JASON Knight says the Republic of Ireland’s games with Israel “shouldn’t be going ahead” but they are and he has to do what he can to lift himself and his team-mates for Sunday’s clash in Debrecen, Hungary.
Speaking after Ireland’s Nations League campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 1-0 loss in Kosovo, the Bristol City midfielder said: “Look it’s difficult.
“I don’t think the game obviously should be going ahead but it is going ahead. We’ll have a deeper talk about it and what that means, we’ll get our thoughts as a group and go from there.
“I’m quite experienced. None of us have gone through this scenario before but I’d like to think I’m experienced, thick-skinned and I can get through most things and that is what I will try and do.
“I’ll try and focus on the football as much as I can. I’ll give my view and my thoughts on it (the Israel games) when I see fit, but I’ll be trying to focus on the football as much as possible.”
Ireland will discuss a symbolic protest, potentially not shaking hands with their Israel opponents (they are obliged to do so according to Uefa rules) and the players could also donate their match fee (in the region of E1500) from both games to a charity and the amount may be matched by the FAI.
“There is obviously a lot of talk and rightly so about the scenario we’re in,” said Knight.
“We’ll try and review this game quickly and we’ll talk about what’s coming up, the Israel games, and we’ll go from there.
“It’s a bigger spotlight obviously and not focused on the football itself. It’s very, very unusual and none of us have come into this scenario before so we’re learning on the fly as well. So we’ll talk tomorrow (Friday) as a group and see what’s the best way forward.”
Kosovo captain Vedat Muriqi (right) struck a late winner in Pristina (Visar Kryeziu/AP) (Visar Kryeziu/AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Ireland were second best all over the field against hosts Kosovo in their opener. The Republic created just one chance in either half while Kosovo had come close several times before Vedat Muriqi finally broke the deadlock seven minutes from time.
“It’s not the way you want to start the campaign, they’re obviously a good team but I think we were definitely below our level,” said Knight who didn’t feel that the constant focus on the Israel games was a factor in an under par performance.
“It’s a disappointing goal to give away because it would have been a good result with the clean sheet.
“Maybe we were a bit too passive at times, we didn’t get up to the ball. Second half, it got a bit better but I think when you let good players around your box too easily, especially with the threats they’ve got, like you see with the goal, you’re going to come unstuck sooner rather than later.
“I think it was a mixture of they were a good team, we didn’t give our forward players enough chances to score goals.
“They pinned us back a bit too much. But I do think there were even patches in the game and they took their big chance and we didn’t take our half chances.”
“After the game the manager was disappointed, there is no getting away from that, he thought we were below our levels as well and that’s 100 per cent right.
“But he also said there is a game in two days and we’re going to have to get everyone around each other and go again because it’s going to be a big squad turnout.”