Jim Crawford and Ireland leaving nothing to chance

Jim Crawford and his squad have come too far to leave anything to chance now so, with that in mind, the Republic of Ireland's U21s have opted against practising penalties in Israel

RELAXED: Manager Jim Crawford stands for a portrait after a Republic of Ireland U21 press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Jim Crawford and his squad have come too far to leave anything to chance now so, with that in mind, the Republic of Ireland's U21s have opted against practising penalties since they arrived in Israel for tonight’s Euro 2023 playoff second leg.

If that sounds wrong then there is method, not madness, at play here. Every member of Crawford’s 25-man squad practised spot kicks throughout the last week in Dublin but there is a reluctance to offer up any clues to the opposition now that they are lodged on foreign soil.