Dutch courage

It’s crunch time in the World Cup, and we’ve got a tough one coming up on September 1st. But I wouldn’t let the reputation of the Dutch dictate how we go about our business. The most important thing going into a game like this is to be fearless.

People are saying that a draw would be a good result, but I honestly think that Ireland can beat Holland. There’s no question about it, the Dutch have some great players. But if we go at them straight away and put them under pressure, I can see us getting something like a 2-1. There, I’ve said it!

It’ll be great if the lads can go the whole way and qualify – not just because they’ll get to experience a World Cup, but so they can stop living in the shadow of the Big Jack era. They were fabulous years, sure, but to keep harping on about them puts the younger players, especially, under a lot of extra pressure.

While a point would probably do us, in terms of making it to the play-offs, I’m not sure we’re tactically strong enough to go out there and play for a draw. It’s a temptation, but I think it’d be a mistake for Mick McCarthy to let that kind of thinking seep in. Going back to my own Ireland days, Jack may have told people to sit back slightly on occasion, but his attitude was still “let’s go for another one and kill the game.” While I don’t accept that Mick McCarthy “bottled it” in the European qualifier against Croatia, I think he may have some regrets about the way he approached the game tactically. And I wouldn’t like the same mistakes to happen against Holland. That said, the ultimate responsibility for what happens on the pitch is down to the players.

In that regard, given that the season has just started, I’m hopeful that we should be able to put a strong eleven on the pitch.

While not having Mark Kinsella is a blow, Matty Holland’s shown in the games he’s played that he’s well up to international standard, and I think him and Roy Keane will work well together.

I’m also optimistic that Clinton Morrison will do well. I know him waiting to see what his England chances were rubbed some people up the wrong way, but he’s a good goalscorer and impressed me on the couple of occasions I’ve seen Crystal Palace recently.

There’s nothing wrong with being cocky and confident, which Morrison is – but now’s the time to give the talking a rest, and show Irish people what he can do. We’re not exactly overburdened with strikers, and he’s definitely got the pace to cause defences problems.

A lot’s been made of Frank De Boer having his drugs ban lifted for the Holland game – and Edgar Davids possibly sneaking in as well – but that shouldn’t have any bearing on how we approach things. Whether they’re there or not, Holland will have eleven quality players on the pitch who need to be dealt with.

If Nandroline was around when I was a player, I certainly didn’t come across it. I’ve played against Edgar Davids a few times and, whatever he might be lacking in, it’s not pace and stamina. I don’t think Nandroline would’ve helped him that much, which is why I tend to come down on the side of the player and not believe it. However, the powers-that-be have to make it clear exactly where they stand on the issue. If it’s no big deal, I think they should maybe put it down as something you can take, because it seems ridiculous that there are so many people who are banned and then reinstated after months or years of their professional lives have been lost. If it helps you jump higher or run faster or whatever, let everyone have it.

I won’t be waiting around for FIFA to deal with the issue in a clear and decisive way. I never had much respect for the power, money and politics side of organisations like them and UEFA. I do believe at that level that it’s very much jobs for the boys. Even with the FAI, it would be good to see one or two younger faces, ex-players preferably, getting a look in.

Like most Irish people, I was delighted by Celtic’s 3-1 victory in Amsterdam. Ajax may not be the force they once were, but they’ve still got some supremely talented individuals in the side. Celtic’s achievement was that they didn’t allow those players to perform last Wednesday. What impressed me most was that rather than settling for 2-1, they went all out to kill the tie off – which they effectively did.

What makes Martin O’Neill such a good manager is that players want to play for him. They see the enthusiasm he has for the game – in particular, the winning side of it – and give their all week in, week out. A prime example of that was the Manchester United game, which was a “friendly” in name only. The fact that they wanted so desperately to win – and did – shows that they’re not prepared to play second fiddle to anyone.

I know I’m going to be accused of jumping on the bandwagon, but I’d love to see Rangers and them playing in the Premiership. As things stand, I could see Celtic joining Leeds, Liverpool and Arsenal in the chasing pack behind Man U, and Rangers finishing in the top half of the table. At the very least, they should do away with the Charity Shield, which is basically meaningless, and have the English vs. Scottish champions as the curtain-raiser to the season.

Assuming that they don’t lose the plot completely in the return game against Ajax, I think Celtic have a reasonable chance of getting through the first group stage. I’m not sure if they’re capable yet of beating a Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, but I don’t think they’d be torn apart.

I have to say that to complete my career I’d love to have played for Celtic. The deal with Liam Brady was almost done, but I was with Aston Villa at the time and Ron Atkinson had second thoughts and it fell through. I went to the title-clincher last year against St Mirren and the atmosphere was second to none. I do regret that I was never part of that as a player.

If Larry Mullen is reading this, could you put me down for some Slane tickets! I went to the band’s London gig and had a ball. If it was a Desert Island job and I had to pick one U2 song to take with me, I’d go for ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’.