Seamus Coleman did enough in training at Abbotstown on Sunday morning to stay in contention for a starting place for Ireland against Georgia on Monday evening according to Martin O'Neill who said that he would weigh up what other changes he might make to his starting line up over the next 24 hours.
“Seamus has done a little bit there today,” he said after training today. “He’s feeling much, much better and I think, at this moment, it looks as if he’s going to be okay.”
The Everton right back would, he said, be brought back once he was fit enough despite the strong showing by Cyrus Christie on his competitive international debut.
“Cyrus did brilliantly, really brilliantly for us....got the important first goal and obviously had a big moment before half-time when he’s back-headed one that could have been very dangerous for us,” said the northerner. “But I think if Seamus is fit then Seamus would play. Cyrus is great, he has a good future ahead of him but Seamus is a real quality player.
O’Neill refused to be drawn on the effect that a long delay to Scotland’s flight out of Tbilisi might have had on Gordon Strachan’s preparations for his side’s game against Germany in Glasgow, insisting that his only concerns how Ireland and the Georgians come into this game.
“We got out of Faro okay. We got back around three or half three in the morning and the news at our end was that Georgia flew out immediately themselves. They’ve been ensconced here in Dublin ever since so they’re treating the game very, very seriously indeed as they should do.
“I really cannot not concern myself about Scotland. They will feel as though that was a blip; they lost a match but it was a difficult game out there n Georgia. We now have their opponents facing us and our task is to try to win.”
Having been consistently about the chances of things somehow turning around in Ireland’s favour before Friday, O’Neill is now keen to play down any sense that Ireland are suddenly completely in the driving seat for fear, he suggests that they turn around again.
“We might be all getting a little bit ahead of ourselves,” he says. “I heard something about it being ours to lose now but we’ve got games against Germany and Poland and before them we’ve got this tough game tomorrow night against a resurgent Georgia side who will come here with plenty of confidence after beating Scotland.
“These things are difficult for us. We are not, at this minute, capable of being like Spain, of wiping the floor with somebody. Every single particle that’s going for we have to battle for.. We have to find some ways of winning football matches.
“But we’re in there; in there fighting. We would have been anyway if Scotland had won, we’d still have been in the mix but we’re far from anything. We have to win tomorrow night and I couldn’t even consider October until we get those points on the board. We need to win and that is our total and utter focus.
“Whether we do that or not; whether we’re a bit unlucky and hit the post a couple of times against Poland and don’t get the result or whether Georgia actually come out and sweep us off the field, that is something we don’t know but I think we are ready for the game.”
