Irish international Stephen Hunt used his weekly column in The Sunday Independent to offer an insight into the difference of coaching styles between Giovanni Trapattoni and current boss Martin O'Neill.
The Waterford native believes that the current side sometime look a little unsure of what their game plan is, and that under Trap everyone knew exactly what their role was.
I was talking about Trap and Martin O'Neill with a friend last week and he said "you must have known what Trap wanted from you after six months." I said we knew what he wanted after two weeks.
And speaking about O'Neill's side he had this to say;
I look at O'Neill's team I'm a bit more confused. I'm not sure what he wants from the team and I wonder if the players know either. O'Neill is nearly two years into the job and still it is hard to get a sense of what his Ireland side is supposed to be.
John O'Shea appeared as a guest on Off The Ball last night and the same question was put to the veteran centre half. He did well to laugh them off, insisting that all is well in the Ireland camp and that the system is always likely to be different under a new boss.
O'Shea, who netted the vital equaliser almost a year ago, joked that he usually receives a copy of Hunts article but was surprised not to get one this week.
Not last weekend, he normally sends me on his other stuff. He must have said something negative this time.
Once the allegations were brought to him he responded positively.
With two games to go in a difficult group we've a chance of automatic qualification, so we must be grasping something. That's just what comes from new management, new styles and new ideas. Do we not have the best defensive record and least amount of goals conceded?
Hunt's criticism of O'Neill's style is harsh to say the least, considering he hasn't been part of any of his squads. As O'Shea said himself, to be in with a chance of automatic qualification from perhaps the hardest group in the competition is no mean feat.
Let's hope for more of the same from the big man
