Kieran Shannon: When you’ve made it clear it's all about results, you better deliver

By moving on from Stephen Kenny and hiring Heimir Hallgrimsson, the FAI dispensed with The Project and with it The Process in favour of The Pragmatist.

THE PRAGMATIST: Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, right, with assistants John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

An Irish manager’s tenure can often be measured by a series of games against particular opposition.

For Brian Kerr the game was up when at the fifth attempt he again failed to beat either of Switzerland or Israel.