Gianfranco Zola backs John O'Shea for Ireland job

Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola hopes to see Ireland being competitive again and backs John O'Shea to get the manager job.

• “I don’t know John O’Shea as a manager but I know him as a player and he has always been a very good and intelligent player with a lot of experience and great coaches along the way, so he would have picked up a lot of things.”
• “Ireland always have had very good players in the team, and they always produce good talent so I really hope they can find a way and we can see them being competitive again.”
• “Roy Keane is a black and white person, what you see is what you get. I have always appreciated Roy. Playing against him was tough.”
• “Everyone would like to have the players that England or France have right now though. We have good players but unfortunately, we don’t have players at the same level of those two teams.”
• “The key for England succeeding is handling the pressure. Quality wise, they aren’t second to anyone.”
  

I don’t know John O’Shea as a manager but I know him as a player and he has always been a very good and intelligent player with a lot of experience and great coaches along the way, so he would have picked up a lot of things.

If he gets the Ireland role, I hope he can do a very good job. Ireland always have had very good players in the team, and they always produce good talent so I really hope they can find a way and we can see them being competitive again. Ireland are a team I like a lot.

Roy Keane is a black and white person, what you see is what you get. I have always appreciated Roy. Playing against him was tough. You needed those types of players, and he was a game changer from making it a normal team to a great team.

Nobody thought we could win the Euros two years ago. Everyone would like to have the players that England or France have right now though. We have good players but unfortunately, we don’t have players at the same level of those two teams. But we are very good as a team. We have an amazing coach and I believe that in competitions like the European Championships, it is the team as a whole that can win it. In the past, teams like Denmark and Greece won it. They didn’t have the best players, but they were excellent as a team. We will rely on that a lot. 

We don’t have any pressure. We know that we aren’t favourites, and we don’t have big expectations. We are going there in a good mood. France of course are the team to beat along with England. France have so many good players so for sure, they have to be a favourites. England have the players; the Premier League prepares the players at a very high level. 

Portugal and Germany have very strong teams too, so these are the teams up there. However, there is space for others to get in the mix like Spain and Belgium, so it’s going to be competitive.

The key for England succeeding is handling the pressure. Quality wise, they aren’t second to anyone. It’s a big competition and there will be attention and expectations on the players so the way they handle it will make the difference. There will be moments in the tournament where they will be tested, and those moments will determine if they get to the end or not.

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