Mick McCarthy is confident that if Ireland can replicate aspects of the performance against Denmark, they can then negotiate their way through the Euro 2020 playoffs.
The 1-1 draw against the Danes was not enough to secure automatic qualification. But it was a much improved showing from the Boys in Green in a must-win encounter.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, McCarthy touched on his plans for the playoffs in the Spring.
"We've got three months to prepare for that," he said.
"We'll see who we get and I'll plan for it when we get it. Play the way we played. Play as well as that and against other teams and we can beat them."
Doherty
The Ireland manager also discussed Matt Doherty, who was at fault for Denmark's goal but scored a late equaliser.
"I'm immensely proud of the players for the way they performed tonight," he said.
"And even more so having gone 1-0 down. It was a poor goal to give away I thought. [Doherty] will say his man's run on him. But he's gone and got the equaliser. So I'll forgive him slightly.
"I was giving out to him about the goal but forgot to congratulate him about the goal he scored. So I'll go back in there and do that. I'm very disappointed but very proud of the lads."
Both of those moments took place in the second-half. But it was an aspect of the first that McCarthy found disappointing from the team in general.
"I said to them at half-time, the one thing I was unhappy with was the final third. We gave the ball away far too often and didn't create enough chances when we'd won it back," he said.
"We had a great shape to the team and they'd worked really hard and not given them any chances. So for the main part, there was only the one part and that's of course the vital part: If you find a final pass and a goal. But other than that I was delighted with the first-half performance."
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