Off the Christmas card list

Looking beyond Keane, 'dirty' Ireland faces Russia

DUBLIN (Reuters) -- Morale in the Ireland squad has not been affected by the controversies swirling around former captain Roy Keane, coach Mick McCarthy said on Tuesday.

After lambasting McCarthy and senior Irish players in interviews and his recent autobiography, Keane generated more lurid headlines at the weekend when he was sent off for elbowing Ireland midfielder Jason McAteer near the end of Manchester United's English Premier League game at Sunderland.

"It's something that doesn't concern me, it happened between two players on Saturday, it doesn't impinge on what I'm trying to do with this squad," McCarthy said.

"This afternoon we had a very, very vibrant, spirited training session by the players... team spirit and morale is not an issue with us."

The furore surrounding Keane, who was sent home from Ireland's World Cup camp in Saipan after a furious row with McCarthy, has been threatening to overshadow Irish preparations for their opening European Championship 2004 qualifier against Russia in Moscow on Saturday.

The last time the two sides met, in a pre-World Cup friendly at Lansdowne Road in February, Ireland were comfortable 2-0 winners, but McCarthy is expecting a tough game.

"Russia in Moscow is a notoriously difficult place to go and play," said McCarthy, speaking at a media conference at a Dublin airport hotel.

"It'll be a tough game, they've made lots of changes. It's difficult to go there because the Russians have good footballers."

The Irish coach made light of comments earlier in the day by Russian goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin, who accused Ireland of being a "dirty team."

"We are a competitive team, [but] we play as good football as any other, we pass most teams off the park -- the Dutch [beaten 1-0 in Dublin last September] will testify to that," he said.

"We compete, it's a little unfortunate, but there's another name I'll cross off my Christmas card list."

Ireland and Russia are seen as the two strongest sides in qualifying Group 10, which also contains Switzerland, Georgia and Albania.

Russia goalkeeper accuses Irish of dirty play

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin set the tone for Saturday's European Championship home qualifier against Ireland on Tuesday when he accused the Irish of using "dirty tactics."

"They are a dirty team," Nigmatullin, who played against Ireland in a friendly last February, told Russian reporters at his team's training camp outside Moscow.

"They try to hit you in the back, hit you from behind, use their elbows, all that stuff, so we have to be careful," he said.

Alexei Smertin, who will lead his team against Ireland in the group 10 opener in the absence of injured captain Yegor Titov, was equally wary of Ireland's tactics despite not playing in the 2-0 defeat in Dublin.

"I know that players on many teams in the West are specifically instructed to use their elbows and aim for the head when they go for high balls," the Girondins Bordeaux midfielder told Reuters. "In France, for instance, it's a common practice."

But Spain-based Dmitry Khokhlov had a different view.

"Irish -- a dirty team?" the Real Sociedad midfielder said when asked about Nigmatullin's remarks.

"No, I don't think so. Yes, they are tough, emotional and often they try to run you over, but I wouldn't call them dirty."

Russia coach Valery Gazzayev said he had warned his players against underestimating their opponents.

"The Irish don't have superstars on their team, but we all know they have plenty of other qualities like toughness, character and their fighting spirit is second to none," the coach said. "We regard them as a very serious opponent, one of our main contenders in the group."

Injury worries

Aside from traditional Irish determination, Gazzayev has plenty of worries on the injury front.

The Russians, already without injured midfielder Marat Izmailov and his Lokomotiv Moscow team mate, striker Ruslan Pimenov, in addition to Spartak playmaker Titov, lost two other key players to injuries on Tuesday.

Defender Vyacheslav Dayev is ruled out with an ankle injury, while his CSKA Moscow team mate, striker Denis Popov, pulled a thigh muscle.

"Both Dayev and Popov got injured during the [CSKA's] match against Torpedo on Sunday," said Gazzayev, who also coaches the army side CSKA. "They arrived in our training camp yesterday, but after a medical check-up both were sent home."

The Russians are also missing Spartak striker Dmitry Sychyov, who walked out of his club two weeks ago after a contractual dispute.

The 18-year-old, who was Russia's best player at this year's World Cup finals, is ruled out because, according to Gazzayev, "he is not mentally fit to play on such a high level."

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