McGinley’s on target over where Ireland are lacking

THE timing of Ireland’s former Ryder Cup hero and captain Paul McGinley in coming to the defence of Martin O’Neill should stop a great number of the Irish soccer manager’s detractors in their tracks.

On Friday morning, McGinley explained succinctly that O’Neill (right) and his assistant Roy Keane have no Rory McIlroy within their squad – no ‘thoroughbred’ at hand who can dramatically and brilliantly turn a game all on his own.

McGinley spoke sense. A great dollop of nonsense has been heaped on the shoulders of O’Neill and Keane since drawing with Georgia and losing to Serbia. And anyone honestly believing that the pair of men standing on the sideline are the biggest problem we’ve got right now might help themselves to a chill pill, or better still, listen to a man who knows exactly what it takes to get to the very top and survive there.

Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup are hanging by a thread, but they are not done and dusted. The best chance we have of somehow defying our present position rests with the combined smartness of O’Neill and Keane, and more depends on this vastly experienced and successful pairing than rests at the feet of our football team, which remains devoid of serious quality.