Lawrence: Shambolic French got what they deserved

Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence has no sympathy for the French following their miserable performance at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

The French qualified for the tournament courtesy of an infamous handball assist from Thierry Henry in the second leg of a play-off in Paris.

“We should have been there to be fair, we were so close with what we did, and we didn’t get beaten by much,” said Lawrence.

The Stoke midfielder went on to warn that any future opponents who underestimate Ireland might not be so lucky.

“A lot of big teams underestimate us,” he said. “I think we’ve got some good players who work hard for each other and want to grind out results.”

The Retford-born wideman admitted that he derived a degree of satisfaction from watching France limp out of the competition in the group stage, with only a single point to show for their efforts.

“It was good to watch,” he said. “I think everybody thought that.”

“Without getting myself in trouble ... they were a shambles, weren’t they, to be fair.

“They got what they deserved.”