Eileen Gleeson: 'We are coming here to compete and to try and win the game'

Eileen Gleeson is looking for her side to continue to qualify for more tournaments. 

IN TO WIN: Head coach Eileen Gleeson aim is for her side to win against the heavy favourites France.  Pic:  Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Eileen Gleeson has called on her Ireland team to be clinical tomorrow when they face the might of France in their backyard.

The 30,000-capacity Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz is expected to be around two-thirds full for the Euro qualification opener, with the third best team in the world – according to Fifa’s rankings – tipped to win at a canter.

Still, Ireland will have their moments. In a seemingly similar mismatch two years ago, they led Olympic silver medallists Sweden in Gothenburg before conceding a late equaliser.

Ireland followed up sixth straight wins in the Nations League B last year with a draw against Italy and defeat to Wales in the February friendly window.

Gleeson does, however, have her midfield dynamo Denise O’Sullivan back from injury.

“I was playing a preseason game against Orlando a day before the international camp when I got in for a tackle sustained bone bruising on my knee,” explained the North Carolina Courage today, speaking at the stadium before the final training session, “I was out for a few weeks; it was just bad timing, honestly but now I’m ready to go.” 

Gleeson will need all her resources to claim an encouraging result ahead of Tuesday’s visit by England to Lansdowne Road.

“We expect France will have more of the ball than us so what we must do is be super prepared to be out of possession and do that well. That’s a real feature for us.

“But in the moments that we do transition, we must be clinical and exploit the spaces.” 

Asked for her preferred outcome from the match, Gleeson replied with a smile.

“To win. We are coming here to compete and to try and win the game, affect the game in whatever way we can.

“That has to be the starting point, we are coming to win the game. I know it is a challenge given the quality of the opposition but you can’t start way back, because you will drop down further.

“So we talk about competing and we talk about trying to win the game.

“This is where we want to be and this is the draw we got.

“In terms of Irish women’s football, it is super important to be consistent and to sustain consistent qualification into major tournaments and this is a step along that process. “We had our first World Cup but we don’t want it to stop there, we want to continue, want to qualify for more tournaments.”