O'Neill feels Ireland forging ahead

The football family came together on Thursday to launch Dublin’s logo as a host city for UEFA Euro 2020. However inevitably the questions that were posed to Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill at the event revolved around the current campaign which is to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

O’Neill was speaking to the media on the day that his team moved up ten places to reach a five year high of 23^rd spot in the FIFA rankings – a jump all due to Ireland’s impressive 1-0 win in Austria earlier this month. extratime.ie asked the Ireland boss about that victory and his view on seeing his team top their current Russia 2018 qualifying table.

“We've played three matches away from home and taken ten points on the board, which is great, but 2017 will decide everything,” said O’Neill whose next match will be the visit of Wales to Dublin.

“The great thing about it is, regardless of who we have available in March, we'll go into the game with some confidence. That becomes very important - if the players are really confident, they can give their very best, and that's all you can ask for.

“I think it’s a great boost for us, absolutely,” said O’Neill about Ireland’s first competitive away qualifier win over a team ranked above them since 1987 – something the former Northern Ireland international wasn’t aware of before the victory in Vienna. 

“That’s not something you think of going into a game. We went into the Austria game thinking it would be great to get something out of this match and not to be beaten but then we go and score the goal and you think ’we can get 3 points here’.

“Overall I think the other teams (in the group) would have been surprised (with the win in Vienna). I think Wales and Serbia would have been surprised at our result in Austria.”

2011 is the last time Ireland had such a high FIFA ranking and if Ireland can continue getting good qualifying results, it will help their ranking and crucially help their chances of making it to Russia. It will also aid Ireland’s seeding for qualification for the Euro 2020 tournament.

“The rankings aren’t anything to go by but it is good news. It seems as if things are rosier than perhaps they were before. You can be a bit sceptical about all these things but it's nice. I suppose it is some sort of testament to the side that we're doing alright and forging ahead.”

Whether O’Neill will still be in charge for the next Euros, remains to be seen. “I wouldn't have a clue. 2020? For someone of my age, that's a long time away.” O’Neill, along with Roy Keane, will be in Tallaght this evening to watch Dundalk in Europa League action.

Dublin is one of 13 host cities for 2020 European Championship finals – 60 years since the first running of the tournament - along with Amsterdam (Netherlands), Baku (Azerbaijan), Bilbao (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Glasgow (Scotland), London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy) and St Petersburg (Russia).

Should the Boys in Green qualify for that tournament, two of their three group games will be held in Dublin. So extratime.ie asked O’Neill did he think that adds to the pressure of qualification when it begins? “Whoever is in charge and whoever is playing at the time, it will feel a great incentive.

“I suppose there'll be a great pressure as well because you don't want that opportunity to pass you by. When will it ever come around again? But that's what you should be thriving on. You should be wanting to participate obviously some home games and just go for it when it comes around?”