The Derry man is playing it cool after this morning’s draw.
We know the opposition, we know when we’ll be playing, and now we know how Martin O’Neill feels about having to face Bosnia for a place in Euro 2016.
Ireland were saddled with the Edin Dzeko led side after this morning’s draw in Nyon, and we’ll face them on Friday November 13th November and at home on Monday the 16th.
The Republic of Ireland manager was speaking on Sky Sports this morning, and he sounded quietly confident after drawing a team we’ve only faced once before, when Shane Long grabbed a goal in a 1-0 friendly win at the Aviva in 2012.
“If there is any advantage to be had, then we have the second game at home in Dublin, but that said we need to perform out in Bosnia to make sure that second game means something. That will not be easy but the draw is there and we have a chance.”
Goal-scoring hero Shane Long is already a major injury doubt for the games next month having picked up an ankle problem in the loss to Poland last Sunday.
O’Neill is hopeful that the Southampton man will be fit for the game, but admits it’s a race against time for the Tipperary native.
“We do have few weeks and I spoke to Shane a few days ago and he’s optimistic. But like everything else and these kind of injuries you’re going well for a little while you may have three or four days where the injury is not healing up as quickly as you’d imagine. We’ll play it by ear and and we have a little bit of time.”
Ireland have a terrible history in play off, having won only two ties in our history, against Iran 2001 and Estonia in 2011.
O’Neill is well aware of our record but doesn’t feel that his team should be afraid of the Bosnians.
“We obviously have a few problems with the suspensions to John O’Shea and Jonathan Walters, and who knows what happens over the next few weeks playing at club level. But whatever we have when the time comes, we’ll go for it, we’ll give it everything we’ve got to try and get to France.”
