Irish riddle: O’Neill will keep talking … but not about his preference for # 31
If there was one constant in Martin O’Neill’s managerial career that was missing from his first two games for the Republic of Ireland, it wasn’t an obvious one. It was a 31.
It wasn’t just the absence of loyal coaches John Robertson and Steve Walford that raised eyebrows among O’Neill watchers and of course led him to view Roy Keane as the unlikely source of advice and confirmation.
Almost everywhere he has made it, O’Neill has worn the number 31 on his tracksuit. There are conspiracy theories as to the source of this superstition, but none have ever been confirmed by the man himself.
Crazy about a number: almost everywhere O’Neill has made it, he has worn the number 31 on his tracksuit. There are conspiracy theories as to the source of this superstition, but none have ever been confirmed by the man himself.
Fit and Booted: O’Neill donned a suit for his first two games for the Republic of Ireland
Communications: Hull City’s Robbie Brady (right) has appeared for international service despite his injury and O’Neill will check his form in the Premier League before the next game in Ireland
Jumping for joy: While in charge of Sunderland, O’Neill celebrates a goal with the number 31 on the top and bottom of his tracksuit
And when he was in Sunderland, O’Neill never revealed it, despite repeated questions on the subject. He always made promises and found an excuse to delay it, but Sunderland’s owner Ellis Short cut his reign and ended that search.
You can imagine his delight the 61-year-old when it was determined that the 61-year-old was eligible for his first two games in Ireland and not playing football.
There was the chic dark blue suit with a faint tartan design, and the dark blue tie was enough.
But not a trackie top. And no 31.
It will be one of several topics on the agenda as O’Neill looks forward to his next responsible game. In almost four months.
“No, I wasn’t tempted to wear the tracksuit even though I was looking at it,” he said.
‘I thought,’ I’m going to wear this suit and I will wear a tie ‘. Just leave me there. Don’t draw any conclusions.
“To be honest, I wasn’t cold at all in either game, not at all. Maybe it’s a little bit of adrenaline, but I wasn’t cold. ‘
Smart: Occasionally, like his daughter Aisling, O’Neill has put on a tuxedo to celebrate the 25th anniversary of collaboration in Ireland, a project aimed at bringing peace to the island of Ireland
The new manager and his assistant have a lot to think about and a lot of time to do
When O’Neill left the city of Poznan on Tuesday evening, it was understandably with a heavy heart.
He spent 40 years in the game preparing for games and then dissecting them for days afterwards. He loves to talk about football, be it with players, fans or reporters. Even Cloughie’s archenemy in the boardrooms. But for the next four months he will only have Roy to turn to.
For now, at least, only Serbia’s visit to Dublin is recorded in the FAI’s diary, but O’Neill would like to add a lot to that list after the World Cup final draw.
He can then expect further appointments, including a possible first visit to England after the riot at Aviva, once the fate of the euro is decided.
There are games for the couple, presumably separate, which will be a foreign word for some players who would only see Giovanni Trapattoni playing internationally and only glimpse Marco Tardelli in the seats during a game or two.
En route to Dublin: Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic is likely to be part of the Serbian team Ireland will face in March 2014
O’Neill wants to see as many of his players as possible before naming his first squad for the friendly against Serbia in March.
And then he has to decide how much practical role he and Roy Keane play in taking on players who may be less susceptible to interference from their national players these days.
But this is Ireland’s new dream team we’re talking about and the players have already proven to be receptive to the regime.
End of the phone: Martin O’Neill intends to contact Mick McCarthy (left) and Giovanni Trapattoni (right).
Mick McCarthy was notorious for seeing players at their clubs before, during, after, and between games. Even Roy knows that.
For O’Neill, who plans to contact Trapattoni and McCarthy in the coming weeks, he will try to strike the right balance for his important reconnaissance mission.
He said, “I’m going to think about it seriously. I don’t want to bother myself, but I could do that.
Second leg: After the friendly with England at Wembley earlier this year, new Irish boss Martin O’Neill could play the second leg in Dublin in 2014
Impressive: Central midfielder Paul Green caught O’Neill’s eye against Poland and will check his club form at Leeds United before he next announces his squad
“I think I’ll visit her, but I’ll let her go now and settle down, and maybe leave her by Christmas.
“I already told them in the locker room that I would call one or two. Of course, they turned and ran.
‘You now have club commitments. You can imagine it now – it was great and great in the locker room, the boys were great but now they will be the minute they are tuned into club football.
“There are a few I’ll check out. To let you know, there will also be other players that I will review – Legacy and the like. Is that the right word? And if there’s someone out there and you think it’s worth it and hasn’t been bothered in any way, I’ll definitely check it out. ‘
“One player the pair promised to look closely again is the vicious midfielder Paul Green, who again put on an admirable performance in an Irish shirt on Tuesday night.
An unexpected by-product of the Trap era, the Leeds midfielder was a beneficiary of O’Neill’s policies to give every player a run-out on his debut week. But Green definitely impressed the new manager.
O’Neill said, ‘He’s been on a shift and he’s done the game really well.
Unbeaten start: Ireland beat Latvia 3-0 in Dublin and scored 0-0 in Martin O’Neill’s first two games as the Irish coach against Poland
“I have to admit that I didn’t know much about him as I didn’t get the chance to really study him up close, but he was doing really well.
‘Just generally speaking, I think it’s very early for me to make big assumptions on the team.
We played the two games, the home game which I was really excited about, but we would have expected it and this game was a completely different game and we made it through unscathed the end.
“From a general point of view, I’m pretty happy. I’ll see Green now, some of them over the next few months, and I’ll be able to make a stronger impression. ‘
And the week almost inevitably ended with a question about his number two. And as he has from the moment he accepted the job and designated Keane for the role, O’Neill was only too happy to answer if the former captain, who did not play friendly games, was enjoying himself.
O’Neill added, “Absolutely. He’s really excited. Really in. I think you could tell from the old press conference he did – hopefully you could say that.
Enjoy the role: Martin O’Neill has praised Roy Keane’s positive attitude towards the Irish players
‘He was really positive. A positive influence, I should say, because it’s positive anyway. A positive influence on the players.
“It’s early days, you know, but I’m sure if you had a chat with the players who are getting out of here they would have nothing but praise for him so far.”
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