Republic of Ireland coach Martin O’Neill has attacked Euro 2016 organisers for giving his country only 4,500 tickets for the crunch game against France on Sunday.
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The Boys in Green were plentiful in numbers and in fine voice during the crucial 1-0 win over Italy in Lille on Thursday (AEST), which secured Ireland’s place in the knockout stages.
“It’s totally disproportionate for a stadium of this size and this brilliance”.
“It’s not just for us”.
“I don’t think there was such a ferocious campaign against Luis Suarez when his handball on the line stopped Ghana from scoring”, Gallas, who said he will be at the game on Sunday, added. “France have had that opportunity, having advanced three days before us, so it is going to be seriously one-sided”.
If there really is to be some inspiration to be drawn from the time Ireland played France in Paris in 2009 then it should be the team’s performance – not the pain – that night that the players look to. “They will be red-hot favourites but I’d like to think every time we get the ball in the box their fans will be nervous wrecks”, he said.
France topped group A with two wins and a draw while Ireland struggled through their opening two games before a late victor from Robbie Brady against Italy sent them through in the most dramatic circumstances. “They’ve got a lot of heart, they work hard, but it’s not just that”.
Duffy gave a dominant display in one of Ireland’s last pre-Euro friendlies against Netherlands in Dublin, but found himself consigned to the bench when the tournament started, with O’Shea and Ciaran Clark preferred at centre back. “You don’t want to go out of the competition meekly; you want to go out blazing if you can”.
The Ireland manager left the firm impression that a penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes is in his thoughts as a route to the quarter-finals.
“We often talk about this fighting spirit, but they don’t think twice, they go all the way, it is quiet important to have that”. We’ve got n othing to lose.
Deschamps has told France to prepare for a battle, but believes revenge for Thierry Henry’s handball will not be the over-riding motivation.
He first wore the armband in a friendly against England in November 2010, although former France coach Laurent Blanc changed his captains several times before finally giving it to Lloris on a full-time basis almost one year later.
“We know we face a team full of quality players, especially in midfield”.
“We’ve done as much as we can on that aspect”.
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O’Neill said he will assess the fitness of Stephen Ward before the game, as the kick he received in the Italy game “blew up quite severely”, while Jon Walters could yet appear as he is doing “much better” with his tendinitis. “There have been some great performances by the side, which there had to be because you couldn’t play that well against Sweden or you couldn’t play that well against Italy and get four points in the group if we hadn’t had some players who can play”.
