Martin O'Neill says that he will allow Robbie Keane and Aiden McGeady to decide whether they are involved in the European Championship qualifier against Scotland after the tragedy that has afflicted the striker's family and the winger suffering a recurrence of a long standing injury.
The manager acknowledged today that Keane “is feeling a bit down,” and suggested that “whether he wants to participate in the game will be entirely his decision.” Keane did train in Malahide this morning, something the northerner suggested was further evidence of his commitment to the cause but the Dubliner is said to have been deeply affected by the double tragedy.
McGeady, meanwhile, sat out training due, it is believed, to the knee problem that repeatedly caused him problems over the second half of the season. O’Neill said the move was “a precaution” and he did play the Everton midfielder in what appeared to be less promising circumstances against Poland in March but he said that he would consult with the 29 year-old before making any final call about his involvement on Saturday evening.
“He’s a bit sore,” said O’Neill of McGeady. “If he feels that he’s ready to go and start the game then that’s up to Aiden. He’s been very important to us over the course of this campaign, he’s a player who can open up any defence but we’ll see how he is.”
Asked whether, in the event that McGeady doens't make it, there are other players capable of making that same sort of impact in a game that Ireland need to win, O'Neill was quick to point to Wes Hoolahan. "Little Hoolahan is a very, very talented player and he's been great for us. Here at home, when the onus has been on us to find an answer, not only has he not let us down, he has come to the fore."
Taking a leaf out of his predecessor’s book, O’Neill suggested Ireland’s fate might be decided by the team’s ability to look after the “little details” more effectively than they did in Glasgow. “Being able to defend set pieces,” somewhat better could prove critical, he said, as well as “being able to take advantage of that little bit of craft that we have in the team”.
O’Neill again insisted there had been not been much between the teams last November andhe remains confident that his players can edge things this time around. As for the suggestion from some of those in Scotland that the pressure is on Ireland, he said: “That’s absolutely fine. We’re at home; we want to win the game. If that’s the message that they want to send out then I wouldn’t have a problem with that although I’ve always been of the opinion that you judge how you have done, if you like, at the end of the campaign.”
