'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ITV guests Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane (R) give their views before the UEFA Champions League Group A match between Villareal CF and Manchester City at El Madrigal on November 2, 2011 in Villarreal, Spain.
The Football Association of Ireland has revealed that they are in advanced talks with Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to take over as manager and assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team.
Giovanni Trapattoni left the job following a rather disappointing qualifying campaign for next year’s World Cup as the Irish finished fourth in Group C behind Germany, Sweden and Austria. At the Euro 2012 tournament last year too, Trapattoni and the team came under fire for their disastrous showing as they lost all three group games with the Italian in particular facing much anger from the fans for his negative tactics.
For quite some time now, it was rumoured that O’Neill was the favourite to land the top job. The Northern Irishman is popular amongst the fans and after making his grade as a player under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest and has a proven track record as a manager with his stints at Celtic and Aston Villa.
He has been without a job since being sacked as Sunderland manager in March earlier this year.
And Keane, another Clough protégé, is said to join O’Neill in the dugout.
The former Manchester United midfielder and captain has always been a vocal critic of things he has disapproved of. These include his outburst before the 2002 World Cup where he felt that the team was under prepared and lashed out at then manager Mick McCarthy, which saw him being sent home early from the tournament.
He currently works as a pundit for ITV and appears on Champions League programmes for the channel.
The pair also has another common connection in that both have managed Sunderland.
