5 days to the start of Irelands campaign and we are very much in with a shout despite the tough group. A settled team and a 14 game unbeaten run is something that some nations can only dream of. We are extremly difficult to beat. The individual players may not intimidate the opposition but with Trap as the general and 20,000 fanatics travelling to Poland anything can happen.
Of the Ireland squad, Given, O'Shea, Dunne, Mclean/McGeady and Robbie Keane would get into the the England squad - none realistically would get into their starting 11. Irelands 2 wildcards are Shane Long and James Mcclean.. Neither featured in the draw against an up and coming team in Hungary.
Trap after the game stated his desire to drop Doyle back into midfield to help cope against Modric and any sitting midfield that Spain play. This role would be better suited to Jon Walters who is accustomed to dropping back playing for Stoke. Doyle is after a very poor season and many of the faithful would prefer Long to play up top due to his greater goal threat. "He has a great work rate" is an overly used phrase associated with Doyle and doesn't cut the mustard especially with better options available.
My feeling is that Ireland will 1 game either against Croatia and Italy. The Spain game is not going to be a blow out like some have predicted. For all the tiki-taka football, Spain won by a goal or penos in all there matches in Euro 08 bar Russia. In 2010 after a slow start beat Honduras 2-0 and Chile 2-1. The rest of the games they won 1-0. Chelseas Euro odyssey shows that solid organised and luck defence can prevail.
Ultimately Irelands first game is the most important. Cannot lose. If I was a betting man a draw on England France and Ireland Croatia would tempt me. So much pressure and expectation - I would expect tight, turgid affairs.
P.S. Not sure if England have any Euro tunes but check out Irelands finest - quality tunes(maybe)
River Gdansk
Green Army
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