Martin O’Neill’s Ireland still stuck in the middle without Wes Hoolahan

Writing here on the eve of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Austria, I was full of confidence that we were going to win, perhaps even with a bit to spare, writes Liam Brady.

And I still think we would have done so had Martin O’Neill picked the right team and had we started the game in the right way.

Instead, we handed the initiative to the visitors from the first whistle and gave them the impetus they needed to get into a position of dominance which, deservedly, saw them in front at the break.