POLAND ARE FAR from a one-man team, according to Martin O’Neill.
The visitors will be led out at the Aviva Stadium by captain Robert Lewandowski tonight and the Bayern Munich hitman is seen as the biggest threat to Ireland’s chances of earning a positive result.
However, with the likes of 21-year-old striker Arkadiusz Milik (who has four goals in qualifying) and Seville midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak also in their ranks, O’Neill believes there is talent throughout the team.
“He is a top class player and one of the best strikers in European football, playing for a side who are capable of winning any competition in European football,” O’Neill said at his pre-match press conference.
“He’s very important to them but he’s not the only player. We’ve seen in the group that they are not a one-man player and they have got a number of top quality individuals playing in the side. I wouldn’t get carried away with one player.”
One matching the opponents, O’Neill added: ”They possess some really good players. When we have the ball we need to be really positive but when we don’t have it we have to be able to close down quickly and prevent the quality players getting on top of us.
“It’s about winning the ball, using it and trying to create something. The onus is on as the home side to do that. The minute we lose the ball we will try get it back as quickly as possible.”
Mayo won’t win with O Shea slowing play up on the pitch
A brilliant article, maith Thu Maurice.
Mayo have been plagued by serious bad luck through the last decade and some crazy decisions by players and management also. This label of bottlers is bull. Any athelete or team that have experienced the pain that Mayo have gone thru in the last decade and still keep on coming back every year is just phenomenal.
Think the author nailed it with analysis of Horan. We’ll see if lessons have been learned when May &June come around…..hope so
You can coach anything you like but it’s what goes on in the 6 inches between the ears that matters when push comes to shove. And Mayo still can’t get that right.
After all is said gaelic football would be so boring without Mayo.
@Tom Keane: i know its great fun watching them bottle it and the supporters thinking Sam is theirs to loose
Good article. James has certainly given Mayo supporters some white knuckle ride while Mayo manager. Of course the fact that Sam has not been brought home will inevitably be held against him. If he doesn’t get there will be regarded as the best manager never to win an All Ireland? Not ba title that he’d want.