Here it goes, the last roll of Ireland’s World Cup dice. Go big or stay home.
Nathan Collins wants the Aviva Stadium to be a fortress that unsettles Portugal, Heimir Hallgrímsson has promised his team will take calculated risks and Ireland are flying in a Major League Soccer player from New York for his maiden international call-up.
Indications, if needed, the qualification campaign has reached the clutching at straws stage.
Ireland’s World Cup fate will be decided over the coming days – it could all be over on Thursday night in Dublin or should results go Ireland’s way then there will be one decisive final dice roll in Budapest on Sunday. Either way, there is a reckoning on the horizon.
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But Collins insists there is still confidence within the squad that a World Cup appearance is what remains on Ireland’s horizon.
“That’s where the belief is coming from, the faith we have in each other means we believe it’s possible to get a win against a big nation,” says the Ireland captain.
“We’ve come close in a few games, not quite getting over the line, but the belief in this squad is that we have it to get that big result. Why can’t there be one here?”
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The Ireland captain has had a very positive start to the Premier League campaign at the heart of Brentford’s defence this season – with the Bees taking huge satisfaction in making the Gtech Community Stadium a difficult place for opponents to visit.
Brentford have played six home league games – winning four and drawing one. A 1-0 loss to Manchester City is their only home league defeat this term.
And Collins wants Ireland to make the Aviva a cauldron for Portugal on Thursday.
“That’s where we gain our motivation, that teams are looking at us and going, ‘Ah, not Ireland away.’ I think that builds confidence, it builds motivation, and you just have to bring it out on the pitch then,” he says.
“You want to create that kind of fortress at home and make it tough for teams coming here.”
In that regard, Collins believes the fans inside the old Lansdowne Road on Thursday night will also have a part to play in trying to upset the visitors.
“They [fans] have a massive impact on us and how we perform with the energy they can give us. But we have to help them with that, we have to give them something to support and cheer about.
“It works both ways but when we’re both at it and both pushing the same way, it’s hard to stop us.
“It’s what we do on the pitch, it’s winning your duels, winning your battles, playing forward passes, getting in behind them, creating horrible situations for the opposing team.
“Once we do that, I think the fans back us even more. They get louder and when the opposing team have the ball, they feel more pressure. It creates an energy in the stadium where the opposition team just feels it, it’s not nice to be in that moment.
“Personally, from my own experience of being in those situations, it’s hard to play your best football. So, we want to create situations that teams aren’t comfortable in.
“Wrecking their flow but also putting pressure on them because I feel when they are under more pressure they might make more mistakes, they are not as confident as they are at home when their fans are backing them.”
With goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher now playing behind Collins with Brentford too, their growing understanding should benefit Ireland. Kelleher made the move from Liverpool to Brentford during the summer.
Under the stewardship of Keith Andrews, Brentford are 12th in the table with 16 points after 11 games.
“It’s always nicer winning football matches, it changes your whole week, it changes your whole mindset on everything really,” adds Collins.
“And the fact me and Caoimh can create a relationship at both club level and country, I think it’s very positive. He’s in great form, he’s an unbelievable keeper.
“It should hopefully bring more confidence in with us when we go to games like Thursday because we have played together so much.”
And Collins is not surprised to see Andrews start his managerial career on a strong footing either.
“I’ve known Keith since I was 15, I’ve had him as a coach for a long time, I knew what he was like when he was here [with Ireland], I knew him last year when he was set-piece coach too, I had no doubt he’d step up to the role and do what he does best, and he’s fit in seamlessly.”
