Euro 2008 Do or Die Weekend

Irish Voice Sport

Euro 2008 Do or Die Weekend

September 6, 2007

By Cathal Dervan

IRELAND winger Stephen Hunt has called on his teammates to stand up to the plate in Bratislava and Prague over the next 10 days and prove their European Championship credentials on the road. Hunt has claimed he has no idea about Ireland’s poor form away from home in major qualifiers and insists it will not be an issue when they travel to play the Slovakians this Saturday, September 8, then the Czechs four days later.

The Reading winger said, “Away form and the history books should hold no fear for us ahead of the make or break European Championship qualifiers simply because they don’t mean anything to so many current players who will arrive in Dublin on Tuesday for the biggest 10 days of our professional careers.

“Stephen Staunton told us it was time to improve Ireland’s poor away record in his team talk before we beat Denmark last month but I have to make a confession here, I had no idea what record he was talking about.

“In less than a year and in six games with Ireland I have yet to lose so I have yet to encounter anything like this alleged poor record on the road. People can throw San Marino at us but we won that game.

“I’ve been an Irish soccer fan all my life but any bad results in the past don’t feature in my memory banks. I don’t know what happened on the road to the World Cups and the European Championships before and even if I did they just don’t matter in the context of next Saturday’s game.

“Previous results won’t mean anything once the whistle sounds for the first game of the double header in the Tehelne Pole Stadium next Saturday night. I didn’t play in any previous championship campaign so those results can’t mean anything to me.

“What is relevant is the experiences picked up in those six games with Ireland. The Slovakian experience was all good at Croke Park but like the rest of the squad I know now is the time to deliver away from home.”

Ireland boss Staunton will place his European Championship trust in Ireland’s very own Dad’s Army out in Bratislava next Saturday night.

Thirtysomethings Lee Carsley, Shay Given, Steve Finnan and Kevin Kilbane will be asked to show the young ones how to do it when Staunton puts his qualification hopes on the line in Slovakia and the Czech Republic over the next 10 days.

The trio -– aided and abetted by Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne, who can best be described as middle aged in the current youthful Irish set-up –- know what it takes to make it to a major finals and know what it tastes like to be there.

The youngsters like Aiden McGeady, Stephen Ireland and Kevin Doyle have no idea of what it took to get to that World Cup and what it took to survive it, so Staunton will make no excuses for turning to experience when he hits the road this week.

“You need those older pro around when things get tough on the pitch because they have the experience to get us out of a hole that the younger players lack,” Staunton told Star Sunday.

“The likes of Shay, Kevin and Lee have been through it all, they know it is about and it is up to them to lead by example out on the pitch and drag the younger ones through.

“You look at Kevin Kilbane for example. He keeps getting criticized but for me the only answer to the criticism is the fact that he has 81 caps. Three Irish managers can’t be wrong when it comes to Kevin.

“There are certain players you want for this, that and the other but there are other players like Kevin that you need around for his energy, his work rate and that bit of height. He is excellent in the air and his finish against the Czechs at Lansdowne was second to none. He has that cool head as well which I like.”

Irish midfielder Andy Reid, set to create chances for Keane and Kevin Doyle on Saturday, claims his team have nothing to fear on the road.

“We have no reason to be afraid of anyone,” Reid told Star Sunday. “We proved we can compete against the best teams in the world. Ireland have proved that for the last 15 to 20 years really and this team have proved it over last two or three years.

“But so much depends on what happens against Slovakia. If we come out of the week with four points you have to look on that as a positive return for the double-header but we are going there to get six points. I don’t think there is any doubt about that.”

On the injury front Steve Finnan is a major doubt for Saturday’s game due to a knee injury, while Darren Potter of Wolves is doubtful with a groin strain. Goalkeeper Wayne Henderson and winger Alan O’Brien have already been ruled out.

Clarke Scare

FORMER Irish defender Clive Clarke has admitted he is lucky to be alive after his heart stopped twice in the dressingroom at halftime during his Leicester team’s Carling Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.

The game was abandoned as medics resuscitated the 27-year-old from Bray. Clarke, on loan from Sunderland, may never play again but said, “I know I am extremely fortunate to be here. In the light of recent events involving footballers who have suffered heart attacks, I am the lucky one, because I survived.

“I remember feeling a bit lethargic on the field in the first half, and I was involved in a collision with our goalkeeper Paul Henderson. I sat quietly in a corner of the dressing room and felt a bit queasy. I can recall Patrick Kisnorbo talking to me, but it wasn’t really registering. Then I just passed out.

“When I was told what had happened, the blood drained from my body. I just thought I could have been dead, and that I might never have seen my family again. When you think about Sevilla player Antonio Puerta, it goes without saying that a day won’t pass when I don’t cherish every moment in my life.”

Drogheda Loses

DROGHEDA United manager Paul Doolin had no complaints after his side lost 3-0 to Henrik Larsson’s Helsingborgs in the second leg of their UEFA Cup tie on Thursday night.

Doolin said, “The better team won tonight. We knew it would a tough task coming out here to Sweden and that’s the way it was. For the first 10 minutes we weathered it a bit. We then we got into the game ourselves and had some good passages of play.

“At halftime I probably would have been quite happy at 0-0 then they got the break after halftime and they finished out as worthy winners. Once they scored, we had a good spell but they caught us out for the second goal and that was that.”

Soccer Shorts

LIVERPOOL are rapidly emerging as favorites for the Premier League crown and rightly so according to their Irish defender Steve Finnan. “This is the best squad since I have been here. There is good competition for places,” said Finnan after the 6-0 win over Derby. “As for our chances in the Champions League I think we have a good chance. Obviously it is the Premier League that everyone is aiming for this time. But I think we can do both because we have such a good squad.” . . .

BLACKBURN Rovers defender Tony Kane has switched allegiances to Northern Ireland after playing two under-21 friendlies for the Republic under-21 side, while North boss Nigel Worthington has again claimed Manchester United youngster Darron Gibson is ineligible for the South . . .

IPSWICH Town midfielder Owen Garvan has been called into the Republic of Ireland under-21 squad for Friday evening’s European Championship opener against Portugal after Blackburn Rovers winger Keith Treacy was ruled out with a thigh injury . . .

WEXFORD county footballer and former New York star Eric Bradley, who previously played for Waterford United, has signed for the local Wexford Youths side in the First Division of the eircom League . . .

CHELSEA have ruled midfielder Michael Ballack out for at least two months but German manager Joachim Loew hopes to have his captain fit for the Croke Park date with Ireland in October . . .

SLOVAKIA have called up former Rangers striker Filip Sebo for Saturday’s European qualifier against Ireland after captain Robert Vittek was forced out with a knee injury . . .

DERRY City defender Mark McChrystal could be out for the rest of the season after breaking his foot in the eircom League Cup semifinal win over UCD.

Sports Shorts

GOLF: Padraig Harrington has finally given to post Open fatigue and withdrawn from this week’s $7 million BMW Championship at Cog Hill, effectively bringing his FedEx Cup campaign to an early conclusion. Harrington won’t play again until he lines out for Nick Faldo’s Britain and Ireland team in the Seve Trophy at The Heritage from September 27-30 . . .

RUGBY: New Connacht out-half Andy Dunne is out for six weeks with a knee injury.

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