Republic of Ireland v Denmark preview: Mick McCarthy's side face must-win Euro 2020 clash against familiar foe in Dublin
Mick McCarthy is convinced the Republic of Ireland can exorcise their Denmark demons and clinch their place at Euro 2020 with victory in Dublin on Monday.
McCarthy's men will run out knowing a win in their final Group D fixture will secure a top-two finish and mean they avoid a tricky play-off campaign.
It will be the sixth time the sides have met in two years and the Republic have won none of the previous five, drawing four and losing one, although McCarthy insists that has to change some time.
McCarthy does not believe for one minute that there is as big a gap between the two teams and is confident Ireland will give a better account of themselves than they did back in 2017 when, after drawing the first leg of their World Cup play-off 0-0 in Copenhagen, they returned to Dublin with high hopes only to be trounced 5-1.
"When people tell me that 'You haven't beaten somebody for so many times', well, I always believe it's about time we did and that's the mentality that I try to instill into everybody else," said McCarthy.
"Just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it's not going to happen again. There's loads of places being flooded in England at the minute - they've never been flooded before, but they are because it's been raining a lot.
"I just think that for us, always there's a big performance in us that can win a game. If I don't believe it, I might as well go home - and I'm not going home anytime soon."
Asked by a Danish journalist if he accepted that Age Hareide's team is technically better than his, McCarthy - who as a schoolboy watched then Second Division Sunderland stun the mighty Leeds to lift the 1973 FA Cup -puffed out his chest and said: "If I sat here and said I was better than everyone else, you wouldn't believe me, would you?
"It doesn't concern me, people's opinions don't concern me, because it's on the day.
Republic of Ireland v Denmark talking points
Heavy artillery
McCarthy took few risks for Thursday night's 3-1 friendly win over New Zealand when he left most of his key men sitting on the sidelines with the Danes firmly in mind. Goalkeeper Darren Randolph, just one game into his comeback from a thigh injury, and striker David McGoldrick, who missed last month's double-header in Georgia and Switzerland, are fit to return to a team which is missing only suspended skipper Seamus Coleman.
Surprise package?
If the manager's team selection against the All Whites was a tacit admission that those who played major roles would not be expected to do so again on Monday evening, Jack Byrne's withdrawal with 27 minutes remaining might have been significant. The Shamrock Rovers midfielder's invention and confidence on the ball could prove useful in a tight encounter and he may just have played his way into McCarthy's thoughts.
Troy of the Rovers?
Seventeen-year-old Tottenham striker Troy Parrott was quietly impressive on his first senior appearance for his country against New Zealand having proved his potency at Under-21 level. While it would be a push to expect him to contribute in such a high-profile fixture, he has remained with the squad and it would be in keeping with his meteoric rise if he got a chance to prove his worth and did just that.
Revenge mission
A succession of Ireland players have been at pains to deny that revenge is on their minds as they prepare for the game, but for those who were involved when the Danes came to Dublin for the second leg of a World Cup play-off two years ago and left 5-1 winners, the scars remain. Righting the wrongs of that evening may not be the main focus, but victory this time around would be all the sweeter as a result.
Exorcising the ghost
November 18 is a date which is engraved into the Irish sporting psyche. It was on that day in 2009 that the Republic drew 1-1 with France in Paris as their dreams of making it to the World Cup in South Africa were ripped apart on a night which will always be remembered for Thierry Henry's unpunished handball. A win this time around might just create a more positive association.
Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC
Related football links
MOST READ FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL TIPS
