Time right to change says Keith
KEITH ANDREWS reckons Martin O’neill’s style of management belongs in a bygone era after exiting the Republic of Ireland dugout.
O’neill paid the price for a year that has yielded just one win from nine games after showdown talks with the FAI on Tuesday night.
His No.2 Roy Keane left too, ending a five-year stint that saw them reach the last 16 at Euro 2016 only to be relegated from their Nations League group.
And former Republic midfielder Andrews said: “The first three-quarters of this reign has to be seen as a successful period.
“The areas where it falls down ... 10 years ago that type of management may well have worked and we have a lot of players who’ve retired in the last year to two who would have been used to that.
“But players now need different requirements.
“So if Martin is that kind of man-management, quirky manager we’re used to seeing on TV and interviews, that’s fine.
“But then your backroom staff have to complement that and if that’s not the case it’s going to fall down – especially when players are getting the level of detail they are now at club level. It doesn’t happen with this Ireland team.
“It had got worse, going from game to game, system’s not similar, players playing out of position. Cyrus Christie being a prime example in central midfield like a fish out of water.
“I have sympathy for him but it simply hasn’t worked and it’s the right time to change.”