Wales will not be facing pampered professionals

THERE will be no hand-holding in the Irish soccer camp this week.

Elsewhere in these pages, Martin O’Neill intimates as much when arguing that rather than a detailed topdown plan for curbing Gareth Bale on Friday night, he will expect those players likely to be close to Bale – mainly the full backs – to have their preparations done.

Roy Keane emphasised this message in his interview on Off The Ball when he eschewed coaching methods that could be construed as hands-on. ‘When you’re working with good players, it’s about football intelligence,’ he said.

This has been a distinguishing theme of O’Neill’s Ireland: players are expected to think and survive for themselves.

The manager understands that in the international game, there is not enough time to either coach players in much detail or introduce complex tactical plans. Instead, the Irishmen arriving into the care of O’Neill and Keane tonight will be expected to know their opponents and appreciate how Wales will try and play.

It is an approach that has worked so far and fits with O’Neill’s often bewildered attitude to the modern game. More than once he has expressed bafflement with the prevailing mores in the sport.

But if players are indulged outside his group, within they will be treated like men and expected to fend for themselves.