Domenech puts foot in it with England B jibe

FRANCE coach Raymond Domenech has heaped unnecessary pressure on his own players ahead of the World Cup play-off with the Republic of Ireland by referring to Giovanni Trappatoni’s team as “a sort of England B side”.

Domenech’s comments will, doubtless, be employed as a motivational tool by the Republic ahead of the first leg at Croke Park on Saturday, November 14.

Domenech said: “Whoever our opponents were, I would have said the same thing, the objective is to qualify: but now it’s Ireland, we just have to get on with it. The advantage is that everyone knows them. They are a sort of England B side. They all play in the English league so all our players know them: some of our players play alongside them, while others against them. There will be no surprises. We know what to expect and we know what we have to do.”