Meyler knows he must do more to get back in team

‘ROW’ WITH O’NEILL JUST WHAT DOCTOR ORDERED

DAVID MEYLER has revealed that he too had a bust-up with the Irish management team – only last week.

But the Reading midfielder claims Martin O’neill was right to haul him over the coals in front of the other players.

A cynic might suggest that news of this training ground altercation was all a little too convenient yesterday.

It was, after all, offered up by O’neill himself during the course of his pre-match press conference in Poland …. with Meyler sitting beside him.

Meyler – who has captained the team a number of times – was promoted to top-table duties as regular skipper Seamus Coleman is out with a foot injury.

There was an air of ‘this happens all the time’ as those in the firing line sought to paint an all-is-rosy-in-the-garden picture.

But the facts suggest the opposite.

Players don’t just quit international football – as Harry Arter did – because of a run of the mill row.

And managers don’t tend to find themselves having to publicly back their assistants twice in the one week.

But anyway, yes, Meyler too had a flare up with the staff – albeit nowhere near on the same richter scale as the other ones.

Meyler didn’t feature in the defeat to Wales last week despite being on the bench and cut a frustrated figure on the training ground at Dragon Park the following day.

O’neill said: “He didn’t train brilliantly the next day, not brilliantly and he’s a very, very good trainer and I’ve the utmost regard for him

– but he didn’t train well.

“When I asked him he said he was disappointed at being left out of the team and I said you have to do a wee bit more at club level and look at your form.”

Reading midfielder Meyler admits frustration got the better of him.

The Cork man said: “I was frustrated that I hadn’t played and the manager is correct in what he said.

“I hadn’t trained brilliantly. My emotions were sky high with the manner in which the game went and not playing.

“First and foremost you’re a fan of your country’s team and they are all my friends playing.

“It’s disappointing and obviously I don’t want to hear Wales go on about it after our victory 10 months previous.

“The manager said some things to me, yeah, but first and foremost you do have to look at yourself in the mirror.”

Meyler continued: “Is my club form good enough? No. Are Reading in a bad situation? Yes they are.

“First and foremost I need to address myself which I respect. He was right. At the time I was upset and annoyed.” And yet Meyler is adamant that morale in the camp is not at rock bottom – far from it in fact.

Fans will wonder about that though in the wake of all these bombshells and the fact the team conceded a whopping nine goals in their last two competitive games.

“Unfortunately we were beaten but when you talk about the mood in the camp, the morale is fine, it’s very good and there’s no problem there.”

But Stephen Ward inadvertently launched a torpedo into choppy waters yesterday when his Whatsapp message went viral.

Unlike O’neill and Keane, Meyler has a degree of sympathy for his team-mate, although still brushed the question off by claiming not to be up to speed.

“Look, it’s very difficult because he has trusted someone with something, it’s obviously disappointing that it has got out there,” he said.

“What’s said we don’t know, we don’t know what happened, I was training at the time I don’t know what was said or happened.

“I wasn’t there and I can’t speak on behalf of Stephen, I can’t speak on behalf of

Harry or Jon.

“You hear things.”

First and foremost I need to address myself which I respect. He was right. At the time I was upset and annoyed

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