FROM THERE TO HERE
How O’Neill and Keane went from ‘dream team’ to target for fans
November 2013: The FAI unveil their ‘dream team’ appointment of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane (right) and pack out the Aviva Stadium for a friendly match with Latvia that kicks the new era off with a wave of positivity.
May 2014: Roy Keane is approached by Celtic in their search for a new manager but he declines the offer and stays with Ireland.
September 2014: Aiden McGeady’s injury-time winner in Tbilisi gives O’Neill a vital win in his first competitive game in charge and it’s followed up by John O’Shea’s equaliser to take a point from world champions Germany a month later.
November 2014: Keane is involved in an altercation with an Irish supporter in the team hotel. The fan – who was known to Keane – was brandishing a copy of the Corkman’s autobiography.
The Irish number two is subsequently involved in an angry exchange with senior Irish journalists.
June 2015: O’Neill is on sticky territory following a 1-1 Dublin draw with the Scotland side that had beaten Ireland in Glasgow the previous November, a gathering that was overshadowed by the Keane incident.
October 2015: Shane Long’s winner gives Ireland a stunning victory over Germany that secures a play-off place; Scotland’s failure in Georgia the previous month had opened the door. Ireland have a chance of automatic qualification but lose in Poland. November 2015: Ireland secure a 3-1 aggregate win over Bosnia & Herzegovina to qualify for Euro 2016.
June 2016: The France adventure ends in the round of 16 with Ireland bouncing back from a grim defeat to Belgium to secure a famous success over Italy courtesy of a Robbie Brady header. A French team which had three extra days to prepare ekes out a 2-1 win in the afternoon heat of Lyon.
September 2016: O’Neill signs a new contract that was agreed before the Euros but was never actually signed. November 2016: James McClean’s winner in Vienna leaves Ireland top of their World Cup qualifying group with 10 points from 12.
March 2017: Seamus Coleman (left) breaks his leg in a 0-0 draw with Wales and is ruled out of the rest of the campaign.
September 2017: Ireland’s loss at home to Serbia essentially ends their hopes of automatic qualification.
October 2017: McClean’s second-half winner in Cardiff knocks Wales out of the World Cup and gives Ireland a chance to make the finals in Russia via a play-off. O’Neill’s team land Denmark
in the play-offs. The FAI announce that O’Neill will be staying on as manager for the Euro 2020 race.
November 2017: After a scoreless draw in Dublin, Ireland’s World Cup bid ends in tears after a 5-1 drubbing at home to Denmark. The extent of the defeat and the criticism in the aftermath raises questions about O’Neill’s future in the job – with his tactical approach coming under heavy scrutiny.
January 2018: O’Neill is approached by Stoke to speak about the managerial vacancy and, while the Premier League strugglers have other options, he is asked to take the role and decides against it after a ‘will he,
won’t he’ saga that causes a major stir in Ireland. He formally signs his new contract at the end of a fraught period.
March 2018: Declan Rice (above) makes his senior Ireland debut in a 1-0 friendly loss in Turkey and is the brightest spot to take out of the training trip. May/June 2018: Harry Arter clashes with Roy Keane before Ireland’s double-header with France and USA. Keane also argues with Jon Walters. The row is about players sitting out training and Rice witnesses part of Arter’s furious disagreement with Keane.
August 2018: Rice asks to be left out of the Ireland squad for the UEFA Nations League opener with Wales after an approach from England and Gareth Southgate. O’Neill publicly confirms that Arter had an “altercation” with Keane in the summer but says the rows have been cleared up. September 2018: Arter – who has been named in the provisional squad – is left out of the final squad for the Wales and Poland matches after telling O’Neill he wants to take a break from international football. Ireland are hammered 4-1 in Cardiff and things go from bad to worse when a leaked WhatsApp audio message sent by Stephen Ward (above) to his friends details the extent of Keane’s outburst at Arter. O’Neill stands by Keane.
October 2018: Rice asks for more time on his future, with O’Neill asserting that both the player and his father have told him that the Arter episode had nothing to do with his dilemma. Arter returns to the squad after holding talks with Keane and the manager. Ireland draw 0-0 with Denmark and then lose 1-0 to Wales in front of a subdued Aviva Stadium.
November 2018: Ireland’s winless and scoreless run is extended by a pair of 0-0 draws with Northern Ireland and Denmark. O’Neill is called to a meeting which leads to the end of his tenure as Ireland manager with his entire management team also departing.