Slovakia v Russia:GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI'S Republic of Ireland were offered a Euro 2012 bail-out in the sleepy Slovakian resort of Senec yesterday but it is highly unlikely that they will even want to take up Marek Cech's proposal.
The initial notion put forward by the Trabzonspor defender may well be music to the ears of Irish fans eagerly awaiting the final two rounds of qualifiers for the finals in Poland and the Ukraine.
Confirming that Slovakia will go out all out to beat Group B leaders Russia in a Friday night game they simply have to win, Cech conceded that three points for his side in their penultimate qualifier will be just as important to those on duty for Ireland in Andorra.
“We will happily do Ireland a favour by beating Russia on Friday night but first we must do ourselves a favour and win this match for Slovakia,” said the former West Brom player.
Then came the caveat as Cech laid out the price of this particular European rescue package for the Irish in a group with four contenders still fighting for the top two spots.
“If we do Ireland a favour by taking all three points off Russia, we want to swap that with an Ireland draw against Armenia in Dublin next Tuesday night,” added the player who scored the equaliser in what was Stephen Ireland’s last game for his country, down the road in Bratislava back in 2007.
Cech’s demand is based on the fact that Russia, Slovakia and Armenia can all finish on 20 points in a group with more permutations than a Greek budget.
The downside to his payback charge for a win over the Russians is the fact that an Ireland draw with Armenia could see Slovakia qualify automatically, Russia into the play-offs and Trapattoni picking up his marching orders from the FAI.
A slight injury doubt for tomorrow’s game with an ankle problem, Cech’s first point of reference when discussing this fixture was his own national interest.
“We will do everything to beat Russia simply because it is a game we must win for Slovakia before we win it for anyone else,” said. Cech.
The Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel was another to promise one hell of a Slovakian effort as their players spoke publicly at their regular training base in Senec yesterday morning.
Skrtel, criticised in some quarters for the quality of his defending as Slovakia slumped to a 4-0 home defeat to Armenia after their deserved scoreless draw in Dublin last month, knows exactly what is at stake in Zilina tomorrow night.
“The draw is good enough for Russia and that only adds to the pressure on us,” admitted Skrtel. “We have to expect that Russia are going to beat Andorra at home next Tuesday so they can afford to come here, sit back and see what we are going to do. A nil-nil will be enough for them because a win against Andorra will see them through then.
“What’s annoying is that we had this group in our hands but we failed to score in Dublin and then we didn’t convert four or five first-half chances against Armenia and they made us pay.
“We are not scoring enough goals. I thought we played well as a team against Ireland and the first-half against Armenia was as good as we have played in this qualification group but we didn’t make it count.”
Skrtel has matters other than the Euro 2012 qualifiers on his mind after arriving late into camp yesterday.
His wife, Barbora, is about to give birth back in England and he was given leave of absence to spend some extra time with her by boss Vladimir Weiss.
“I am very nervous about the baby and hope that the baby waits to arrive until after I am finished with the match against Russia,” confessed Skrtel at a time when his fellow players need to deliver in Zilina.
Venue:Stadion MSK ŽZilina Kick-off:Tomorrow, 7.15pm
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