MARTIN O’NEILL IS unsure whether he’ll still be Ireland manager for Euro 2020, but says the prospect of the country hosting four games is a “great incentive” for the team to qualify.
Speaking today at the Uefa Euro 2020 Dublin City Brand Launch, the Ireland boss described the prospect of four games (three group matches and a round of 16 match) being played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as “fantastic”.
“Coming here today and with the realisation that it’s going to happen, it’s the first time I’ve really thought about it,” O’Neill said.
“Whoever’s in charge, whoever’s playing at the time will feel a great incentive, number one, but I suppose there’ll be a great pressure as well because you don’t want that opportunity to pass you by. When will it ever come around again?
But that’s what you should be thriving on. You should be wanting to participate obviously and just go for it when it comes around?”
And asked whether he thought he’d still be manager by the time the tournament rolled around, O’Neill replied: “I wouldn’t have a clue. 2020? For someone of my age, that’s a long time away.”
The 64-year-old coach also expressed enthusiasm about news today that the Irish side are now 23rd in the Fifa rankings — their highest position since 2012.
You can be a bit skeptical about all these things but it’s nice and I suppose some sort of testament to the side that we’re doing alright.
“I think (seeding and) all those things are always important. When I came into the job a few years ago, I obviously wasn’t aware completely about friendly matches and I never thought really that they should count. But at least we’re (winning) at a competitive level and that is very pleasing.
The great thing about it is, regardless of who we have available in March, we’ll go into the game with some confidence. That becomes very important — if the players are confident, they can give their very best, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Ireland’s recent win away against Austria was rare in that it came against a team ranked above the Boys in Green. Consequently, it was arguably the side’s biggest and best result on the road since the defeat of Scotland under Jack Charlton in 1987. Was this unwelcome trend a psychological obstacle the team needed to overcome?
I think it’s a great boost for us, absolutely. Again, I wasn’t really aware of that (not beating a team ranked above us away from home in competitive tie). That’s not something you think of going into a game.
“We went into the Austria game thinking it would be great to get something out of this match and not to be beaten but then we go and score the goal and you think ‘we can get three points here’.
“Overall, I think the other teams (in the group) would have been surprised. I think Wales and Serbia would have been surprised at our result in Austria. So it’s good news, the rankings aren’t anything to go by but its nice, it’s good news. It seems as if things are rosier than perhaps they were before.”
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