Keane: We can’t let it slip away now
Of course, things are likely to be rather more complicated than that, not least this evening in Tallinn where Estonia’s new national heroes will be roared on by a devoted crowd as they seek to take the penultimate step towards making their own football history.
By contrast, Ireland reached the point Estonia are now at back all of 23 years ago and, even then, had to rely on a favour from Scotland to get themselves a seat at Europe’s top table for the first time.
But they haven’t been back since, and it’s that fact, coupled with the realisation that this time could also be the last time, which put real feeling in the Ireland skipper’s extended rallying cry yesterday.
“We know the job we have to do,” he said in the stadium where tonight he will lead Ireland out for his 113th cap.
“It’s a final and this is what we have played for the last two years. These are the ones you want to be involved in and we’re all up for it. We have to grab this opportunity with both hands because we have worked really hard to get here. We can’t let it slip away. This is what we play football for and qualifying could change the whole country.”
That Keane is here at all in Tallinn says something about the Dubliner’s determination to help get Ireland over the line. Effectively ruled out of the play-offs when he exacerbated an existing injury in the game in Andorra, Keane has confounded expectations by returning to action – and scoring — for LA Galaxy in the run-up to tonight’s game.
“It was touch and go when the injury happened,” he conceded.
“I’m just lucky to have the people in Galaxy who were working hard to get me back. Obviously, they wanted me back for the club but they also knew how important these games are for me – I’d made them aware of that from the very start.
“When the doctors first said four to six weeks there was a little bit of doubt in my mind but I got myself mentally right. That’s something I always do with an injury: if the doctor says it’s six weeks, then I straight away knock two weeks off it in my own mind.
“I’ve played three games in a week and for anybody that’s tough. After being out for three and half weeks, it took me two or three games to really get right, but I’m 100% fit now.”
With Trapattoni still to announce his strike partner for tonight’s game, Keane pointed out that he has already formed a successful partnership with Simon Cox but, as you’d expect, also talked up the qualities of Jon Walters.
“I have played with Simon a few times and know how he plays,” he said. “I’ve not played with Jon but when he came on against Armenia he held the ball up well and was a real handful for their defence. And I’ve seen him at Stoke so I know how he plays. Everyone has done a great job who has come in. We’re obviously without two top players now in John O’Shea and Kevin Kilbane but Stephen Kelly has been around the squad for a long time.
“Maybe he hasn’t established himself in the side but that’s very difficult with Josh ahead of him, but he’s done a great job when he’s been called in. The same with Stephen Ward, who has been excellent for Wolves. He hasn’t played a big game like this for Ireland before so he might be a bit nervous but that’s to be expected.”
It might help then that Ireland are playing tonight in a venue as intimate and comparatively unthreatening as the A Le Coq Arena.
“But you have to treat every game the same,” Keane parried.
“You have to respect your opponents. Estonia are here for a reason, the same as us. In the last play off, France were favourites because of their world star players and, okay, Estonia don’t have that. But then neither do we. We might be favourites but it won’t be an easy game.”
But if Ireland can overcome Estonia, what would it mean for Robbie Keane to lead his country to the finals of the European Championships?
“It would mean everything to me. Playing at the World Cup finals was one of the best experiences of my life. We’ve not qualified for the Euros for 20 odd years and it would mean a hell of a lot to me to get there.
“You watch them on television and it’s a pain in the arse to be honest because you’re so desperate to be there. Last year’s World Cup was so hard to watch because we’d been so close.
“We know how important these games are now. And all the players are desperate to qualify. Playing for your country is great and playing friendlies is great, but these are the games we play football for.”
* There have only been two previous encounters between Estonia and Republic of Ireland. Ireland won both matches 2-0.
* Estonia have never qualified for the European Championships or World Cup.
* Estonia claimed nine points out of nine in the last three matches of their group qualifiers to clinch the play-off place in group C. They defeated Northern Ireland twice and Slovenia once.
* Republic of Ireland have only reached one European Championship tournament before, the 1988 finals in West Germany.
* The Republic have conceded just one goal in their last 861 minutes of football and it was a consolation strike for Armenia in last month’s 2-1 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
* Giovanni Trapattoni’s men are unbeaten in their last nine international matches, winning six times and drawing three.
