Thomas Delaney has moved to clarify his statements critiquing Ireland's style of play following Friday night's 1-1 draw in Copenhagen.
The midfielder had previously said the Irish style was akin to 'opening a tin of beans with your bare hands' after successive scoreless draws.
Mick McCarthy's side struck late to earn a priceless away point in the Danes' backyard and speaking after the game, Delaney said that he respected the Irish tactics.
"That thing wasn't meant in a negative," he told Off The Ball's Nathan Murphy.
"I have the greatest respect for people that exploit their strengths. I'm a simple player as well. They've evolved a little bit.
"Today was difficult. Ireland [matches], in the last couple of years, are some of the hardest games we have played.
"That's something to consider when we had that 5-1 game. In the end, I think we did well. We had a decent game in the second half and still ended up 1-1. That tells you a lot about the game."
James McClean with Thomas Delaney. Image: Ryan ByrneDelaney's verdict
Pressed as to whether the draw was a fair result, he said: "Honestly, that doesn't matter. You could say it wasn't. I don't think anyone cares about that.
"We had a feeling that we could have done better. You know, we could have been sharper.
"Sometimes you've got a player like Duffy with a big body and a great ability to jump and head. That's very difficult to defend."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
