Depending on which camp you are in, Ireland are either stuck with Martin O’Neill for the foreseeable future or they march onward with the Derry man at the helm.
There wasn’t a lot of love floating around for the 65-year-old this past week as he flirted with Stoke City, only to give them the flick last night.
A sizeable chunk of the Green Army would have been happy to see him go having not exactly been enamoured by his attitude of late, or his football before that.
The Denmark debacle in November is still a sore point and O’Neill was known to be stung by the criticism he got in the wake of that pasting.
But the theory being floated last night is that he is energised about building and test-driving a younger Irish team in the UEFA Nations Cup this year.
His focus is on Euro 2020 qualification - the qualifiers start in March next year in a new departure from the traditional programme - for which Dublin is a host city.
Perhaps they won’t lose any sleep over it but it is intriguing to know what the Irish players think of his Stoke conundrum.
“As soon as he’s linked to a club and it looks as if he wants the job, as players you think ‘He’s gone, who’s the next manager?’,” said Richard Dunne on Off The Ball last week.
“If he then comes back, players say ‘What’s going on here’ but it’s a situation that the FAI have put themselves in.”
Were this a day-to-day club environment, O’Neill might have bridges to build but it remains an honour to be picked for your country so these lads won’t rock the boat.
Last October’s verbal agreement to stay on for two more years will materialise in the form of an actual contract.
And Mirror Sport can reveal that it will be signed ahead of next Wednesday’s Nations League draw in Switzerland- and could even be done by the end of the week.
That act in itself will draw some closure to a madcap week of twists, turns and intrigue but ultimately a PR disaster for all involved.
O’Neill’s standing in the eyes of many Irish fans took a hammering; the FAI looked weak and helpless as their prized asset considered walking while Stoke are in meltdown.
Earlier yesterday, Jon Walters had urged Stoke to bend over backwards to land O’Neill and Keane as their new management duo.
The Burnley striker - a loan target for Sunderland - plays under O’Neill with Ireland and strongly defended him in the wake of the Denmark debacle.
While the Green Army are split down the middle on O’Neill, Walters reckons Ireland’s loss would have been the Potters gain.
“If you look at our record under him, how we did in the Euros….you can’t be judged on that one game against Denmark,” he said yesterday.
“We were fourth favourites to get out of the group with Serbia and Austria, Wales - everyone gave us no chance.”
Walters added: “I’m a Stoke fan having been there for so long, and I’m an Ireland player – and if I was Stoke City I would be clamouring to appoint him.”