who had to apologise to a number of players following fierce criticism in the wake of a defeat by Belarus last summer, even if many thought his words were warranted.
That, though, is why the international arena suits the former Manchester United midfielder. after all, in these one-off big-game weeks, who else would you want as a source of motivation?
Captain Seamus Coleman agrees. ‘It’s great having Roy around,’ said the everton defender.
‘He knows what it means to put on the green shirt. Between Roy and the manager, the first thing that comes to mind is that they’re winners. It’s ideal for us players to look up to. If things are getting a bit sloppy around the place, then we’ll soon be told. all the lads love meeting up.’
And there is that feel around the camp here in Dublin, one of genuine enjoyment at representing their country, not to mention an air of excitement and expectation given the occasion which awaits at the aviva Stadium.
Every taxi driver in this city asks two things this week: any spare tickets? any more injuries?
There will be 52,000 at Lansdowne Road this evening and another 52,000 who would love to be there, for the Irish know that victory will make them favourites to progress to their first World Cup since Japan and South Korea in 2002.
Coleman added: ‘When the manager came in we were in a sticky spell. Slowly but surely we’ve hit confidence and started to win games; Shane Long’s winning goal against Germany, the night against Bosnia (to qualify for the euros) and the Italy game ( at the Finals).
‘Those nights give you confidence and make you come away thinking you can beat every team you play. We’ve a few injuries, yes, but that’s no excuse and other lads are desperate to put on that green shirt and perform.’
as for those injuries, O’neill has been robbed of starting quartet Ciaran Clark, Shane Duffy, Wes Hoolahan and Robbie Brady, who is suspended.
But with this team it almost doesn’t matters, for the whole is always greater than the sum, regardless of the personnel.
Take Gareth Bale out of Wales’s side, for example, and they are not the same force. Indeed, they have won just once in nearly seven years without him in the team.
It is different with Ireland, whose star quality is in the dugout.