Zlatan Ibrahimovic not Sweden's only threat, says John O'Shea
Wednesday 8 June 2016 16:19, UK
John O'Shea feels it would be folly for the Republic of Ireland to focus all their attention on Zlatan Ibrahimovic when they face Sweden on Monday in their opening match at Euro 2016.
Ireland headed for France on Wednesday to take up residence at the picturesque Trianon Palace hotel, close to their training base at the Stade de Montbauron.
They did so knowing their first Group E game against the Swedes could prove crucial to their hopes of making it through to the knockout stages with tougher opponents in Belgium and Italy waiting in the wings.
Getting the better of a side which boasts Ibrahimovic may be easier said than done, but O'Shea says there is plenty of quality in their squad beside the striker, who continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.
O'Shea said: "When you qualify for a major tournament, you know you are going to be facing quality players, and we are preparing already for Sweden.
"But watching some of the clips, it's not just the one player we have to watch out for.
"I know one or two of their other players from the Premier League and they have some good quality which shines as well from the balls that he plays into them, so if you are paying too much attention to one player, the other lads get the benefit of that.
"It's an all-round thing, you have to keep an eye on not just him because he is given almost a licence to roam wherever he wants.
"It's not just down to one Ireland player either, it's the communication from the back four to the midfield, and that's going to be key."
O'Shea is one of only four members of the Republic squad who were involved at the Stade de France in 2010, when controversy was the order of the day in their World Cup play-off defeat against France.
The 35-year-old says Thierry Henry's 'handball' goal, which allowed France to squeeze through in a fiercely contested play-off, will have no impact at all on their clash with the Swedes.
He said: "Look, it's a different opposition this time, obviously. We are playing Sweden, we are not playing France - yet - so it's a case of we go, we deal with Sweden there, they are the first team up.
"Hopefully we keep those performance levels up, but we get a change in the result, that's for sure."
