O’NEILL ADDS TO DUTCH TORMENT
Croatia Slovakia Hungary WALES Azerbaijan 5 5 5 4 5 3 3 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 10 5 2 9 7 2 7 6 2 4 4 4 5 13 10 9 9 6 1 MICHAEL O’NEILL claims Holland will be burdened by the weight of expectation when they face Northern Ireland tonight.
The Dutch failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments and the Northern Ireland boss says Ronald Koeman’s side are under huge pressure to end that run by reaching Euro 2020.
O’Neill’s men have the experience of reaching the last 16 of Euro 2016 and he feels they can exploit this advantage.
He said: “We’ll make it as difficult as we can for them and create a little bit of doubt as it would be a big thing for Holland if they went three tournaments without qualifying.
“There’s a lot of expectation on this group of players who are relatively young. We have to HOLLAND V N IRELAND
create a situation where the game is difficult not only physically but mentally as well.”
O’Neill (below) is using mind games as the odds are so heavily stacked against his side.
His striking trio of Josh Magennis, Liam Boyce and Kyle Lafferty have just seven goals between them this season and yet they must find a way past the world’s most expensive centreback pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt.
The Irish missed chances in their last defeat to Germany and O’Neill said: “We won’t get many opportunities against Van Dijk and De Ligt but, if we do, we have to take them early.” STUART FINDLAY has stressed the importance of Scotland’s final 2020 European Championship qualifiers even though their prospects are bleak.
Steve Clarke’s side are second bottom after six games and their hopes of qualifying for the finals next summer now essentially rest on the play-offs next March.
Kilmarnock defender Findlay
(right) is hoping to win his first cap after being called into the squad this week for the double-header against Russia tonight and San Marino on Sunday as a replacement for the injured Liam Cooper.
The 24-year-old insists Scotland need to head into the play-offs with positive results in their final four RUSSIA SCOTLAND
VGroup I fixtures, which conclude with Kazakhstan and Cyprus next month.
He said: “We haven’t done great in the group but it is all about trying to get ourselves playing at the top level so when these games come around we still have a great chance of qualifying.
“If you go into the play-off game with a couple of good results and performances behind you, it can only help.
“It is a matter of getting back to where we should be and keep it going.
“It hasn’t gone the way we wanted but all we can do now is try to go out and get six points from the next two games and then build on that.”