“I think even Big Sam would get more out of those Ireland players”

By Aaron McNally

Martin O’Neill was under a lot of pressure from sections of the country after Ireland got hammered 5-1 by Denmark last November and, just over a year on, not much has changed.

O’Neill is still under huge pressure from the same people with more piling on and his days might even be numbered as Ireland failed to win a match in 2018, outside of a friendly against USA. On an explosive episode of The Football Spin after Monday night's goalless draw in Denmark, Rob Redmond argued that it wouldn’t take much to turn this Ireland team around, despite suggestions that the team just isn't all that good.

“I wouldn’t want Big Sam [Allardyce] but I think even Big Sam would get more out of those players because they would be coached, there would be instructions,” he explained. “The players would know the team, Cyrus Christie wouldn’t be in the team. This is very basic stuff. “I don’t think it would take much to turn this Ireland team around”, he continued. “I’m not saying we’d qualify or be world-beaters but it wouldn’t take much.”

Redmond was also questioning why anyone would want to watch the current Irish team. When asked about it, he stated:

“It’s a consumer choice. You’ve other options. "Why would you sit through that voluntarily?”

Dion Fanning, who just last week made the case that no-one should blame Declan Rice for not wanting to be part of the Ireland set-up, also attempted to sum up the state of Irish football. He couldn't find anything more positive.

“They’re a zombie team led by a clueless manager and its just painful watching it," Fanning said. "It’s a really terrible place for Irish football to be in.”

Ireland don’t play a competitive game until the first Euro 2020 qualifier in March. The question is, will Martin O’Neill still be in the job by then? Listen to The Football Spin below.