O’Neill plans ‘peace’ talks with Koeman

Martin O’Neill will seek talks with Ronald Koeman after rejecting the Everton manager’s claim that James McCarthy was wrong to declare himself fit for the Republic of Ireland last week.

The Republic manager has plenty of sympathy for Koeman after right-back Seamus Coleman had his leg broken in two places in the match against Wales. O’Neill wants to speak to Koeman to address that and the continuing tension between them regarding McCarthy.

O’Neill pulled McCarthy out of the Ireland team just 10 minutes before kick-off last Friday, after the player complained of tightness in his hamstring. But there has still been criticism from Everton, who felt the midfielder should not have been pushed to play in the game in the first place.

O’Neill’s relationship with Koeman has been a strained one, with both trading barbs, via the media, after the Dutchman accused Ireland of “overloading” McCarthy, who has completed just two 90-minute games for his club this season, when he played back-to-back internationals against Georgia and Moldova last October.

O’Neill has already tried to speak to Koeman once, but the Everton manager did not return his call. “James wanted to play and he was fit to play,” said O’Neill. “Let’s put a couple of things to bed. He didn’t train the first day, which was nearly understandable. He trained the last couple of days, but he overstretched in the warm-up, felt something, and I didn’t want to take the risk.”

Asked if he would try to speak to Koeman again, O’Neill replied: “I’ll give him a shout. If he doesn’t want to talk, that’s fine, no problem.”