Ahead of Ireland's crucial Euro 2020 Qualifier against Denmark tomorrow night, it is difficult not to look back at past comments from the Danes about this Irish team. They are two sides that are incredibly familiar with each other, with this set to be their fifth meeting in the past 18 months or so.
Familiarity can often breed contempt, and that seems to be the case here. Denmark have been less than complimentary about Ireland in the recent past, especially when it comes to their style of play.
Thomas Delaney compared playing against Ireland to 'opening a can of baked beans with your bare hands', while Christian Eriksen claimed the Irish were 'too afraid' to attack after a Nations League meeting last year.
Speaking in Copenhagen ahead of tomorrow's game, Ireland captain Seamus Coleman said he took little notice of the Danes' derogatory comments, and they will not be on the players' mind heading into the game.
It wouldn’t be my way to come out and speak bad about other players, definitely not, but that is their way of doing it, that is their tactic.
It can be a great motivation for the boys if that’s the case, for other lads it’s just a game tomorrow night, you are playing for your country.
I say it all the time, regardless who you are playing, you have massive pride in wearing that jersey. You have fans coming over and watching back home I’m more worried about impressing them than the Denmark players.
While it may have only been two games against lesser opposition, the signs were there in March that Ireland may employ a more attractive style of play under Mick McCarthy. The game against Georgia in particular offered some sources of encouragement, and it will be interesting too see if that can continue against a higher quality opponent.
The result will be all that matters in this one, however, and McCarthy admitted during the same press conference that a draw would be a good result for his side.
I’d be thrilled with a draw, which is not to say that we have come here to sit back and not try to win the game . . . we will approach it in a very attacking, aggressive way.
We played Gibraltar, a game we had to win and we barely did that. We played well against Georgia and I guess the blueprint here is to play as well as we did then but I’m fully aware that Denmark are a a very different proposition.
