Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane

[osarusan]

We came in the top 16 in Europe, so proud.

I think it was a decent achievement.

Overall, I think O'Neill's achievements have been decent. the 2016 Euros: Qualification for the finals and then getting out of the group - could we really have expected any better?

Even in the last campaign, we qualified for the playoffs - could we really have expected to top the group ahead of Serbia, Wales, and Austria? Certainly, being so utterly dismantled by Denmark left a bad taste in the mouth, as does the style of play in general, but I still think the achievements are decent.

If we had achieved the same thing over the last two campaigns, but done that with a more attractive style of football, would MON be getting the same amount of criticism? I doubt it to be honest.

With an international manager, all he can do is make the most of the resources at his disposal, and, with the exception of how he has used (and not used) Hoolahan, I'm not convinced that any other way of playing would have brought about greater achievements. With our players, I think that qualification itself is a success, and I don't much care how it's achieved. Failure to qualify with our players doesn't automatically mean the manager has failed either, in my opinion.

My main criticism of O'Neill is that he is overly defensive in games where he shouldn't be, and that loses us points that a less conservative set-up might have earned. But over the course of a campaign, we haven't done worse that I would have expected us to do.

[brine3]

My criticism of O'Neill is not that he is overly defensive.

[geysir]

It was in the 2nd campaign where visible management/coaching issues from the first campaign came more to the fore and there's no hope that it will get any better.
The ugly football played the "Irish way" tactic deficient hoofball, under Trap and O'Neill is the stuff of derision in Europe. Not even Lichtenstein or Andorra play football this way.
The blatantly obvious move is to change managers, allow the new one to build up a new team in a new era with the benefit of more time and patience.

[tetsujin1979]

That's what fans and board members are known for - patience

[brine3]

That's the problem. The fans and the FAI only care about qualification for the next tournament, to the detriment of the long-term development of the game in Ireland.

[jbyrne]

That's the problem. The fans and the FAI only care about qualification for the next tournament, to the detriment of the long-term development of the game in Ireland.

the development of the game in Ireland is heavily dependant on the success of the national team. Irish fans love nothing more than success and people are kidding themselves if they think fans will pay at the gate for solely for entertaining football

[IsMiseSean]

For me, the main disappointment of the campaign was at this point last year we were in a fantastic position to top the group. We had home games against Wales, Austria & Serbia, a difficult trip to Wales and a potential banana skin in Tbilisi to come.
In two of the home games we played against 10 men for 20+ mins and still couldn't win either of them.
The performance in Tbilisi was embarrassing considering we took the lead early and still couldn't win.
The victory in Wales was a lucky result and if Bale hadn't been injured we would have more than likely lost that game.
Then we had the shambles of the playoff.

Recapping it like that, how on earth can anyone think it's a good idea to go with MON for another campaign?

[seanfhear]

The Clubs aren’t trying too hard to get Martin O' Neill......coz if they were you get the impression he would be off !

[bennocelt]

I think it was a decent achievement.

Overall, I think O'Neill's achievements have been decent. the 2016 Euros: Qualification for the finals and then getting out of the group - could we really have expected any better?

Even in the last campaign, we qualified for the playoffs - could we really have expected to top the group ahead of Serbia, Wales, and Austria? Certainly, being so utterly dismantled by Denmark left a bad taste in the mouth, as does the style of play in general, but I still think the achievements are decent.

With an international manager, all he can do is make the most of the resources at his disposal, and, with the exception of how he has used (and not used) Hoolahan, I'm not convinced that any other way of playing would have brought about greater achievements. With our players, I think that qualification itself is a success, and I don't much care how it's achieved. Failure to qualify with our players doesn't automatically mean the manager has failed either, in my opinion..

Thats all very fair Osarusan, I accept some of what you said. I just dont think O' Neill is some sort of genius or that we did brilliant. For all the dosh they get, but not only that the amount of bull that comes out of them.

[jbyrne]

The victory in Wales was a lucky result and if Bale hadn't been injured we would have more than likely lost that game.

yes, lets just forget that we were missing our best player and captain in that game too.

[tetsujin1979]

Bale played in the home leg too, we didn't lose that either

[samhaydenjr]

Yeah, it's the thought of more nights like Wales Serbia & Austria at home, the Denmark games that's deflating.
Hopefully some fresh faces in the squad in March might get the enthusiasm going again.
The way O'Neill's squads have been in the past I'm expecting more of the same with the fresh faces being Alex Pearce, Stephen Gleeson & Adam Rooney.

In fairness, I think this is one area where O'Neill has been pretty successful, despite limited opportunities to blood players after the Euro 2016 qualifiers kicked off: He capped Rob Elliot just as he was about to become a Premier League regular, with the same to be said about Kevin Long, which has made us less reliant on Keogh and Pearce, along with making Shane Duffy an integral part of our central defence more than a year before he became a Premier League defender. He threw 2-cap Darren Randolph on against Germany and we know how that ended. He brought Cyrus Christie into the fold, who has proven himself a very capable back-up to Seamus Coleman.

He also gave debuts to O'Dowda, Hourihane, Browne, Arter, Maguire and Horgan who may have important roles to play in the next qualifying campaigns and should get the chance to become more integrated into the team in the coming months as well as snaring Scott Hogan, who should also get his opportunity to impress. Besides them, the likely debutantes in the Spring and Summer friendlies would be: Declan Rice, for sure; Josh Cullen, if he starts getting game time in the league; Matt Doherty deserves his shot, especially as it's looking more and more likely that Wolves will get promoted; Wessi-alike Alan Judge, now that he's returned from injury; Wessi Junior Liam Kelly; Aiden O'Brien, as we will need depth up front; Enda Stevens, Greg Cunningham and/or Kevin O'Connor as we need cover at left back.

Beyond these, it would take something pretty special from other potentials to justify a call-up over the next few months - for the likes of Shaughnessy, Carruthers, Charsley, Ronan, Doyle-Hayes, Lawlor, Byrne etc, these friendlies will likely be a little too soon (that said, O'Neill gave O'Dowda his first cap when he had only played League Two so you never know). Because when the next season starts it's likely that we will have 15-18 Premier League players who will provide the bulk of our squad - add in established internationals who will probably be playing in The Championship (Randolph, Christie, Meyler, McGeady) and there's not that many places up for grabs.

The upcoming friendlies will give O'Neill the opportunity for serious experimentation, so we shouldn't be too surprised if we have a couple of repeats of last year's disaster against Mexico. But hopefully by the time the Nations League rolls around, some of the newbies will have impressed enough to warrant an opportunity to continue playing, with an eye to having them fully ready for the Euro qualifiers in March

[seanfhear]

Perhaps Martin O' Neill could do with a new coach to freshen things up and even Martin himself .

Looking at Roy Keane would wear thin for anyone after awhile .

[liamoo11]

Will there be a home friendly in March? Don't we always have a friendly included in the season ticket in March?

[IsMiseSean]

yes, lets just forget that we were missing our best player and captain in that game too.

Fair point, but our best player was unlikely to be a match winner. As mush as I love Coleman, he isn't as influential in the attacking third as Bale.

Bale played in the home leg too, we didn't lose that either

Again fair point, but from minute one Wales were settling for a draw. If I remember correctly there were also doubts over Bale's fitness going in to the game.
Drawing at home to Wales wasn't a good result considering the position we were in at the time. If anything the Wales result along with the Coleman injury was a momentum killer and we just got worse from that point on.