O’Neill on the brink after a turbulent year as Ireland boss
Poor home performances have spelled the beginning of the end for previous Irish bosses and, after a turbulent year, the Irish manager’s future will be determined by the Dublin double-header
MARTIN O’NEILL is already aware of the school of thought that he is two more bad games away from a serious debate about his future.
He’s dealt with the question on more than one occasion over the past fortnight and it’s clear that he believes such talk is premature.
O’Neill has conceded that he is under pressure, but added the important caveat that he’s carried that burden since he stepped into management.
It was significant, though, that a query about the implications of this Dublin double-header on Tuesday was met with a response from the top table that chipped away at the standing of these UEFA Nations League matches.
“I had a possibility of leaving to go to another job and I thought I’d like to stay on and see if we can qualify for this competition,” said O’Neill, with the nod to the Stoke-driven turbulence in the aftermath of the last meeting with Denmark. “The Euros start in earnest in March time or so.”
The sentiments were effectively echoed yesterday, with the new initiative described as the ‘preliminary’ phase of the 2020 attempt.
“When the competition starts in earnest in March, you would hope that the players who would be top players for us would be available again,” stressed the Irish manager, highlighting his weakened hand for this autumn.
In other words, he was making it clear that he expects to be in the hot-seat for the campaign proper no matter what happens in the intervening period.
Alarm
We know that’s what the FAI want too. They can’t really afford to dispense with his services; but neither can they afford to miss out on a tournament they are co-hosting.
If the next two competitive matches go as badly as the previous two, then the alarm bells will have to sound. As a board, they would be failing if they didn’t at least discuss if they were happy with the team that will lead them to what promises to be a hectic 2019.
The only lengthy period for reflection will be the winter, so the FAI hierarchy will need to be reassured ahead of the 2020 draw in Dublin on December 2.
After all, they tend to be uncomfortable when the scrutiny turns towards their judgment.
This is why the UEFA Nations League has become a very serious business for Ireland and it goes beyond the points at stake and the seeding value associated.
These games are about O’Neill showing that he retains the ability to galvanise the group and deliver a performance. He dislikes the grouping of the Denmark and Wales drubbings because they were split by 10 months.
Yet the counterpoint to that is that the gap between the matches left open a long period for reflection and the hope was that Ireland would come roaring back with a response. Cardiff was embarrassing, a word that Jonathan
Walters used in the aftermath.
The circus around it didn’t help, of course, but Ireland’s performance was scatterbrained. They fell short in all of the basics.
Ireland’s weaknesses are well documented, and O’Neill’s calling card was the ability to make this group difficult to beat. For Wales, it was painfully easy.
The excuse last November was that Ireland went chasing the game and were picked apart accordingly. Last month, Ireland were torn apart in the opening minutes.
The preparations have been tweaked this week, and it’s fair to say that management are aware that the spotlight is on them, even if they might dispute the idea of their position being in jeopardy.
After an open training session at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, training took place behind closed doors until a 15-minute glimpse yesterday ahead of the standard pre-match media briefing.
Roy Keane press conferences are off the agenda for the time being. There is no room for distractions.
A Danish journalist asked a couple of questions about Stephen Ward’s WhatsApp and Harry Arter’s strife with Keane yesterday, and was bemused that the locals weren’t going down that route.
He was duly informed that those matters had been discussed to death over the past month. The Irish group are trying to move past it, yet the most effective way to do that is to win a game. Otherwise, the baggage will hover in the background.
And the fans will have their say too. The FAI have ensured that there should be a healthy attendance present this evening with a promotion drive for this game including the generous distribution of tickets.
They have announced that 46,000 tickets are ‘gone’ which is a bit different from stating that 46,000 tickets have been sold – although one tweet from Abbotstown did actually make the claim. It doesn’t tally with anecdotal tales. Schoolboy clubs around the Dublin area have received tickets by the dozen.
If the stadium was filled with empty sections, there would be unflattering commentary so the FAI could cry ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ about any criticism of this strategy.
O’Neill referenced the likely footfall as evidence that the fans retain support. “I don’t think the fans have deserted us by any stretch of the imagination,” he said, “There’s going to be a really decent crowd.”
Excuse
That statement has to last the test of time. Free tickets can create an illusion which can only exist for so long.
Consistent performances and victories are what drives customers to consistently dig into their pockets. The parents that bring kids with freebies along need an excuse to come back.
And, while the Aviva Stadium does not have a reputation for hostility – in terms of intimidating an away side or letting an underperforming home team know what’s what – there are regular matchgoers that will make their voice heard this evening if they are unhappy.
They will be seeking value for the money they have actually spent.
In another week of stormy weather, the FAI will also get a sense of what way the wind is blowing come 9.30pm this evening.
The end of every recent Ireland manager’s reign can be traced back to a deflating Dublin night that drained hope.
For Mick McCarthy and Brian Kerr, it was frustrating grapples with Switzerland. For Steve Staunton, it was a draw with Cyprus although he never fully shook off the baggage of the reverse fixture in Nicosia a year earlier.
For Giovanni Trapattoni, it was a loss to Sweden in a match where Ireland bred false hope by taking the lead. Trap was on shaky ground following a humiliation at the hands of Germany the previous October and O’Neill’s task now is to avoid a scenario where the World Cup playoff loss to Denmark takes on similar significance in hindsight.
There’s a symbolic element to the Danes rocking back into town.
Christian Eriksen’s absence has arguably succeeded in increasing expectations, much as O’Neill has reasonably pointed out that he is missing key men too.
Pride has to be restored here. If history repeats, then his regime will move a step closer to the past tense.
A feature of O’Neill’s tenure has been big performances when they weren’t expected. Another is required tonight.