6 days ago
John O'Shea admits timing of June friendlies ‘awkward' but challenges Ireland stars to ‘show I'm needed' for World Cup
THE tone surrounding the talk about international football in June — excluding tournaments — is nobody likes it.
But around 33,000 supporters and counting who have bought tickets for
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Ireland face Senegal and Luxembourg in a pair of friendlies
Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
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John O'Shea challenged the players to show they are needed for the World Cup qualifiers
Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Ireland's June results over the years, however, are enough reason to be wary of games being played when players could be forgiven for thinking of their summer holidays.
Only recently, Shelbourne boss
International
Jason Knight acknowledged as much Tuesday when it was mentioned that he could be in Albufeira rather than the Aviva Stadium this week.
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The sun is out, the English season is over and it is soon time for a holiday.
At this time of year, players leaving the old Lansdowne Road or Aviva Stadium wheeling the big suitcase — the one you pack for the holiday rather than a short stay in Dublin — was a common sight.
In 2009, one player even walked through a mixed zone in Bulgaria shouting, 'Vegas, Vegas', to leave onlookers in no doubt to where he was going next.
It was seen as good fortune that Ireland's
Most read in Football
No qualifiers in June is a no-brainer.
But results in June windows when nothing is at stake can be even worse. Assistant manager
Heimir Hallgrimsson gives first call-up to four Ireland players in squad for friendlies vs Senegal and Luxembourg
The same opponents walloped Ireland 5-1 in New Jersey as they prepared for the 2014 World Cup. Friendly wins are like hens' teeth in June, with landmarks rather than performances making them memorable. O'Shea's 118th and final cap came against the
That was also a rarity for O'Shea who was so often excused from the summer action when there were no qualifiers.
Earlier in his career, Steve Staunton felt he knew enough about the serial
The 2007 summer tour of the USA was made up of a squad of players who often show up in 'Where are they now?' features.
As O'Shea got older, he was given time off to put his feet up as Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O'Neill looked at other options.
Still, the Ireland centurion was often back in the side when the real games started.
But O'Shea insisted he and boss
Those in the
He said: 'It's awkward in the sense of the timing, it's different in the feeling of if these were qualifiers, the whole kind of reaction around it.
'But you have to build into what it can lead to in qualifying for tournaments.
'I think that has to outweigh any kind of . . . could be on holiday somewhere, could be away somewhere or whatever it might be.
'But I think the bigger goal of qualifying for the World Cup in America,
'If we get players to have an impact this week in the friendlies that suddenly help us qualify or score a goal to qualify us for the World Cup, I think you'll say it was definitely worthwhile.'
KNIGHT & DAY
It is why Knight — who was only included because his Championship season was extended by
The 24-year-old said: 'I could be in Albufeira, you're right! Look, there's always time for holidays. I know I'm young, but I know these caps and these opportunities are like gold dust and I'm trying to grab them as much as I can.
'This is the dream, this is where I want to be and I'm excited to be here for these two games and hopefully many more.'
His assistant boss O'Shea continued: 'It's representing your country at senior level, the highest level, and that's what you have to have in the background.
'And ultimately it's for the coaching staff, for us as a staff to have the time with the players to kind of get to increase the relationship with the players, increase the bond with the players, to introduce one or two new players, all those little factors.
'That brings a freshness into the lads that have been here a good while as well. We need that kind of freshness, but also increased competition.
'And I think it's up to the lads that are here now to show, 'Right, I'm in, I'm getting a chance, I'm involved, I need to stay here, I need to prove I can be needed here'.
'And I think that's the key element, increase that competition and then we get increased levels of performance.
'The lads that are having a rest as such from what the manager has spoken about, they will be thinking, 'I wonder how the other lads might get on'. That's what we need.'
