IRELAND SHOULDN’T BE pinning their hopes of reaching the knockout stages at Euro 2016 on the likelihood of Italy manager Antonio Conte fielding a second-string team in tomorrow night’s final Group E fixture.
That’s according to former Ireland captain and manager Mick McCarthy, who’s adamant that Martin O’Neill’s side will face a formidable Italian outfit, regardless of its make-up.
Ireland need a win to progress to the last 16, whereas Italy have already qualified so Conte is expected to rest several of the players who secured their passage to the next stage courtesy of victories over Sweden and Belgium.
“There’s no such thing as a weakened Italy — Ireland need to be at their best to qualify,” McCarthy wrote in his Paddy Power blog. “Everyone is clutching at straws if they think Italy might put out a weakened team against Ireland. It’s nonsense, total bollocks.
“They may not play all their best players, but it strikes me that they’ve brought 23 of their best players, not just 11. If Antonio Conte makes a few changes, he will still be able to bring in quality. And the idea that they may not be giving it everything because they’re already thinking about the last 16 — mark my words — the Italians want to finish with nine points and beat us. Don’t think anything else.
Self-preservation, taking the foot off the gas, whatever you call it; that is never a conscious decision from management. Anyone who comes in will want to impress, so we will be facing a good, well organised, motivated Italian team.”
Nevertheless, the current Ipswich Town manager believes Ireland do stand a chance of emulating his 2002 World Cup team by reaching the knockout stages of a major tournament, but their defending will need to improve and set-pieces could also be crucial.
“Ireland need to play as well as they can to win this,” said McCarthy. “There will be no favours. Our defending needs to improve from what we saw against Belgium and going forward, free-kicks and corners may be our best hope of scoring so deliveries need to be spot on, even against what looks like the best defence at the tournament.
“There’s so much to be learned from Italian teams in tournament football. They don’t get beaten very often. They will drag you down, make the tactical fouls, take the bookings — whatever is needed. The best teams have done it going back decades. Great footballers but with a hard nose. The best teams are ruthless. Italy will be ruthless against us and beyond.”
McCarthy added: “Ireland have a history of performing when it’s needed and it is needed on Wednesday. We can win, but it will take our best performance and a bit more. If we’re not at our best, we have no chance.
It’s got to be one of those performances that comes from the bottom of your heart like our 10-man victory over Holland in 2001 and our last-minute draw against Germany in Japan in 2002. It has to be something special.
“We will have to start well and make sure we are solid and get a foothold in the game. But if they score early they certainly know how to hold on to a lead and it could be over for us. Yes we can, but we need to stay in the game, not do anything stupid and nick a goal from somewhere.”
