Christian Eriksen thought he knew what to expect from Ireland. They all do.
The Danish playmaker was asked about getting around the Irish, dividing them and conquering them, and he almost shrugged his shoulders as if it wouldn’t be anything he hadn’t come across before.
“They will play the way they have in previous games, with a lot of people behind the ball so we’ll have to play quick and open up the game,” the Spurs star said during Friday evening’s press conference.
Eriksen, and seemingly the people of Denmark, knew the Irish would be tough but they didn’t know it would be like this. They didn’t know that they’d be dragged into a dog fight trying to just battle for oxygen before they could even think about the ball.
If they thought they were coming up against a spirited defensive unit, they really didn’t factor in the fact that they’d have a team of mostly Premier League athletes not just sticking religiously sticking to their dirty tasks all night but actually doing it out of enthusiastic free will.
"On Friday night, you got another little taster of what O'Neill does best" – @ConanDoherty from Parken Stadium https://t.co/RVDMONIzG3
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 10, 2017
After Eriksen had his say on how he thought the game would go, O’Neill came in with Robbie Brady and the mood was lighter.
There was no burden or worry on the Irish because they’re able to perform their jobs a lot more consistently. They play the game on their terms and that gets easier to do when teams like Denmark think something will eventually happen for them.
Brady was told about the Danish quotes, of how they were talking about breaking the Irish spirit and getting through them with football. Brady’s response was simple.
“They can try.”
And they can keep trying if they like because Martin O’Neill has a team here ready to constantly go an extra yard. They genuinely must be a pain in the arse to play against – 10 supreme athletes who won’t just piss off and, when you call them ultra defensive, they still get their chances. Randomly, freakishly, however it might be – the chances comes and they’ll keep coming.
In the mixed zone after the game, as the players streamed out by reporters with their heads bowed, just trying to get to Tuesday without any extra hassle, David Meyler buried himself in the middle of the journalists and popped his head up every so often amidst the chaos.
“James, a few words?”
It only stopped being funny after he did it the fifth time but even something like that gives you an indication of where the Irish are at. Morale is good, they’re producing, they’re delivering and they’re united in this mad intent on suffocating other countries.
Seamus Coleman was there, giddy. Jon Walters was deep in conversation and David Meyler was excitably joking around, probably thrilled at the idea that he’ll be back by the time the teams meet in Dublin.
Then, it will be more of the same. The Danes might not take the Irish defensive system for granted this time but they might have a few more headaches wondering how on earth they can breach it.
They’ll come to Dublin with new ideas and refreshed energy, this time ready to go toe to toe for 90 minutes. But whilst some might say they’re better than us and will dominate the game again, many teams are and many teams still fail.
They try and fail. Denmark, on Tuesday, can try again.
They can try.
