Martin O'Neill has dismissed suggestions that his Republic of Ireland side can now target top spot in their Euro 2016 qualifying group after nicking a point away to Germany this week.
The Derry man watched his side secure a point in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday thanks to a last-gasp John O’Shea goal against the world champions that cancelled out Toni Kroos’s opener, but he laughed off suggestions today that anyone other than Joachim Löw’s side would top Group D.
Poland and Ireland lead the group on seven points, as it stands, with Germany and Scotland three points behind them.
“Oh, I think we’re getting carried away with ourselves here,” O’Neill told Talksport today when asked if winning the group was a possibility. “We’re a long way from that, absolutely. Germany are definitely the strongest team in the group.
“I think you wouldn’t get much odds about them finishing top of the group.”
O’Neill did concede, however, that the fear Germany would “wrap the group up” early and then take their “foot off the pedal” against Ireland’s rivals is no longer there.
“Now that they’ve dropped a few points themselves every game is obviously of some sort of consequence to them.”
Ireland's result in Germany was made all the sweeter considering O'Neill had to plan without full-back Séamus Coleman and his Everton team-mate James McCarthy, both of whom were ruled out of the international break through injury by Toffees boss Roberto Martinez.
That caught the Ireland manager a little off guard, but O’Neill insisted he had no problem with the situation once he spoke with Coleman, though he is eager to have both players on board for the trip to Glasgow to face Scotland on November 14th.
“I would love have both of them available for next month, that would be very important. Of course, I was disappointed that they didn’t make it but I did speak to Séamus himself, and I know his real keenness and eagerness to play for the Republic of Ireland, so when he said he didn’t feel good at all about it, I took that as read. Absolutely, I took him at his word and without any problem.
“Next month, the only thing I can hope for is that the very best players that we have can be available for that game.”
Despite Hull City’s David Meyler putting his “body on the line for the team” in Coleman’s absence - against Gibraltar and Germany - O’Neill is “hoping to rectify” the lack of cover at right-back “in the next couple of weeks”, presumably with the recruitment of Cyrus Christie, though he didn’t specifically mention the Derby County defender today.
Amid reports that Aston Villa's Birmingham-born midfielder and Ireland under-21 Jack Grealish has decided to represent the senior side rather than commit his international future to England, O'Neill added: "I have no idea about that there. I spoke to Mr Grealish (Jack's father) a while ago. I left it in their hands rather than trying to pry something out of people long before they wanted to make a decision.
“I think at that time young Jack wanted to concentrate, quite rightly so, in getting into Aston Villa’s first team and trying to become a regular in that side. I’ve had no conversations since.
“Some things apparently have sprung up that I’ve only been aware of, possibly only about half an hour before I’ve come on to your programme. So, no, I would be delighted to have him but I am absolutely not pressurising either himself or his family into making a decision that they don’t want to make at this stage.”
