Alan Browne has admitted that Ireland's game against the Netherlands on Sunday is a 'must-win' for the Boys in Green.
Ireland were deservedly beaten by France 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on Thursday night. Goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Marcus Thuram condemned Ireland to their third defeat in four games.
Ireland's chances of getting to Euro 2024 are now even slimmer. They will welcome the Netherlands to Dublin on Sunday, and both teams head into the game with different mindsets because of Thursday's results.
Holland beat Greece 3-0 in Eindhoven and can all but end Ireland's slim qualification hopes with a win.
Browne, who marked Kylian Mbappe and Theo Hernandez in Paris, believes that Ireland can't afford to lose in Dublin.
The best fans in the world, of that there's no doubt 💚
Thank you for your support and safe journey home 🤝 pic.twitter.com/mOJFK8Ku2V— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 7, 2023
When asked if the game is a 'must-win,' he responded by saying, “Yeah, it is. There is probably no hiding from that. We knew that was always going to be the case after the Greece game. Coming into this camp, we tried our best to get something from this game, but it was always going to be difficult. But we’ll try to get the crowd behind us on Sunday and make it a big occasion.
“On paper, Holland probably aren’t as good as [France], and recent success shows that, but they are still tough opposition and a big ask. But we’ll look forward to it and try to take something out of the game.”
Browne also reflected on the French result and admitted that stopping the array of French talent was always a difficult task for Ireland's players.
“Up against probably the best player in the world, and the way they operated made it extra difficult with the left-back pushing right up and pinning us in on the right-hand side,” reflected Browne. “It was probably more difficult than we expected because they played so aggressively, and we found it tough to get out and hurt them at the other end.
“It was tough mentally as well as physically to constantly stay switched on. You don’t get a second to switch off and admire their greatness. You do that when you watch it at club level or clips before the game. It was always going to be the case that they would hurt us at times, but unfortunately, they got the goals.”
Ireland's game against Holland starts at 7.45pm on Sunday.
