“When has winning never been enough?”
James McClean used his post-match Sky interview on Sunday night to level with the Irish media.
Despite winning two World Cup qualifiers in the space of four days, the Republic of Ireland team have come in for some criticism for what was an unconvincing performance against Georgia and a game that was looking a little hairy against Moldova for a while.
McClean struck twice in that 3-1 victory in Chisinau and hit out at the reporting afterwards.
“We got a lot of flak after the Serbia game and a lot of flak after the Georgia game, I think unfairly so.
“I think the Irish press needs to have a bit of a reality check: We’re not going to blow teams away, we know that. We’ve always been a team that works hard.
“When has winning never been enough?”
And the Derry man’s display was full of anger and aggression.
McClean is a player with passion and emotion, he plays how every one of us promises we would play if we were given the chance but there was something more about the way he went about his business against Moldova. There was something biting.
He was responding to challenges, getting in faces, having none of it basically.
He was playing at the very edge with pure aggression.
Even when he scored, he was angry. He wasn’t finished.
But he harnessed the emotion and released it.
O’Neill did have to intervene at one stage and Seamus Coleman had words.
Even afterwards, even after his two goals, his captain still wasn’t happy.
There was a moment in the second half against Moldova when Coleman was defending down the right and he had to win the ball and knock it out of play. He turned around and absolutely lambasted McClean for not closing in quickly enough and doubling up.
Even with the win all but secured, the captain demands more of his team. But it’s all based on love.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLQiwYthA4g/?taken-by=sportsjoedotie
Still, after the goals and the points and the release of energy, McClean appeared before the cameras after the game and he was still raging.
So he finished his peace.
“For some reason, the media… it’s a no-win situation: We play pretty football and, if we don’t win, ‘aye, well we should’ve won’. We don’t play pretty football and we win, ‘well, we need to play better football’.
“I’ve always been one of those people, a win – no matter how it comes – is sweet.”
His comments have split the country though who are in two camps of either being thankful or expecting better.
Reality check please.
Why is Martin O'Neill and Ireland getting so much stick today. 7 points from 3 games is good going. Some people need a reality check.
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) October 10, 2016
Media problem, not the fans.
it's definitely the media, fans happy with 7 points. Yeah we can play better but we will in bigger games #coybig
— Colm Dooley (@colmdooley) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/ConorWhelan2/status/785534819748970496
Think McClean has a point here. More so with pundits on TV: https://t.co/WIUFjI0Omt
— Pearse Corcoran (@pearsecorcoran) October 11, 2016
https://twitter.com/mossy1906john/status/785390694294847488
It's got that Ireland got 6 points out of 6 and got our goal difference up also as it is vital towards the end of the campaign #COYBIG 🇮🇪
— Alan (@AC_1197) October 10, 2016
Not all fans are happy though.
https://twitter.com/luftmo/status/785743678623154176
https://twitter.com/Woolberto/status/785208583872970753
And don’t shoot the messenger.
the way he speaks to Tony O'Donoghue is a disgrace.
— Shay K (@famousseamus333) October 10, 2016
But O’Neill’s tactics were right, Ireland gifted Moldova their only chance.
https://twitter.com/beckoj71/status/785225834810445824
We’re not Brazil, we’re Northern Ireland.
the Irish press think Ireland should play like Brazil or Germany..time to cool the jets and get a reality check please #COYBIG
— Tyrone Power (@tyrone00030) October 10, 2016
Sssss…sssorry…
James McClean having a right pop at the Irish press and people giving the team "flack". Sorry fella.
— Simon Johnston (@jontylad) October 9, 2016
There are bigger problems at hand in fairness.
https://twitter.com/KevoC2/status/785215734976811008
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