BLEUS’ GREAT EXPECTATION
Keane calls for high energy to pile more pressure on French
AS Ireland basks in a retro footie glow, Roy Keane yesterday revisited the Italia 90 theme by calling on the Republic of Ireland players to ‘put ’em under pressure’ as they prepare to confront France in the Lyons den tomorrow.
‘As Jack (Charlton) said years ago, “put ‘em under pressure.” I’m sure there’s a song about that, you know,’ he said with a crocodile grin before getting serious ahead of the last 16 Euro showdown with an old foe.
‘Put them under pressure, that’s what we have to do,’ continued the Irish assistant manager.
‘You do that by getting a foothold, tackling, by getting the ball into the box, by getting midfield runners, by your decision making, by being physical, and by having good energy levels. All that goes into the mix,’ he said.
‘And the big challenge for us is that we did really well against Sweden, we couldn’t get those levels up against Belgium, but we did against Italy, so can we get them back for France?
‘That’s the challenge. To keep those standards up,’ he stressed.
France have freewheeled into the last 16 but Group A was a soft touch and they’ve yet to be seriously extended.
They’ve yet to fall behind or find themselves on the back foot facing elimination with five minutes to go, like Ireland were against Italy on Wednesday night.
For Ireland, the challenge is to shift the French from their comfort zone and create doubts for Didier Deschamps and his silky stars.
There is huge expectation on Les Bleus brothers to follow their predecessors who were triumphant in the 1984 European Championships and 1998 World Cup finals on home soil.
A nation expects and France, with all its fear of terrorism and a tendency to strike at the drop of a hat, is crying out for some sporting solace.
That little Ireland might put a spanner in dapper Didier’s grand design is unthinkable. Or is it?
‘Certainly the expectation is different (for France) now coming up to our game and that’s the question we’ve got to ask.
‘I’m pretty sure that every time we get into their half, or we put balls in their box they will get like any home team, there will seem to be that extra pressure,’ observed Keane.
So the longer the game goes scoreless, the more the flashy France might become less cocky, even cowed? ‘You would have thought so,’ he acknowledged.
The French have also had 72 hours more R&R than the Irish who were still leggy yesterday in Versailles as they dipped into their ice chamber to ease aching muscles.
‘If you asked me do I think seven days’ recovery is better than four well then yeah, bet your life it is,’ said Keane, who refused to get caught up revisiting the Thierry Henry controversy of 2009.
‘If people want to talk about something that’s gone on a few years ago, you’re talking to the wrong man. No interest in it,’ he said.
Is it a revenge game, Roy? ‘We don’t have that mentality. Revenge doesn’t come into it.’ But the French seem obsessed with it? ‘I’m not French,’ he said deadpan. Keane also refused to engage with mind games over the match officials when asked if Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli might be under greater scrutiny than usual. ‘I wouldn’t have thought so, no. We have to trust the referee to make the decisions on the night,’ he said.
‘You’ve just got to get on with it. It’s par for the course: offside decisions, balls over the line — it’s what makes it a great game.’
Keane has ‘enjoyed’ the way referees have allowed games to be a bit more physical at these Euros, which has suited Ireland. ‘I think there has been a bit more flow to the games and teams have been a bit more physical. I think the referees have been quite good in letting the games go on and letting people make tackles. Tackling is a massive part of the game.
‘We just hope that physical side of the game is allowed on Sunday and there’s not too many stop-starts.
‘I’ve said before: it’s a man’s game, you’re supposed to tackle, part of the game I love. And I think our players enjoyed that the other night against Italy,’ he added.
Seamus Coleman set the tone with a thunderous challenge inside 30 seconds, which impressed Keane, as did his captaincy.
‘When he was captain the other night you just knew he wouldn’t let us down. Seamus leads in a different way, different captains bring different stuff to the party, but he leads by example and we’re lucky to have him.’
For all the attacking flair of Dimitri Payet, Anthony Martial, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann, the French have been criticised for their defence.
Is that a potential area Ireland can exploit tomorrow?
‘Well, you would like to think there is a weakness in any team you play against,’ said Keane.
‘You talk about defensively; they are pretty good going forward. I am pretty sure if they are looking at our DVDs over the last few months they will probably see weaknesses in our team too.’
For Keane, the bottom line for Ireland is simple: play with the energy and belief on display against Italy, and convert your chances — the two-goal return is the joint lowest of any team in the last 16.
‘We were only five or 10 minutes from going out against Italy and we missed some chances. If we get them again, take them,’ he said.