We have reached rock bottom and it won’t get better unless a change is made.
It has been an awful year for the Republic of Ireland national team. It started with a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Denmark and ended with a turgid goalless draw against the same side.
In fact, the rot started before that pummelling by the Danes. Martin O’Neill’s team haven’t played well since the 1-0 victory over Austria in November 2016.
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— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 19, 2018
Ireland have played 20 games since the start of 2017. They have won just four of those matches. They beat Uruguay 3-1 in a friendly in Dublin in June 2017. They recorded an extremely fortunate 1-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff last October and a home win over Moldova. In 2018, there was a victory against the United States at the Aviva Stadium thanks to a last-minute goal from Alan Judge.
They have lost eight games in that period, the defeats include the 5-1 to Denmark in Dublin, a 4-1 loss away to Wales and a 1-0 defeat at home to the same opponents. Ireland last scored a goal at home in a competitive match over a year ago. They haven’t scored in over six and a half hours of football.
In their last 11 games, they have won just once. They have scored five goals and conceded 15. Against Northern Ireland at home, they had 39 per cent possession and Darren Randolph was man of the match.
In that time, O’Neill’s excuses have proven completely hollow. They have been debunked for the fatalistic nonsense they are.
He has regularly complained that his team lack technical ability and therefore we cannot expect much more from them. Yet, they were outplayed by Northern Ireland, a team who aren’t as talented as the Republic.
Michael O’Neill has forged a competitive team, with a clear idea of play, from players who feature for sides such as Oxford United and Burton Albion.
A Wales team without Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale outplayed Ireland in Dublin – they also had more Championship players in the side.
Attitude towards Stephen Kenny becoming Ireland manager shows what is holding Irish football back | @RobRedmond10 https://t.co/Jy1IbtxKK0
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 22, 2018
Another of O’Neill’s frequent complaints has been that the team lacks a “natural goalscorer.” However, what effect would a clinical striker have in a team that don’t create any goalscoring chances?
When was the last time Ireland created a clear chance in a match? Possibly the move that led to Judge scoring against America back in June.
In a competitive match, it was Jeff Hendrick’s run to set-up James McClean’s goal against Wales in October 2017.
Regardless of who the striker is, it won’t matter in a team that cannot create chances because they aren’t receiving the level of coaching needed to… Listen. This is pointless.
Criticising O’Neill’s performance as Ireland manager has become as tedious as the Ireland games. There is nothing new to say, little that can be added to the mountain of evidence that suggests he should no longer be the manager.
It’s about what happens now and the general consensus is that the association can’t afford to sack O’Neill and his management team.
In effect, they can’t afford to do the right thing. If this was club management, O’Neill and Roy Keane would have been gone by now.
It was clear from the night of the Denmark debacle last year that there was no way back for the them. This is now a zombie team, limping hopelessly from damaging result to damaging result while the manager says the same things in every single press conference.
The association needs to act. The short-term cost of paying off a failed management team would be expensive. Yet, they never should have been given contract extensions anyway, and if they are allowed to continue, the long-term cost could be greater.
O’Neill won’t change so he needs to be replaced. If not, Ireland appear unlikely to qualify for Euro 2020. They will be third seeds for the qualification group.
- Is there any evidence to suggest that Ireland are capable of finishing second or first in a group containing two sides of better quality?
- Is there any evidence to suggest that they could win a playoff against a team of equal quality?
- Is there any evidence from the last year to suggest that Ireland under O’Neill could even score a goal against a team of equal or better quality?
- Is there any evidence to suggest that the team can even create a clear goal scoring chance under him?
- Would you accept a free ticket to watch play Ireland under the current management team?
The answer to all of these questions is, unfortunately, no.
Ireland are now happy to be mediocre and it looks like we better get used to it | @RobRedmond10 https://t.co/tKo4KYwn2g
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 13, 2018
There has been a lot of unfortunate comparisons between the Irish rugby and football teams over the last few days. There is little merit doing so because the two contexts are so vastly different.
The Ireland rugby team are the second best side in the world and have beaten New Zealand, the world champions, on home soil for the first time. It was a wonderful achievement.
But there are only eight or nine international teams of note in world rugby. The “world” is effectively nine countries in rugby. That doesn’t diminish their achievements. It just puts them in context.
The Irish football team play in the most competitive region of the world’s most competitive sport. Irish football has also been negatively affected by globalisation. Fewer and fewer Irish players compete at the top level due to the increased levels of competition and players now available to English clubs. Without a fully professional league, and with an archaic development model, it shouldn’t a surprise to see the national team struggle.
But these are macro issues. On a micro level, Irish football can learn from Irish rugby on one significant matter – the importance of a good coach. Joe Schmidt leaves nothing to chance. O’Neill leaves his team exposed with his laissez-faire approach.
The Irish football team needs what Schmidt brings to the rugby team – structure, organisation and a clear tactical plan. If that happens, they will improve. They aren’t world beaters but they’re better than we have seen over the past year.
If not, under O’Neill, the Irish team are going nowhere.
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