Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
If they win they’ll never allow me to Ferget it
SHANE DESPERATE TO EARN DEN BRAGGING RIGHTS
SHANE FERGUSON’S main aim against the Republic of Ireland is to avoid a Lions Den mauling when he returns to London. Millwall team-mates Shaun Williams and Aiden O’brien are both in Martin O’neill’s squad to face their northern rivals at the Aviva.
And Ferguson can only imagine the ribbing that lies in wait if Northern Ireland come a cropper in the first official meeting of the two teams in seven years. “There’s a bit of bragging rights and I’ve also got mates on that team as well,” he said. “Obviously, if I go back to Millwall and Shaun Williams and Aiden O’brien are able to slag me off, it wouldn’t be nice!
“It’s a game we’re looking forward to and hopefully we can get the win.”
As well as locking horns with Williams and O’brien, Ferguson is looking forward to meeting up with Stoke City winger and fellow Derryman James
Mcclean (inset).
“I know James well and I’ll probably see him after the game,” he said. “We lived in
Derry and he’s a really nice lad. He’s done brilliantly for the Republic and he’s had a great career.”
Ferguson views tomorrow’s derby and Sunday’s final Nations League game with Austria in Belfast as the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
Four defeats from five games, including three losses from three in the Nations League, have left a sour taste, particularly given the front foot nature of some recent performances.
Reflecting on last month’s damaging away defeats to Austria (0-1) and Bosnia (0-2), Ferguson said: “Both games were disappointing. We had chances, but things weren’t falling for us.
“We’ll look back on both games and try to put things right.
“It (the mood) is probably one of frustration at the minute because we know we could be a lot better off than what we are in the group, but we just have to try to rectify that.
“We’re working hard and this game is good preparation for Sunday’s game against the Austrians as well.”
While Northern Ireland have fired seven blanks in their last 10 games, Ferguson insists O’neill’s men won’t go gung-ho in the search of goals.
“We just have to get back to being hard to beat again,” he cautioned. “We’re away from home so we can’t go all-out attack. We have to be smart in the way we play.”