O’Neill: Failure will haunt you for ever
MARTIN O’Neill has warned his Republic of Ireland players they must not die wondering what it would have been like to play at a World Cup.
The 65-year-old was part of the Northern Ireland team who made it to the second round of Spain ’82 and was captain for their famous 1-0 victory over the hosts.
Tomorrow night here in Cardiff his side must beat Wales if they are to keep alive their dream of qualifying for next summer’s finals in Russia via the play-offs.
And O’Neill said: ‘I keep telling the players, honestly, playing in a World Cup, it is fantastic, it’s absolutely fantastic. To be involved in a World Cup when you are dealing with other nations and players, and with a little bit of luck you could be in the same group as someone like Messi. It is fantastic.
‘We had a great time in 1982. I’ve told the players, “This is it, so don’t die wondering”. You have to go for it. And we will go for it.’
The energy with which O’Neill talks ahead of this game is in contrast to the caution which has accompanied him throughout the campaign.
He has long since stated that he would have settled for this do-or-die scenario heading into the final fixture but profligacy in recent matches has cost them what had looked a chance of automatic qualification.
Even during Friday’s 2-0 win over Moldova in Dublin there were enough missed opportunities to alarm the boss. That much was evident when he said: ‘We have to be more clinical, it’s really as simple as that. Eventually, if you keep spurning chances like that, you are not going to win football matches.’
Shane Long — without a goal since February for club or country — was the biggest culprit. As he walked off the pitch, he remarked to his manager, ‘I can’t buy a goal right now’, and that has left O’Neill with a decision to make, especially as striker Daryl Murphy netted twice.
‘I will replay the game again and have a look at it, but it is worth emphasising that centre-forwards get great confidence from scoring and he has missed a couple of chances there,’ added O’Neill. ‘I will have a look at it and see how he is, but it would have been nice if one of those chances went in. It would have been a boost for him.’
Long, though, has experience of such mammoth matches and he was the scorer when Ireland beat world champions Germany 1-0 en route to Euro 2016. O’Neill knows it will be a night for cool heads at Cardiff City Stadium.
‘With the intense atmosphere there you need to play with your head and you have to play with a great deal of intensity too. ‘But I don’t think I have to say anything, the players know the importance of the game. We know what we have to do.’