JOEY O’BRIEN RECALLED how he ‘nearly gave Sam Allardyce a heart attack’ the last time he played against Crystal Palace, and explained why he is hoping for a less stressful outcome tomorrow night.
That will be easier said than done of course as Shelbourne – the 18/1 outsiders in this two-horse race – put their fading European hopes on the line against the FA Cup holders and the team currently sitting fourth in the English Premier League.
Back in December 2013, O’Brien was a defender in the West Ham team that faced Palace in a London derby at Selhurst Park, where he was tasked with marking striker Marouane Chamakh at corners.
The pair got up close and personal before the delivery but O’Brien then lost sight of Chamakh when the ball was whipped in. While the danger was initially cleared, Chamakh was all alone to head home the only goal of the game from the subsequent cross back into the box.
At the time, Allardyce fumed: “I haven’t got the words for it. When everybody has a marker and the ball comes in from the corner, you still have your marker, you don’t lose your marker but we did and being in the middle of the goal with a free header they’re not going to miss. That lost us the game effectively. It’s all our fault today.”
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All these years later, it was still fresh in O’Brien’s mind today as the Shelbourne manager brought up the incident unprompted.
“I was at fault for a goal one time and the manager nearly had a heart attack at half-time, so hopefully that doesn’t happen to me tomorrow night!
That’s one that sticks in the memory because I was more concerned about him not having a heart attack going mad at me than the outcome of the game.”
O'Brien training with his Shelbourne players at the AUL on Wednesday. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Palace were not the force then that they have become now under their Austrian manager Oliver Glasner and while O’Brien appreciates the scale of the task facing Shels at a sold out Tallaght Stadium, it’s a mission he wants to embrace.
The Reds European run in this league phase of the Conference League has been one laced with hard luck stories and near misses, having come out the wrong side of results even if performances have been decent.
With just one point banked from their four games to date – and yet to score in any of those matches – Shels need to beat Palace and follow up with another win against in-form Slovenian side Celje to stand any chance of reaching the next round.
O’Brien, who in 2005 played alongside Palace assistant Paddy McCarthy in an Ireland U21 international against Israel, said: “It’s not words the lads will ever hear me speak about – fear in football. It’s not pressure, it’s an absolute privilege to be in this situation.
I read a story about a chap over in Gaza going to look for food for his family, wondering whether he would come back with enough food for his family, or if his family was still going to be alive. That’s pressure.
“This for me isn’t pressure. It’s a great opportunity for us as a football club, and the lads as players, to go out in front of a sold out crowd and show how good they are and that they belong on the pitch.”
Kerr McInroy and Shels get set for Thursday night's Premier League test. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
O’Brien continued: “We’re so lucky to be in this position as professional footballers, being involved in these games and getting opportunities like this. But it’s about us and that’s the message I’ve been saying to the lads.
“Sometimes you can think too far about things, thinking about who you are playing and where they are coming from but, for me, that doesn’t work. It’s about yourself and being proud of your own journey and how you got here.
“For our lads, they’ve had some incredible stories to get to this game. People talk about this as a pressure game. For me, it’s not. We’re so lucky to play professional football and if you never get a pressure moment in a game, you look back and think ‘what a waste of a career’.
The lads have been lucky to have had real pressure moments. Last year against Derry to win the league, the Cup final, tomorrow night – for me it’s not pressure, it’s an absolute privilege. It’s about going out and nailing your performance.”
Shelbourne, who lost 2-0 away to Troy Parrott’s AZ Alkmaar two weeks ago, are without the suspended James Norris but O’Brien has no further injury concerns.
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'It's not words the lads will ever hear me speak about - fear in football... it's an absolute privilege'
JOEY O’BRIEN RECALLED how he ‘nearly gave Sam Allardyce a heart attack’ the last time he played against Crystal Palace, and explained why he is hoping for a less stressful outcome tomorrow night.
That will be easier said than done of course as Shelbourne – the 18/1 outsiders in this two-horse race – put their fading European hopes on the line against the FA Cup holders and the team currently sitting fourth in the English Premier League.
Back in December 2013, O’Brien was a defender in the West Ham team that faced Palace in a London derby at Selhurst Park, where he was tasked with marking striker Marouane Chamakh at corners.
The pair got up close and personal before the delivery but O’Brien then lost sight of Chamakh when the ball was whipped in. While the danger was initially cleared, Chamakh was all alone to head home the only goal of the game from the subsequent cross back into the box.
At the time, Allardyce fumed: “I haven’t got the words for it. When everybody has a marker and the ball comes in from the corner, you still have your marker, you don’t lose your marker but we did and being in the middle of the goal with a free header they’re not going to miss. That lost us the game effectively. It’s all our fault today.”
All these years later, it was still fresh in O’Brien’s mind today as the Shelbourne manager brought up the incident unprompted.
“I was at fault for a goal one time and the manager nearly had a heart attack at half-time, so hopefully that doesn’t happen to me tomorrow night!
Palace were not the force then that they have become now under their Austrian manager Oliver Glasner and while O’Brien appreciates the scale of the task facing Shels at a sold out Tallaght Stadium, it’s a mission he wants to embrace.
The Reds European run in this league phase of the Conference League has been one laced with hard luck stories and near misses, having come out the wrong side of results even if performances have been decent.
With just one point banked from their four games to date – and yet to score in any of those matches – Shels need to beat Palace and follow up with another win against in-form Slovenian side Celje to stand any chance of reaching the next round.
O’Brien, who in 2005 played alongside Palace assistant Paddy McCarthy in an Ireland U21 international against Israel, said: “It’s not words the lads will ever hear me speak about – fear in football. It’s not pressure, it’s an absolute privilege to be in this situation.
“This for me isn’t pressure. It’s a great opportunity for us as a football club, and the lads as players, to go out in front of a sold out crowd and show how good they are and that they belong on the pitch.”
O’Brien continued: “We’re so lucky to be in this position as professional footballers, being involved in these games and getting opportunities like this. But it’s about us and that’s the message I’ve been saying to the lads.
“Sometimes you can think too far about things, thinking about who you are playing and where they are coming from but, for me, that doesn’t work. It’s about yourself and being proud of your own journey and how you got here.
“For our lads, they’ve had some incredible stories to get to this game. People talk about this as a pressure game. For me, it’s not. We’re so lucky to play professional football and if you never get a pressure moment in a game, you look back and think ‘what a waste of a career’.
Shelbourne, who lost 2-0 away to Troy Parrott’s AZ Alkmaar two weeks ago, are without the suspended James Norris but O’Brien has no further injury concerns.
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