Yes, we know we’re Ireland.
Yes, we know we’re not that amazing and we know we’re going to try and slog it out for a place in Russia.
We also know that Denmark couldn’t be much worse than us and they too have aspirations of making it to the World Cup and doing it in similar fashion.
But it was hard not to celebrate when the choice was between Italy and Denmark in the end but the Danes too were delighted with the draw.
Despite the joy in the SportsJOE Live studio as the names were picked out of the bowl, European Football Correspondent Jonathan Wilson didn’t share the Irish enthusiasm.
Asked if we should be as happy as we were, the renowned English journalist had just one simple answer.
“No! I really don’t think so,” he said.
“I was listening to you there thinking, ‘oh no, this is going to go horribly wrong.’
“Of those four teams, in recent historic terms, Denmark are the least good – that is true. But I think they’ve been playing really well recently. Their qualification was made much harder than it should’ve been because they lost two of their first three games.
“But look at how they’ve played recently – not so much the last two games but the two games in September in particular. They beat Poland 4-0 and I know you were saying that Ireland had the measure of Poland in the last qualifiers but I think this is a much better Poland team now.
“I think there’s an element of people not taking this Denmark side seriously when I think this is a much better side than what Denmark have had certainly since they qualified for the Euros in 2012.”
Wilson thinks Italy were the side to draw.
However, he does think the Danes won’t be jumping up and down about drawing Ireland. Even if it is for an insulting enough reason.
“[They’d have had] a reaction of terror, I would’ve thought,” Wilson said of Denmark.
“Ireland, nobody wanted them. It’s one of those games, and I don’t mean any offence by this, but there’s no real glory in winning that game.
“If you’re outside looking at Ireland’s squad, there’s not a name there where you’re thinking, ‘I must rush along to the stadium to watch whoever.’ No-one’s ever gone out and bought a ticket to watch David Meyler play.”
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