MARTIN O’Neill admits the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup 2018 qualification draw “could have been worse” following a relatively kind outcome.
As fourth seeds, Ireland were braced for a mammoth task, but Serbia are arguably the toughest opponents in a group that also includes Wales.
#WC2018 qualifiers draw... Group D: Wales Austria Serbia REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Moldova Georgia
— Irish Post Sport (@IrishPostSport) July 25, 2015
Austria will also be tricky, while Moldova and Georgia make up Group D, meaning there’s no heavyweight of the European game involved in the table.
The group winners will advance automatically to the event in Russia, with the runners-up to be placed in a play-off, and Ireland manager O’Neill accepts that he’s had a stroke of fortune.
“I must admit, I was a wee bit concerned when Serbia came out after us,” he said following Saturday’s draw in St Petersburg.
“I thought that would leave the top two teams pretty difficult. Austria are on a very good run at this moment, and obviously Wales have propelled themselves forward brilliantly recently.
“But overall, it’s a draw we think is okay. It could have been worse, it could have been a lot better.”
