James McClean says he is “100 per cent” sure he will be available for Sunday’s game against Poland despite an ankle problem that required the Wigan winger to undergo a detailed assessment on Tuesday.
The results of the tests appear to have been broadly positive and the player is more positive than that even if assistant manager Roy Keane still mentions the northerner as being one of those with a doubt hanging over them.
“Gibbo (Darron Gibson) didn’t train” said Keane this morning after the squad’s session at the Aviva stadium. “McClean and Wardy (Stephen Ward) are obviously doubtful but James is more hopeful than the others for the weekend and we have a few days to play with so it’s not the end of the world.”
The general view is that anything less than a win would be but Keane insists that while the target is certainly three points, the result can only be assessed afterwards when there is some sort of context.
“A win would be nice after the disappointment of Scotland,” he says. “You can’t have too many draws. Some days you get good draws and bad draws; like the one in Germany is no doubt a good one.
“But the mindset at home is to go win the match. Afterwards, a draw might not be a bad result but our mindset before the game is to go and get the win. The slip up in Scotland is one that we don’t want to cost us too much, but the mindset with the manager, staff, players and fans behind us has to be to go try win the football match.”
Aside from the points, a victory this weekend might make Lansdowne Road seem like a more formidable place to come for visiting teams, a sense that everyone agrees Ireland could do with restoring.
“It used to scare the home team!” Keane says of the old stadium with a smile. “If you want to do well in any campaign you have to have a decent home record. I’m guessing a lot of teams have come here and enjoyed the Aviva but it’s up to us to be on the front foot and get the fans behind us.
“The atmosphere will be brilliant but it can’t just come from the fans, it has to come from the players too. But we will be making tackles, creating chances and putting bodies on the line and that will get fans right behind us. The old Lansdowne was brilliant, always a great atmosphere but in terms of the atmosphere for Sunday? That’s the least of our worries. That will take care itself, I think it will be electric.”
