Republic of Ireland Legends Paul McGrath and Frank Stapleton have gotten together to Asses the Republic of Ireland National team’s situation ahead of their first home game since the World Cup.
The all important Group 10 clash with Switzerland will take place this Wednesday at Lansdowne Road, and the message is clear from both McGrath & Stapleton - forget about what’s happening off the field, and support and encourage what occurs on the field.
Stapleton: “It will be interesting to see what sort of reception there is – not only the team get – but the manager because there’s been a lot that has gone on. And I don’t think you can take away from Mick what he has achieved as the National manager.”
“I’m sure we will see a situation where there will be different sections who will support Roy Keane and then sections who support the manager. The important thing is that we get behind the Team. That’s what’s important - end of story.”
McGrath: “There’s been a lot of upset I think over the tour, but Irish players have always had that bonding-thing going on. And that will continue, Mick will get them all wound up, and they will all hug each other before they go out. The Team will go out and give a great performance. I know that.”
“They have just got to pick up from where they left in the World Cup, if they do that it shouldn’t be a problem. But sometimes the sidelines become the headlines.”
“With the Team, there might have been a little bit of a fall out from the World cup with everything that happened to them over there. I thought they did remarkably well to have brought it as far as they did. The performance they put up against, well it was nothing short of a miracle.”
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