IRELAND MANAGER Martin O’Neill admits that the world-conquering Germans are the hot favourites for top spot in the sides’ Euro 2016 pool.
But the former Celtic and Aston Villa boss insists his Boys in Green outfit ‘won’t roll over’ for Jogi Loew’s team.
“They are the best team in our group but that doesn’t mean we’ll roll over,” O’Neill told The Last Word presenter, Matt Cooper, on Today FM yesterday.
“I’d give anything to qualify for France. Anything. We have as good a chance as any other team in the group aside from Germany, perhaps.
He continued: “I want [the players] to go into the games and feel they have a real chance. I want them to play with the pride and determination that is expected of them when they pull on the shirt.”
O’Neill was speaking at an FAI event at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre alongside his assistant Roy Keane.
“Germany would be hot favourites to top the group,” agreed, newly appointed Villa coach, Keane. ”All the other teams would think they have the chance to finish second or third.
“I think the group will be exciting, and very tough. But like when I was playing, we have to believe we can go out there and win every single game.”
This is the attitude we need from our coaching staff along with setting the team up right. Belief that we can get a result against anyone. If it rubs off the players iv no doubt we won’t roll over for Germany
I heard the majority of the 1 1/2 hr interview with o’Neill and Keane earlier, well worth podcasting,the usual quotable humour from Keane and a fair bit of slagging between him and o’neill mainly from Martin though.They’re very positive personalities this time.
We have ever chance of getting something from the Germany games. They are not invincible, Algeria could have beaten them and I refuse to believe that Algeria are much better than us.
Everyone would love to qualify for france but the sad truth is were going nowere anytime soon with the bunch of players we have.
Dunno about that, they’ve expanded the number of teams who qualify so third place might get a play off spot. If we can’t finish third we don’t deserve to go.
Well we’r no worse off than most other national teams.most national teams are in decline,just look at the likes of Brazil,Spain and Italy in the WC,by no means am I saying we are at the same level but there is a serious lack of great national teams anymore.unfortunately one of those great teams is in our group!
No your right we only just lost 5-1 to a very bad Portugal team with near our full strength team. So were no worse off than brazil spain or italy who have all at least 3 world class players In there squad.
‘Near strength?’comon now.no Coleman,dunne,O’Shea,Clark,Wilson,McCarthy,Gibson,Reid,McGeady,Keane,Brady not to mention a few more,that team was nowhere ‘near’ full strength
@Shane aswell as that the best 3rd place team automatically goes through, its unlikely we’ll get this but it’s still possible.
Right enough Conor, unlikely but all to play for. We all know that we’ve serious limitations but if O’Neill can get us playing to a system and as a team then we have a chance. Outside Germany there’s no one to be that scared off. the likelihood is that ourselves, Poland and Scotland will take points off each other but it is all to play for.
There was an article put on this site a while ago about, how much Ireland has declined since walking away from the granny rule! I have been a season ticket holder with Ireland since 1998 and will be till the end! But they really need to look at this rule again, if we want the team to compete and not just take part!
When did we walk away from the Granny rule. There’s loads of non Irish born in the team.
I think there is currently a couple of issues with the granny rule for us at the moment.On one hand less quality players are declaring as the English team has included a greater number of lower table and even championship players in recent years meaning most players think they are in with a shot(eg is kevin Davies getting a cap at 33).On the other hand you have every tom dick and Harry like Paul Green,Richard Stearman and Luke Chambers declaring in their late 20s looking to have a crack at international football.I feel that if a player declares and is going to add to the squad then they should be called up given our limited pool,however some of the lads declaring don’t offer much better than what we have already and that’s the main issue
Granny Rule is pathetic, I’m all for 2nd and 3rd gen lads representing us when it’s clear they genuinely want to and have pride in the jersey, but the way the fai arselick players like Jon Flanagan and Patrick Flanagan, who then declare for England at the earliest opportunity, is sickening and makes us look pathetic.
As of 2014 we shouldn’t still have to be begging apathetic granny rule players to represent ireland, if the irish public just get behind their domestic Lge to the level where it can go fully pro, just like every other successful football nation in the world, we will produce 10 x more players at international level.
*Patrick Bamford I meant, the lad at Chelsea.
agreed Aiden but at the moment we have a long way to go with the league and its very hard not to make use of the granny rule given how small our player pool is. I think once there is a genuine connection to the country its fine but when you have lads declaring well into their 20s its a bit criminal really
I think Germany will roll over this current Irish team and tickle their bellies, just as they did trapatonis team. Players aren’t up to it I’m afraid. Our team hasn’t beaten any half decent team in qualifying in over 10 years.
Its the Scots im worried about. They have gotten some good results and are more solid defensively than us, plus there is less expectation on their shoulders.
The USA could have nzd should have beaten Germany. They worked so hard as a unit. But they list ’cause they didn’t believe they could have beaten Germany. When they attacked Germany they looked great. Argentina should have beaten Germany 3-1 but the finishing by the top strikers in the works was sooooo bad. Germany hate to be attacked. We need a few top strikers and great defending and Germany will sink
USA performed way beyond expectations because what they lacked in talent they made up in attitude and determination something we have to do.