Let's not mince our words here because the sense of lingering national embarrassment demands that some home truths are aired.
Steve Clarke and his players were cut plenty of slack after being turned over by Ukraine and denied access to a World Cup because they had earned it after all the progress that’s been made over these last three years.
There is no shame to be shouldered at being outplayed by a superior opponent. But what happened in Dublin on Saturday evening was something entirely different.
