WE CAN PLAY
O’Neill insists Ireland have talent to match spirit by urging players to take on French at their own game
MARTIN O’NEILL last night challenged his players to boldly go where no Republic of Ireland team has gone before in the finals of the European Championships by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time.
‘You don’t want to go out of the competition meekly. You want to go out blazing and we feel we can do something,’ declared O’Neill on the eve of today’s last16 shoot-out against favourites France in Lyon.
Ahead of Ireland’s biggest game since facing Spain at the 2002 World Cup finals O’Neill hailed Robbie Brady’s spirit as the symbol of the team’s Euro adventure and believes the Dubliner is inspiring his team-mates.
‘This lad was crushed with Norwich
(relegated from the Premier League), but he has showed no fear,’ purred O’Neill.
‘His goal against Italy epitomised the spirit in the team; he starts a move off and continues his run into the penalty area and meets the ball with no fear.’
‘That mental toughness that all the players showed against Italy will stand to them today.’
O’Neill insists Ireland are not a team who rely solely on spirit to sustain them. ‘We have players who can play. You don’t get four points against Sweden and Italy if you don’t have players who can play,’ he said.
O’Neill will lean on Brady, Jeff Hendrick, Seamus Coleman and Shane Long as core players in his team to confront the all-star French, who are overwhelming favourites, having had 72 hours extra rest and with home advantage.
O’Neill is right to be wary. ‘In 1998 (World Cup), there was a lot of pressure on them but they did well and improved as it went on. Eventually, they won it and maybe they feel the same here.’
‘The French are a high quality side whose players play at a high level and we have to be careful. How we approach the game is from within ourselves.’
As a plus, Ireland have a decent away record against France, drawing here in 2004 and winning 1-0 over 90 minutes in 2009, before the hand of fate intervened.