KEVIN DOYLE’S suspension for tonight’s game and Shane Long’s injury were significant blows for Giovanni Trapattoni but at least the Ireland manager can call on the services of his captain and record goalscorer. Keane has his critics — and he has struggled for form at club level in recent years — but his record in an Ireland jersey has been little short of outstanding. The 31-year-old has scored 51 goals in 112 games making him, by a distance, the most prolific goalscorer in Ireland’s history. Without his goals the play-offs would not have been reached.
KEANE may have scored the goals to make qualification a possibility but the Aston Villa centre-back has been the country’s most consistently impressive player over the past two years. Strong, brave and with an impressive record in front of goal for a defender, Dunne is a genuine leader and his heroic display against Russia in the Miracle of Moscow evoked memories of the day Paul McGrath famously defied Italy in the 1994 World Cup. Ireland will need him at his best in Tallinn tonight and at the Aviva on Tuesday if Dunne, who didn’t play a single minute in the 2002 World Cup, is to finally get the chance to showcase his ability on the highest stage.
TRAPATTONI and his assistant Marco Tardelli may have been at pains to insist Estonia represent a formidable threat but privately they know Tarmo Ruutli’s side were the weakest Ireland could have drawn. Estonia are ranked 59th in the world, a long way behind Ireland’s 25th spot. The alternative teams Ireland could have got Bosnia, Montenegro and Turkey are ranked 21st, 39th and 26th respectively. No wonder John Delaney was unable to suppress a smile when the draw was made. Trapattoni’s desire to preach caution is understandable and Ireland traditionally prefer being underdogs but while beating Estonia won’t be easy, the mountain could have been significantly steeper.
THE one ingredient that can’t be legislated for in a sporting contest is desire. Hunger was the standout feature of Kilkenny’s All-Ireland SHC final victory over a fancied Tipperary side in September and it will play a part tonight and in Tuesday’s second leg. Estonia have never reached a major finals and reaching the play-offs is in itself a significant achievement for a developing team. In contrast, for Robbie Keane, Shay Given, Richard Dunne and Damien Duff, this could be the last chance to reach a major finals. That greater need could be decisive in a tie likely to be decided by the finest of margins.
THIS will be Ireland’s seventh appearance in a play-off and the record books don’t provide grounds for optimism. Ireland have lost out in five of their previous six play-off appearances with the exception coming when goals from Ian Harte and Robbie Keane secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Iran and qualification for the 2002 World Cup. Prior to that, Ireland missed out on a place in the 1966 World Cup finals after a 1-0 defeat to France, lost 2-0 to Holland to miss out on Euro 96, were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Belgium in a World Cup play-off in 1998 and then lost to Turkey on away goals after a 1-1 aggregate draw to miss the boat for Euro 2000. Most recently Thierry Henry’s hand deprived Ireland of a place in the 2010 World Cup.
THE biggest single criticism of Ireland relates to the lack of creativity in midfield. In the past some have argued Andy Reid could transform the team but he is struggling to get his game for a Nottingham Forest team fifth from bottom of the Championship, meaning his absence is no longer such a contentious issue. Of the quartet set to start against Estonia, Glenn Whelan or Keith Andrews work hard in the centre of the park but both lack in the guile department. On the wing Aiden McGeady’s final ball invariably lets him down, putting the onus on Damien Duff to create chances for the front men. If the Fulham man is off form or marked out of the game, Ireland’s only route to a goal could be via a set-piece.
OKAY, so Estonia doesn’t qualify as a ‘superpower’ but this certainly qualifies as a big game. The problem for Ireland is they don’t often win big, competitive matches. You have to go back a decade to find the last time an elite team was beaten in a competitive game when a Roy Keane-inspired Ireland beat Holland 1-0. Since then Ireland’s big-game record has been little short of dismal. Russia, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy and Bulgaria have found Ireland wanting and while Estonia are below top-class, Ireland’s struggles in matches of significance are a real worry.
TO say Estonia don’t have many household names would be an understatement. Look through their squad and you’ll find players who ply their trade for unheralded clubs from Denmark, Russia and Norway. That’s not to say they don’t have decent players though, and Vassiljev is the man Ireland will have to stop if they are to advance. A talented attacking midfielder who specialises in making late runs from deep, Vassiljev was Estonia’s top goalscorer in their qualifying campaign with five goals, including a brace over Northern Ireland. In all he has scored 14 goals in 47 international games and Glenn Whelan in particular will need to be vigilant in tracking his late runs.
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