Brady hoping to topple France

November 14, 2009

Republic of Ireland assistant manager Liam Brady is confident the time has come for the Republic of Ireland to end their long wait for victory over one of European football’s top guns like France.

A 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Holland in 2001 represented their last major scalp but now France await in a two-leg World Cup play-off.

“I think it’s very possible, to go to Paris with a win under our belts,” said Republic assistant boss Brady.

“If we can nearly beat a team like Italy, we can do the same to France.”

Giovanni Trapattoni’s men came within seconds of a win over reigning world champions Italy last month but Brady believes they can go one better to dump France out of the play-offs and book their trip to South Africa next summer.

“I know it’s maybe been a long time coming to defeat one of the top nations but the Italian game has given us great confidence and also taught us a couple of lessons that we need to take into this game,” added Brady.

“We conceded a goal against Italy from a set-piece, which we weren’t happy with, and then we didn’t hang on to our lead when we took it with a few minutes to go.

“We have learned big lessons from that game.”

The Republic assistant insists there will be no fear in the Irish camp, despite the plethora of big names in the French camp.

“We are not worried about them at all although we respect them,” he said.

“They have some choices to make on which players to go with up front but we can go on about France all day – it’s about what we do, and our players have a great belief in what we are doing.

“There is an understanding of what game we have to play against the French and that’s what concerns me most of all.

“We stick to that and we concentrate on that.

“There’s a really good team spirit and our players know what their jobs are – each and every one of them, and there’s a belief there that, if we stick to our game plan, we can qualify for the World Cup.

“Any advantage at all going to Paris would be very, very welcome and although the pressure is on them more so than us, we are both playing for a place in the World Cup finals, so it’s enormous.

“But if we were to carry a lead to Paris, the pressure would pile on them.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: belief, belts, Brady, few minutes, France, french camp, game plan, giovanni trapattoni, going to paris, Holland, italian game, Italy, leg world, liam, Liam Brady, long wait, play offs, plethora, republic of ireland, South Africa, top guns, world champions, World Cup

Gerets stuns Marseille with decision to quit

April 29, 2009

MARSEILLLE, France (AFP) – Marseille coach Eric Gerets dropped a bombshell here on Tuesday as he told his title-leading players he would be quitting the club at the end of the season.

The Belgian coach – whose contract terminates at the end of June – has been at the club since September 2007 and has turned them into title contenders after years of failing to challenge seven-time champions Lyon.

On Monday the straight-talking Belgian had to deny he was not going to replace Jurgen Klinsmann after he was sacked from the Bayern Munich post.

Indeed Gerets, who turns 55 in May, refused to discuss his future – it has been claimed he is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal – saying it would prove a distraction for his players from their ambition of landing the title.

Gerets, a player on the Belgian side that reached the 1986 World Cup semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Argentina, also this month denied he was a candidate to become the next coach of Belgium.

By announcing his departure before the end of the season Gerets is following the example set by Jacques Santini, who announced he was standing down as France manager to take over Tottenham before Euro 2004, affecting moral in the French camp in Portugal.

Marseille – who won the last of their eight titles in 1992 – lead Bordeaux by five points though the latter can reduce it to two should they beat Rennes on Wednesday.