European Cup Qualifier
06.09.2003 at 00:00 - Lansdowne Road
There are no prizes for guessing the gift that Ireland’s captain, Kenny Cunningham, about to make his 50th international appearance, wants from this afternoon’s game against Russia.Cunningham emphasised how dearly he and his colleagues prized the three points that are at stake, three points that would go a long way towards facilitating their qualification for the European Championship finals in Portugal next year.
Cunningham is the type of pragmatic professional whose facial expression does not always mirror the internal feelings he may be harbouring.
Yet it was clear from his comments yesterday that the experience he had endured exactly twelve months ago with Ireland had left a wound that still ached. It was the day Russia scored four against Ireland to pitch the Republic's European Championship prospects into turmoil.
"It was hugely disappointing to concede four goals" he said, "But at this level if your concentration levels aren't good, if there is any laziness or complacency around, you know you are going to get punished."
Ireland's problems were soon compounded when they lost in Dublin 1-2 to Switzerland when they gambled in going for a winning goal with the teams tied 1-1. It is easy to be wise with hindsight of course, but the defeat cost Mick McCarthy his job and left Ireland struggling.
Said Cunningham: "The pleasing thing is, after the Switzerland game we all set ourselves a target of winning our next four games and putting ourselves into a position where going into this Russia game, two wins from our last two games would see us qualify from this group.
"That is the best we could have hoped for, and that is exactly where we have put ourselves, so we're pleased with that. But at the same time that's tempered by the fact that we are still not guaranteed a place.
"It's strange the way it has worked out. We could win the group or a play-off position or we could lose out totally. The next week particularly, with Russia playing Switzerland next Wednesday, is going to be a crucial."
His pragmatism emerged once again when he added: "But all we can affect is the result at Lansdowne and everybody is very focused. There is a good buzz everybody realises the significance of the game."
Everybody is also well aware, he stressed, of the ability of Russia "They are a very dogged team who are technically very good.
"Like Brian [Kerr] has suggested, the position they are in previously they might have come in a defensive mode and looked to pull players behind the ball, I don't think that's going to be the case.
"They are going to have to win the game, they are going to have to score and I think they are going to push players forward into advanced areas of the pitch and hopefully we can exploit that. I think we have the players who can exploit that so it promises to be a very open game of football."
Cunningham is a player whose contribution to Ireland has been under-valued in some quarters. He is not the big, physical type of centre-back that teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United tend to favour but his value nationally and to his club, Birmingham, is not under-estimated by his managers. He is quick, agile and reads the game so well that he is seldom isolated one-on-one with big strikers when the ball is in the air.
His career with Ireland began on April 24, 1996, when Ireland played the Czech Republic in Prague and he recalled: "Football works in cycles and I've had a great run on the international stage.
"I was very impressed when I made my debut alongside some fabulous Irish internationals, the likes of Big Paul (McGrath), Ray (Houghton), Andy Townsend, Denis (Irwin). I could name any number of players.
"But after they departed the scene we got a younger group of players, a very talented group who have now firmly established themselves in the international set-up, so that's just football, that's the way it works."
He spoke of his attitude to his landmark 50th cap "I'm looking forward to the game but not for that particular reason. It is of such importance to everybody, to the players, the staff and the country as a whole, that's the only thing that is important.
"It will be a proud moment but no more than I was for any other of my 50 caps. That's pretty much a trivial thing in many respects, the important thing is the result of the game."
He was satisfied the team had addressed and solved the defensive problems they had in Moscow.
"That's been better over the last couple of games. We had potential banana skins away to Albania and Georgia and we've overcome them.
"That's been down to the concentration levels of all the players and the discipline shown as much as the kind of individual ability that we have. So hopefully that will stand to us in the games against Russia and Switzerland.
"I don't think we're going to carry any baggage from the game in Russia," he said, "the nature of the game is that sometimes you cannot control the things that happen out on the pitch.
"We are confident, certainly not over-confident, and we'll give the Russians the respect they deserve. But at Lansdowne, in front of our own supporters, hopefully we can rise to the occasion as we have done before."
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