A terrible performance but victory over Finland, John O'Shea would take that

O'Shea defended Heimir Hallgrímsson's decision to watch matches remotely rather than be in attendance at the ground, saying there are benefits to watching videos of games. 

BALANCE REQUIRED: Sammie Szmodics and assistant coach John O'Shea during a Republic of Ireland training session. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

We are at the stage with the Republic of Ireland men’s team now where everything there is to be said has been said. Way beyond it, probably. The only thing that can generate fresh conversation now is the same thing that will make people hope again: results.

The stats speak for themselves. No competitive win in the last eight games that haven’t thrown up Gibraltar as the opposition is the most stark of all. The lack of goals and the surfeit in performances have generated too much doom and gloom all of their own.