Manager can’t sacrifice qualification for youth education

But Martin O’Neill, citing the Irish U17s being knocked out of the Euro finals in May in controversial circumstances by eventual winners Holland, disagrees.

“There is a structure in here, whatever the criticisms that are flying around at this minute,” he said. “There is a structure that is in place that will not affect my time in the job but it will affect a couple of the managers coming up, up-and-coming young managers who will get the benefit of those young up-and-coming players.”

However, O’Neill baulks at the idea of fast-tracking young players into the senior ranks at the expense of more seasoned personnel unless, he contends, people are prepared to accept that qualification chances in the short-term would probably be reduced.

“We might have to take a couple of hits with major competitions,” he said.

“Is that what you want? “I’m not so sure that it is. I think you still want us battling at the end of it. And I would say that in terms of under-17 players, maybe in about eight years’ time you might be having what I have always envisaged: boys lining up for the national anthem and three of them have played in the Champions League and all of them are playing top-quality Premier League football for Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

“That’s the dream. It might take a bit of time. It’s not happening today, it won’t happen tomorrow.”

What is likely to happen in the short-term, according to the manager, is that the row with Roy Keane which led to Harry Arter withdrawing from the Irish squad will be resolved.

“I think there is every possibility of a reconciliation and I’m hoping that will materialise,” he reiterated in the wake of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw in Poland.

It has since emerged that Seamus Coleman has been playing a mediating role in resolving the issue and that Arter, who has been in contact with the captain, is now open to the idea of returning to the Ireland squad.

Asked if, pending a resolution, there could be a place for the Cardiff City man in the squad for next month’s Nations League games, O’Neill confined himself to saying, “I will see…”

Coleman himself is now a doubt for those games after a scan confirmed that he has suffered a stress fracture in his foot.

“He is a great captain, a really great captain,” said O’Neill. “He is inspirational and obviously we hope he is back in time for the games coming up.”

Amid speculation that West Ham’s Declan Rice might be on the brink of recommitting himself to Ireland, the manager refused to give any hostages to fortune.

“I don’t know any more than you do at this particular juncture,” he said. “Honestly, genuinely don’t. There’s no point in me commenting here positively or negatively until I get to talk to the people again.”

Meanwhile, Callum O’Dowda has praised the influence of O’Neill and Keane on his international career and expressed amazement that people would question if the assistant manager has the backing of the Irish squad.

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The Bristol City man says that the Irish management team have helped add variety and new purpose to his game.

“It’s what I want to do, get on the ball and drive at people, take people on from a central position,” he says. “It gives me more of that directness to get past a few, open it up and then play it wide. Playing in a central position is what the gaffer here and Roy have put into my game. I have never played in a central position, but they have helped me with certain areas. You look at Roy and what he’s done in the game. They have helped.”

Asked if Keane has the backing of the squad, O’Dowda replied: “Yes. I don’t see why you can ask a question like that. I’m very surprised at the comments that have just been thrown at me there, but all I will say is, what a group I have come into.”