Euro 2012 Preview: Republic of Ireland

30May 2012

EURO2012

Giovanni Trappatoni has turned Ireland into a team that is proving very difficult to beat. They have more than held their own against some of the strongest sides in Europe in recent years and in no small part to the effect that the new manager has had on the team. Ireland are not amongst the favourites to win Euro 2012 but they are certainly on the list of dangerous teams that no team in the world would relish playing.

Ireland are grouped in with Spain, Italy and Croatia and so they have one of the toughest groups in this tournament. Ireland have never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of any international tournament and a World Cup quarter-final in the 1990 World Cup is their best showing to date where they bravely went down 1-0 to the hosts Italy when Jack Charlton was their manager.

Ireland will seriously have their work cut out to even qualify from this group. It is difficult to see Spain not coming in the top two places and so the other three teams do appear to be fighting it out for the third qualifying spot. Many people are looking at Italy as that second qualifier but should they lose their opening game to Spain and Ireland defeat Croatia then the pressure will be on them and that could work to Ireland's advantage. They will look to players like Robbie Keane to perhaps get the goals that could take them to the quarter-finals.