At the last Euro’s in 2012 Ireland travelled home with their tail well and truly between their legs after three rather convincing defeats in the group stage.
Manager: Martin O’Neill
Qualification: Beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Play-off
Previous Euro Appearances: 1988 and 2012
Off the pitch however the Irish fans won endless plaudits for their passion and general good behaviour in the host cities. Four years on those fans are once again set to travel in droves to support their country. The question though is will the results on the pitch prove any different to those in Poland and Ukraine.
Off the bat things do not look overly promising, with the Boys in Green having being dealt a very tricky group, lumped in as they are with Italy, Belgium and Sweden. An outsider looking in at this may predict that the Irish will be the whipping boys of Group E, but to underestimate any Irish team is to do so at your own peril.
A play-off may have been required in the end to reach the Euro’s but looking back at the qualification stage Ireland picked up four points from six against current World Champions Germany showing that they are far from an easy pushover.
What though can we expect form Ireland when they do eventually take to the pitch against Sweden in the first match. Well it maybe a cliché but expect it to be a battle, the Irish are well disciplined and solid at the back, conceding only seven times in qualifying, the lowest of any team in Group D. If you are an aficionado of silky Tiki-Taka passing football, then Ireland are most certainly not the team for you as they can struggle to retain possession for long periods of the match.
Counter to that while possession retention may not be the best Ireland can be deadly on the break and as it proved against the Germans and will more than likely prove again route one does have its charms and effectiveness.
Ireland may not be a purest dream, but with the experienced duo of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane over them, coupled with the fact that Ireland have the eldest squad at the tournament points to the fact that the men in green will be no walkover for any nation.
Key Man: Shane Long
With Robbie Keane set the miss the first match or two a lot of pressure falls and the shoulders of the 29-year-old Southampton striker. Although not the most prolific of goal scorers the Tipperary native has carved out an impressive career and will prove more than a handful for any defence that he faces.
Keep an Eye on: Wes Hoolahan
The 34-year-old Dub is probably the one player in Martin O’Neill’s squad who has all the tricks and flicks to unlock opposition defences. How much he will be utilised remains the question however.
Prediction: Group Stage
A good tournament for Ireland would be to somehow squeeze out of the group and into the next round, anything beyond that seems fanciful. Best case scenario for Ireland is for this to happen, oh, and for England to go home early that always brightens the mood.
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