SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 14 hrs 8 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Matt Doherty: 'Republic of Ireland can do what Wolves did'

:Headline: Matt Doherty: 'Republic of Ireland can do what Wolves did': ID:361051: from db_amp
The wing-back helped promoted Wolves to finish seventh in the Premier League.

Matt Doherty has challenged the Republic of Ireland to do to their Euro 2020 qualifying group what his club Wolves did to the Premier League this season.

The top-flight newcomers made a nonsense of the step up to the big time when, to the surprise of many outside the camp, they finished in seventh place and were left kicking themselves after an FA Cup semi-final defeat by Watford.

Doherty has since joined up with his international team-mates ahead of their Group D qualifiers against Denmark and Gibraltar and, with six points already banked, he is confident they can make an impact.

Asked if the Republic could ruffle feathers in the same way Wolves have done, the wing-back replied: "Definitely.

"We have obviously started off with six points out of six, and that is probably why Friday night is so important.

"If we can get a result going into Gibraltar, maybe have 10 or 12 points by the end of the summer, it goes a long way towards qualification, which is the end goal."

Doherty has been a key figure in Wolves' impressive start to life among the big boys, but neither he nor his team-mates are prepared to rest on their laurels after securing European qualification as a reward for their efforts.

Asked if challenging for the top four was too much to ask, he replied: "Possibly, it's kind of hard to say now.

"I guess it depends on how we start the season, especially with Europa League qualification – we might need to make the squad a bit bigger if that was the case.

"Initially, we will be just looking to improve on seventh. There were a lot of games against the lower-half teams that we lost when you would expect us to maybe win, so from this season, there's a lot we can improve on."

If Doherty is a mainstay for his club, he is having to remain patient at international level with skipper Seamus Coleman the man in possession at right-back.

Manager Mick McCarthy played both down the right in Gibraltar in March, although later admitted the ploy had not worked.

However, Doherty is confident they can play together if required.

He said: "Me and Seamus have spoken and spoken about it and we didn't think we were that bad, actually. Not much came off in that game for anybody, really, it was just one of those games.

"But we believe we can play in the same team, we can work together."

amp_article__361051 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-06-04 06:21:21:
html db last update - 2021-02-16 18:00:59 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Matt Doherty

Click here for more stories about Wolverhampton Wanderers

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .