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15th November 2018
11:32pm GMT

Michael O'Neill's team were structured and organised. They attempted to play out from the back and only went direct when they had to. They were limited in the final third, but they exposed the Republic for the ramshackle side they have become over the last year. If they had been clinical with their chances, and had slightly more quality and composure in front of goal, they would have comfortably won this game.
Darren Randolph was named the man of the match for a game against Northern Ireland at home.
https://twitter.com/RobRedmond10/status/1054670485361958912
While Ireland managed to escape without suffering another loss, this was a clear defeat for the "we don't have the players" brigade. Yes, the Republic of Ireland do not have world class players available to them. That is obvious to anyone who has ever watched this team play.
However, the team aren't struggling because we don't have enough good players. And the lack of quality in comparison to previous teams isn't an excuse for the manager's poor performance. The match against Northern Ireland exposed that tired old excuse for the nonsense it is.
Martin O'Neill's team were outplayed by a side of inferior individual quality. On the basis of individual talent, how many of Northern Ireland's side would start in the Republic team? Yet, they fully deserved to win that game.
It's not O'Neill that has been dealt a bad hand here, it's the players. They desperately need a coach or this will only get worse. Under him, the Republic of Ireland are now a zombie team, without a plan or confidence. The players look lost and confused.
At the end of the match, boos rang around the Aviva Stadium. It wasn't for a referring decision or an opposition player. They booed because they had lost hours of their life to watch this turgid match.
Since the start of 2017, Ireland have won just three of the 17 games they played. They have lost eight matches in that time. Whatever effect O'Neill had on the team has long worn off. The time for a change has long passed and there are no signs that it will get any better.
To improve, the Republic need what Northern Ireland have in Michael O'Neill - a coach, someone who can make this team more than the sum of their parts.
For those that think it can't get any worse than this, it can and will if Ireland persist with this management team.Explore more on these topics: