The pride of the players, and people around them such as Stephen Kenny, Keith Andrews and Damien Duff, will be hurting. We have also lost our status as second seeds for next month’s World Cup draw, a revived Slovakia now looking down on us. Green shoots are there but they are being trampled on time after time in the harsh world of international football. But every manager in international football in 2020 can have a hard-luck story, and lots of countries are flushing out youth, with greater effect. Bruised and demoralised, an Ireland side which began 2020 aiming to reach the Euro finals is now battling to avoid relegation.

Source: Irish Independent November 15, 2020 21:45 UTC