Martin O'Neill...

The funny thing is MON pulled a masterstoke givig him the captaincy. He was our best player over the two games. I said to my mate on friday night thats bizarre giving meyler the captaincy. I said MON's decisions are getting more and more bizarre. We picked up 6 points. I was wrong, Meyler could now conceiveably be 1st pick and vice captain. Well done MON.

Did Trap Junior write this?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-i-love-the-irish-team-but-still-hate-the-way-they-play-qxzgrqhsf?shareToken=aff22dfabdf70e646c2c3e78a7c395d7

Stickittotheman wrote: The funny thing is MON pulled a masterstoke givig him the captaincy. He was our best player over the two games. I said to my mate on friday night thats bizarre giving meyler the captaincy. I said MON's decisions are getting more and more bizarre. We picked up 6 points. I was wrong, Meyler could now conceiveably be 1st pick and vice captain. Well done MON.

Fair enough. It's also [possible that he may play terrible in one of the playoff games and be never be seen again. Who will be captain in the 1st game given that Meyler is out? McClean this time?  MON has had more captains than the Starship Enterprise.

Green Devil wrote: I'm sure O'Neill wanted some sort of continuity regarding the captaincy. With all due respect his hands were tied to a large extent. McClean was suspended for the Moldova game, Whelan on the back of a below par performance against Georgia was replaced in the team by Meyler who got MOTM against Serbia. O'Shea is a bench warmer, Coleman was injured as was Walters! Also with Shane Long's worrying club form he may not have been an automatic choice to start against Moldova. So Meyler was probably one of three choices who O'Neill would have fancied as captain, the others being Clark and Duffy. All in all is it a big deal? No.

Exactly.

TJ hasn't said who he would have picked. He's had a chance, hasn't said yet, and continues to criticise. There's no persuading him and none so blind as those who refuse to see.

SuperDave84 wrote: Green Devil wrote: I'm sure O'Neill wanted some sort of continuity regarding the captaincy. With all due respect his hands were tied to a large extent. McClean was suspended for the Moldova game, Whelan on the back of a below par performance against Georgia was replaced in the team by Meyler who got MOTM against Serbia. O'Shea is a bench warmer, Coleman was injured as was Walters! Also with Shane Long's worrying club form he may not have been an automatic choice to start against Moldova. So Meyler was probably one of three choices who O'Neill would have fancied as captain, the others being Clark and Duffy. All in all is it a big deal? No.  Exactly. TJ hasn't said who he would have picked. He's had a chance, hasn't said yet, and continues to criticise. There's no persuading him and none so blind as those who refuse to see.

And what can you see exactly?  Any ecxuse for a sing song and a piss up? I see a team playing dire stuff and relying on series of others results and somehow end up coming out of things rosy.  MON is like Homer Simpson int the nuclear plant who does everything wrong but still ends up landing on his feet.

You want a simpsons reference?

Four points against the top seeds in two consecutive campaigns, including against World Champions Germany. Hard to see us bettering that regardless of any change in style. 

This has been an interesting read but ultimately it comes down to opinions.

Its clear that Trap Junior is not a fan of the style of play with which we have conducted ourselves under MONs tenure, but presumably you are happy with the outcomes?

Did you see the last 16 of the Euros as a success or failure?

Would you see losing in the play offs as a success or failure if it was to happen? Or neither?

Remove your clear dislike of Martin O'Neill and answer the questions subjectively. I've seen alot of rhetoric about our 'hoofball' style of play but Ive yet to watch any of the players we have put out show that we can play anything but a direct style.

Now lets go back to the earlier questions. Presumably even you through gritted teeth might acknowledge the Euros was a success, glorious failure in the WC might not.

My final question to you - would you rather we played a passing game and didnt qualify or the direct style we employ and do?

Its my honest opinion that O'Neill and Keane have weighed up the quality of the squad available to them and decided the way they are going to play. Keane in particular enjoyed a stellar career with success at domestic and european level alongside some of the greatest players of his era, so even if you doubt O'Neill, Id back Keane knowing a footballer when he sees one.


Here is the interesting variable - we arent in and around the camp building upto games. We only get what is fed to us by the media and the odd nugget of information/hearsay from a forum member claiming to have inside info. Which leads me onto...

Captaincy selection. McClean might be a regular starter but picking him for captaincy would be a massive no-no. He was excellent v Wales but his discipline lets him down and his ability to throw in a rash challenge doesnt make him a candidate.

Perhaps Meyler has shown himself to be a strong and vocal member of the group in the team environment. Perhaps he is well respected, applies himself professionally and is an all round good bloke. Perhaps they feel he will handle the media better then, for example, Shane Long (1 goal in 24 games) or others.

Ultimately though, whether Trap Junior or any other of his naysayers like it or not, and despite you not liking his style of play, he has actually had to make some decisions that have got us to where we are. He is the reason we have exceeded mine and many other Ireland fans expectations in the past 4 years.

Do you honestly think we have the players to knock it around and carve teams up or do you just want that because you see other more technically proficient teams do it? We've been playing direct for as long as I can remember watching and that wont change, O'Neill or not.

There are 54 teams in European qualifying of which 13 (plus Russia) get a place. Thats roughly a 25% chance of making it. Add into the mix that according to the seedings we are amongst the 28th-36th best teams for it and our chance diminishes even further. Despite your constant reminders that Wales would (and were) be nothing without Bale there are many other teams that are reliant on one, maybe a handful of players. You may disagree but I wouldnt see any of our players walking into any of the best international sides. We simply dont have that luxury which makes what we are doing all the more remarkable.

And yet you are moaning because MON doesnt play more attractive football.

Villa enjoyed there most constant success in their recent history under o Neill getting them very close to champions league football losing a league cup final and an fa cup simi final.
All the while playing nice football.
The wage bill did increase but was due to bringing in an increased number of players.

Any points that a valid you either dismiss as meaningless or chose to ignore them.

These discussions are pointless as you refuse to acknowledge any of his good work instead you choose to point that Ireland play poor football under him and ignore the results.
Trap we have been playing similar football to this for the best part of 30 years