Fearless Finnan ready for anything Spanish concoct

By Mark Gallagher

NO fear. It’s not just a marketing logo. It also typifies this Irish team. On paper, they really shouldn’t be in a competition that France and Argentina have departed, but the World Cup isn’t played on paper.

Steve Finnan wondered aloud, and with some justification, why should Ireland fear Spain? They didn’t hold any fears against the Germans, the Portuguese or the Dutch.

The last 16 of the World Cup isn’t the place for changing attitudes.

“The Spanish are a class side, they have shown that in the group stages.

“They have scored nine goals, got nine points and I am sure they will be happy they are meeting us rather than Germany. But, we are happy to be meeting them as well, we have shown in our first two games we play better with the tag of underdogs. Spain’s confidence will suit us. ”Even with the serial knuckle kisser Raul and the ability of Morientes, Finnan ridicules suggestions Ireland will be nervous facing Spain.

“Raul has scored a couple of class goals, he is a wonderful player. But, people talk about fear. “We can’t really concern ourselves with how Spain have played or will play. We will respect them, all right, but we won’t fear them. You are on the biggest stage in the World Cup and you can’t fear anyone.”

The biggest stage. How often has that phrase being written and said over the past three weeks. But, the overuse is justified. This is the biggest stage, and it also heralds the start of the world’s biggest footballing auction. To keep everyone happy until the start of a new season, the greatest transfer scramble ensues following this competition.

Remember 1994 and all the speculation over the futures of players like McAteer and Babb. Come July, it will be Matt Holland, Clinton Morrison, Stephen Reid splashed over the back pages. And above them all, Steve Finnan.

Alex Ferguson has already been rebuked by Mohammad Al Fayed over the availability of the full back, but he can expect to be screening a lot more calls in his Harrods Office when Finnan returns to London.

The Limerick born defender has been quietly getting on with his job after being dropped for the opener. No fireworks accompany his play, just the composure needed of any defender.

Finnan is grateful for the opportunity to play in the world cup, and admits the worst scenario floated in his mind when he was not selected against Cameroon. “I was disappointed, initially, not to play in the first game, but I came on and things have gone well from there.

“I was just happy to get my chance, because there is a lot of strength in depth in this panel.”

A measure of how good this Irish team, who to listen to some foreign correspondents have got to the second phase on team spirit alone, is to consider how many would make it onto Sven’s more vaunted English side.Duff and Given would be shoe ins, there would be a case for Matt Holland, but Finnan is another certainty. He’s a slightly more skilled full back than Danny Mills, after all.But, of course, if it was England, the idea of penalty shoot outs would have the players cowering with fear. This is Ireland.

No fear. The shoot out, such a stark illustration of both the pain and passion of this wonderful tournament, has entered our vocabulary now. We could see on Sunday and Finnan is ready.

“I am going to throw my hat in the ring, if the lads need me to take one. But we have a lot of good strikers of a football in our team, Duff, Stan, Reid, Harte. But, if I was asked, I would certainly take one,” says the Fulham flyer.

He recalls taking only two penalties in his career, and reckons he has a 50% success rate.

That just shows how far this team would go for each other. No fear, it’s more than a t shirt.