O'Neill relaxed ahead of Latvia friendly

Martin O’Neill is all too aware that the relatively relaxed mood around the Irish football team at the moment will not last long, claiming that this is “the ten minute honeymoon period.”

“I said to the security man, Bobby, who’s been minding me the last few days: ‘you don’t have to mind me now, Bobby. It’s after a few results that I’ll need minding,” quipped O’Neill.

The Derryman was relaxed but gave nothing away as he undertook his first pre-match press conference as Ireland manager, choosing not to continue with the preference of his predecessor, Giovanni Trapattoni, who always named his team at least 24 hours prior to kick-off.

“I’ll wait until tomorrow, if you don’t mind,” said the former Celtic manager. “Obviously I’ve thought about it but, like I said previously, there will be some experimentation. I’d like to give some players who don’t play tomorrow night some time in Poland. Likewise, some players who play tomorrow night will have to sit it out in Poland.”

Having only met the players for the first time less than a week ago there would be no chance O’Neill would have an idea of who is best eleven was, something he was quick to point out.

“It might be a different story completely if tomorrow evening was the first competitive game, and even then I might not know the best eleven here. By the time we come together in September inevitably there might be some changes.”

Robbie Keane, whom O’Neill has chosen to remain as captain for the upcoming two matches, believes that the new managerial team will give the side a much needed boost.

“The response in the last two weeks from the whole nation has been incredible. I think that’s the lift that everybody wanted. You don’t get two bigger characters than Martin and Roy and I think everyone is enthusiastic about this new partnership.”

A cause for concern for O’Neill may be the fact that, apart from Keane, his other four strikers have scored only nine goals between them this season. O’Neill understands that this may be a problem for his side and called on his players to take more responsibility in front of goal.

“I take the point,” he said. “Outside Robbie we probably don’t have many people that score too many goals at international level. His own record is phenomenal. What I’d like is for players to take responsibility. If they’re anywhere near goal and they have a shooting opportunity I’d like them to do that.”

The former Sunderland manager doesn’t want his players to get bogged down in the numerous stats that dominate the modern game and instead concentrate on the most important factor; goals.

“The game seems to be so full of stats nowadays. There are stats for passing…stats for picking you nose. The important stats are scoring goals. They’re there somewhere along the way probably stuck about fifth down the list. If we’re in or around the box I’d like the players to go for goal. I would have thought that was natural but sometimes it’s left out.”

Giovanni Trapattoni came in for much criticism towards the end of his tenure but both Keane and O’Neill were quick to praise the Italian. “I’m not going to criticise the previous regime because, as far as I’m concerned the manager did a good job,” said Keane.

Keane’s attitude to Trapattoni was something that pleased O’Neill. “I’m pleased he answered that way. I’ve seen this far too many times in the past where a manager has come in and you get a couple of the players who haven’t participated in recent times under the previous manager saying ‘life is great again’. Then you get those same players playing in the reserves two weeks later.”