Delaney: No rush for O’Neill talks

While stating he thinks it’s “logical” to hold off on negotiations with Martin O’Neill until the road to Russia has run its course, John Delaney has declined to specify whether a new contract offer for the manager is actually dependent on Ireland qualifying for the 2018 World Cup Finals.

“It would be wrong to say whether it is or whether it isn’t but certainly my take on it, and the board’s take, is that he’s made huge progress for Irish football as manager,” the FAI CEO said yesterday.

“He got us qualified (for the Euros), we’re joint-top at the moment, unbeaten in the group, Scott Hogan has declared, we’ve got some young players coming through that he’s developing and he’s getting the best out of the players that are available to him — and that’s the key thing for every international manager.