Friendly
27.05.2004 at 19:30 - Lansdowne Road
Manager Brian Kerr insisted yesterday that Roy Keane’s return was not an occasion of personal satisfaction for him but welcomed the availability of a player he described as ‘one of Ireland’s greatest’.Kerr was speaking after Ireland’s training session in Malahide yesterday when a squad of 26 players worked in glorious sunshine in preparation for tonight’s match against Romania and matches over the next nine days against Nigeria, Jamaica and the Netherlands.
Kerr promised that all of the players in the squad would see some playing time over the four matches and suggested that experience had shown that one or two of the younger players would come through to figure in the World Cup qualifiers next September.
He said he would delay selection of the team to play Romania until he had further fitness reports on Keane, John O’Shea and Liam Miller but said signs were good that all three would be available.
Much of his press conference focused on Keane and his return after an absence of two years and when asked what satisfaction the return of Keane gave him, he responded: “It’s not an issue of personal pleasure for me.
“I’m just doing a job of trying to get the best team possible on the pitch. The best team that is fit and eligible to us.
“It’s not about personal pleasure. It’s part of the job ... sometimes tracking down potential players good enough to play, as I did in the underage set-up and continue to do, or monitor players’ fitness and ability and desire.
“I’m satisfied that Roy has made himself available. The path is there. He’s been a great player for Ireland, one of our greatest ever and I’m delighted that it’s come to this stage.”
He added: “This series of matches is going to be a tough four games. A tough spell, but great matches for the players to be involved in.
“I’m sure some of the young players will emerge as they have done in the past. People have doubted the benefits of friendlies but the reality is you cannot throw players into competitive matches without some experience in international football.”
He spoke of the youthful nature of his squad and said: “For many of them this will be their first taste of real international football. We have a few people with very few caps and a few with 50 or 60 caps, but a lot in the low numbers. It’s a chance for them for get caps and bring them along.”
Kerr said he had been encouraged by the progress of younger players in the past 12 months and the possibility of others in the squad joining them.
He said: “Whether they emerge for September and October is questionable. It’s more likely to be from the group we’ve used already than from the group we’ll use in the next two weeks.”
He also spoke of the effect of the retirements after the last World Cup.
“The retirements of Steve Staunton, Niall Quinn and Alan Kelly ... I felt at the time that as we got involved in the European games last year, it was too many too quickly.
“Roy (Keane) being available again, it gives us an extra player.”
Kerr spoke of the positive influence of the more experienced players on the newcomers.
“Players like Shay Given, Kenny (Cunningham), Matt Holland and Mark (Kinsella) give us experience. You see it at club level with Kenny at Birmingham. Roy has continued to be that at Manchester United and of course he can help players.”
He suggested that Romania will provide a game that will be as entertaining as Ireland’s most recent encounters with Brazil and the Czech Republic.
“Romania are a really good side. They’ve played some smashing football recently, beating Germany and Italy, and I’m looking forward to a tough match and an entertaining one.”
Ireland squad: Given (Newcastle Utd), Colgan (Hibernian), Kenny (Sheffield Utd), Maybury (Hearts), Finnan (Liverpool), Cunningham (Birmingham City), O’Brien (Newcastle Utd), Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Thompson (Nottingham Forest), Clarke (Stoke City), Holland (Charlton Athletic), Douglas (Blackburn Rovers), O’Shea (Manchester Utd), Miller (Celtic), Roy Keane (Manchester Utd), Reid (Nottingham Forest), Rowlands (QPR), Doyle (Coventry City), Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday), McPhail (Leeds Utd), Kinsella (West Bromwich Albion), McAteer (Sunderland), Barrett (Coventry City), Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), McGeady (Celtic), Lee (Cardiff City), Connolly (West Ham Utd), Morrison (Birmingham City).
Romania, desperately unlucky not to reach the European Championship finals in Portugal next month, will provide stiff opposition for Ireland in tonight’s friendly at Lansdowne Road.Last month, Anghel Iordanescu's team hammered a much fancied Germany 5-1 in a friendly in Bucharest hardly the sort of preparation the Germans had hoped for in their build-up to the June championships.
Back in September, Romania were within seconds of progressing to the European championship as they led Denmark 2-1in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen in their final group qualifying game.
But Martin Laursen's injury time equaliser knocked the Romanian's from top of the group to third.
As the full time whistle blew, there were a series of unusual explosions all over Romania, later discovered by police to be televisions thrown out windows by bitterly disappointed supporters.
"That was a big set-back and now, like Ireland, we have to get on with our preparations for the next World Cup qualifying campaign," said coach Iordanescu. "The result against Germany was excellent -now we have to build on that platform against the Irish".
The Romanians are in a tough World Cup qualifying group Holland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra on the road to Germany 2006.
Apart from the victory over Germany, the Romanians have been on a spectacular recovery programme since that Copenhagen disaster.
Scotland were beaten 2-1 at Hampden Park last March, Georgia 3-0 in a friendly in the Cypriot tournament in Laranaca in February, while last November, there was an impressive 1-0 victory away to Italy in Ancona.
Iordanescu will be in charge of his country for the 77th time tonight.
But he must plan without three key players Adrian Mutu (Chelsea), Cristian Chivu (Roma) and Daniel Pancu (Besiktas).
However, as the recent record proves, the Romanians will still provide a stiff test for Brian Kerr's team.
Romania (panel): Lobont (Ajax), Stelea (Salamanca), Iencsi (Spartak Moscow), Dancia (Torpedo Moscow), Ghionea (Otetul Galati), Barauan (Dinamo Bucharest), Marin (National Bucharest), Dumitru (Steaua Bucharest), Plesan (Universitatea Craiova), Radoi (Steaua Bucharest), Petre (Galatasaray), Alexa (Dinamo Bucharest), Dica (Steaua Bucharest), Soava (Spartak Moscow), Aliuta (Steaua Bucharest), Ganea (Dinamo Bucharest), Neaga (Steaua Bucharest), Danciulescu (Dinamo Bucharest), Constantin (Brasov), Niculae (Rapid Bucharest).
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