Keane’s fighting talk ahead of Austria tie no surprise to O’Neill
Boss hopes words of former midfielder will spur on Ireland. Damian Spellman reports
ROY Keane’s choice of words when he urged the Republic of Ireland players to “go to war” in their potentially pivotal World Cup qualifier against Austria in Dublin today held no sense of surprise for manager Martin O’Neill.
Assistant Keane told the squad they need to match the selflessness of skipper Seamus Coleman, whose campaign is over as a result of the horrendous double leg fracture he suffered against Wales in March.
Asked by an Austrian journalist about Keane’s assertion ahead of the Group D showdown, O’Neill, who was sitting alongside striker Jonathan Walters, said with a smile: “Did he say that yesterday, did he?
“I don’t think Jon or I would be surprised about that. I don’t think anyone would be. I understand what he’s saying. Roy went to war every single time he played for about 14 years.
“I think what he means is that you have to have a real strong mentality, be ready for it, be ready to battle through the game, because qualifying matches are exactly that, they are tough games to play in and it’s really hard work.
“We have to be ready for that hard work for a start and we have to match the Austrians’ ability.”
Victory would put Ireland seven points ahead of Austria with four games to play, and while O’Neill is well aware of what is at stake, he knows his team will have to perform to their best despite the injury and suspension problems which are set to rob opposite number Marcel Koller of several key men. He said: “Obviously it’s a big three points for both countries, it really is very, very big. Now we’ve crossed the halfway stage, this match starts the second half of the tournament for us, and we just have to try to grab these points. Every point is as important as the ones before.
“I don’t think that we’ve got the ability to carry players in the team. We have to really be at it all the time, and that’s one of our strengths, I think.
O’Neill, too, has selection problems with striker Shane Long having
joined Coleman on the sidelines, although not for as extended a period.
Cyrus Christie will deputise for the Everton full-back, while Walters seems likely to get the nod up front, although O’Neill was giving little away. Asked if he had decided in his own mind on the identities of the 11 men who will walk out before kickoff, he said only: “Well, I should have a fair idea by now.”
O’Neill’s men remain unbeaten in the campaign and returned from Austria in November with three precious points, courtesy of James McClean’s lone strike. Victory this weekend would significantly increase their prospects of claiming one of the two top berths, and that will be O’Neill’s only aim.
He said: “For us, we have really got to start strongly in the game. We’re at home, we have to try to take the game to Austria and really be positive right from the start.
“Austria have the capability of causing us all sorts of problems and we have to be on the front foot if we can, but aware of their dangerous players.”