Ireland are not where they want to be, but should the path really be up for discussion?

“It’s going to take time. It’s only the first time that we’ve done this as a group so it is a work in progress,” said Dara O’Shea

FORWARD THINKING: Ireland, under manager Stephen Kenny, are going to be relying more and more on the younger generation that has been promoted from the U21s in the last six months and these are men who played in the same style and with considerable success under Kenny at that grade. Picture: Trenka Attila

For some, there is nothing more to debate. Eleven games without a win is all the evidence required, last Saturday’s home loss to Luxembourg the kind of smoking gun that should convict anyone in the court of public opinion.

Then there are zealots perched on the far side of the spectrum, fingers in their ears and eyes closed to any inconvenient truths as they cling to their righteous faith in The Project regardless of the fact that World Cup qualification hopes lasted just four days.