Martin O’Neill has not ruled out staying on even if Euro campaign ends early

Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has not ruled out the idea of looking to stay on for a second qualification campaign, even if his team fails to qualify for Euro 2016, but says that the manner his side concludes this one will have a big bearing on his attitude in the autumn.

Roy Keane had previously made it pretty clear that if Ireland did not make it to France then he would regard their initial two-year term as having been a failure and would expect to walk away, but O'Neill is far less definitive on the matter at this stage.

“If we went out with a whimper,” O’Neill said while in Dublin to launch the FAI’s SportsWorld-sponsored Summer Soccer Schools, “then I’d have to look at myself, but if we perform and show the same sort of determination and drive that we did there against Poland and, in fairness, for most of the qualifying campaign, then I would certainly look at it.”

There have been, he insisted, no talks about any contract extension at this point: “No, there have been no conversations and that’s not surprising. It’s not something I’d be sitting down about now; John and I have fairly long time to look at that.”

Much, he admits, is likely to hinge on how Ireland now do against Scotland in June, with anything other than a victory leaving the team needing a mixture of dramatically improved performances and, most likely, some luck if they were still to qualify.

“It’s a very, very important game,” he says. “I think we’re sitting there two points behind them halfway through the campaign. You win that game, you go in front; lose it and it’s a long way back.”

Asked about the squad’s preparations, O’Neill said that he would have a better idea of what his plans might be next week when the identity of the Championship play-off teams should be a little clearer.

“I don’t know yet. We have to look at the build-up, the amount of time we have together, when we get them in. I saw (Steve) Clarke, the manager of Reading, who are unlikely to make the play-offs, saying that if they beat Arsenal, they have a month to consider how to build-up to a Wembley final. But it is the same for Scotland and I’ll have a look at it.”

For further information on FAI Summer Soccer Schools go to www.summersoccerschools.ie