Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Austria on Sunday.
Republic of Ireland’s Glenn Whelan in action with Austria’s Zlatko Junuzovic
Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side salvaged a point against Austria on Sunday evening with a 1-1 draw at the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland sat joint-top of Group D in UEFA’s qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and had the chance to boost their chances of qualification as they hosted Austria in Dublin.
Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan in action with Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama
However, Austria took the lead in the first half, as defender Martin Hinteregger smashed home a left-footed strike from inside the box after a smart corner routine.
Ireland toiled away in search of an equaliser, and it finally arrived with just five minutes to play, as Jonathan Walters chased down a hopeful long ball over the top, shrugged off Aleksandar Dragovic and fired into the corner of the net.
Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan in action with Everton’s Morgan Schneiderlin
O’Neill may be a little disappointed to have not claimed all three points, and fans took to Twitter during and after the game to discuss one of his key decisions – not only starting Glenn Whelan in midfield, but also handing him the captaincy.
The midfielder divides opinion among Ireland fans, and that proved to be the case yet again on Sunday, as many Irish fans criticised his performance, suggesting that he offers nothing going forward and is often invisible in the Ireland midfield.
Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan in action with West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob
Others felt that Whelan’s role goes unnoticed, and Aston Villa fans also chimed in given that they had a £500,000 bid for the Stoke City veteran rejected on Friday (Sky Sports).
Villa fans were largely left unconvinced by Whelan’s display, even sending messages to club owner Tony Xia in order to urge him not to push through a deal for the midfielder this summer.
What did you think of Whelan’s display for Ireland?
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