Whether fans are happy or not, the verbal agreement between Martin O'Neill and John Delaney has now been made official.
BREAKING: Martin O’Neill has signed a contract extension to remain on as Ireland manager until 2020! #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/T6exC7gQhN
— FAIreland ⚽️?? (@FAIreland) January 23, 2018
The extension also applies to O'Neills backroom staff, including assistant Roy Keane.
The extension also includes the management team. Roll on the UEFA Nations League draw tomorrow! #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/z9wmWRsnsa
— FAIreland ⚽️?? (@FAIreland) January 23, 2018
The Derry man has signed a contract extension which will see him manage the Irish team until 2020, and we all hope his final year will see Ireland take part in the European Championships.
O'Neill recently turned down the opportunity to manage Stoke City with the Potters eventually opted for Scotsman Paul Lambert. There was a sense that the former Celtic boss was hedging his bets with the Stoke courtship. O'Neill held talks with the Premier League club but seemed to change his mind when it was revealed that Quique Sanchez Flores was the frontrunner for the job. The erstwhile Watford manager turned down the offer and after this revelation O'Neill ruled himself out of the running.
While the mood surrounding the Ireland team has been quite grim in the aftermath of their play-off defeat to Denmark, fans have been calling out for a fresh approach to the national setup. There have been many critics of O'Neill's style but what appears clear to everyone is that the there doesn't seem to be many quality players coming through the ranks to replace an ageing squad.
