DID THE FAI MISS A TRICK?
O’Shea ticket could be perfect solution
IT’S fair to say the FAI top brass haven’t covered themselves in shamrock as they peek around corner flags for the next Ireland manager — sorry head coach. Maybe it’s because the recruitment process is all a bit new for director of football Marc Canham and CEO Jonathan Hill, two of the FAI headhunters, who also have director Packie Bonner available as counsel.
Even so, considering the ‘SS Stephen Kenny’ was sinking after the September double-header defeat to France and the Netherlands, it’s staggering that there is no permanent replacement in situ six months on.
On Monday at Aviva Stadium, Canham was upbeat about landing the new man in early April, which is hardly worthy of a pat in the back after such a delay. It’s akin to Hill rolling out a sponsor after 41 months in the job and expecting kudos.
As Canham imparted the latest news, I felt for John O’Shea sitting alongside.
“The interim boss is already at the exit door”
“Keane would be intriguing left-field call”
This should have been the moment for the highly respected Irish centurion to make a pitch for the job on a permanent basis.
Instead, it appeared that Canham punctured O’Shea’s ball before a whistle was blown.
There would be no audition, was Canham’s message. The interim was already at the exit door.
I wonder if Canham, Hill and the FAI hierarchy may have missed a trick.
For starters, the reaction to the appointment of O’Shea last Wednesday, followed by his experienced and knowledgeable backroom team on Friday, was hugely positive.
O’Shea, Paddy McCarthy, Glenn Whelan and Brian Kerr are highly respected names in Irish football, all of whom have their own strengths, and are aligned, to use the FAI’s word, in wanting the international team to stand on its own two feet again.
Respected figures such as Stephen Bradley (Shamrock Rovers) and Damien Duff (Shelbourne) reacted to their appointments by expressing the view that if things go well against Belgium and Switzerland, the roles should become permanent.
Duff went further on Monday night when he said: ‘I might watch an Ireland game for the first time in quite a while because I’m excited about who’s on the sideline.’
That could be interpreted as being anti-Kenny but I’d see it more as pro-O‘Shea and the team he has assembled after Canham’s SOS call, which includes Kerr — ‘our footballing god’, according to Duff.
The vast majority of folk who care about the senior team have hailed the arrival of O’Shea. Media coverage has been upbeat and supportive.
And yet as the applause ripples around, none of it matters. The O’Shea ticket has already been shredded by Canham and Co. Whether Ireland whip Belgium and Switzerland, or get tanked, it won’t matter, we were told on Monday.
For the caretaker crew, it’s already a case of: Thanks lads. Don’t forget to turn off the lights on your way out.’ That seems harsh.
Canham was clearly upbeat on Monday that the FAI have finally got their man but can’t say who that is until next month due to ‘existing contractual obligations’. But might Canham have been better not revealing that nugget on Monday?
Why not give themselves the option of seeing how O’Shea and his ticket do? Having a second ace up the sleeve is never a bad thing at the card table.
Imagine if O’Shea squeezes a tune out of the players? Imagine if Ireland put it up to Belgium in a way they were utterly unable to do against the might of Greece in the Euro qualifiers?
‘One John O’Shea. There’s only one John O’Shea.’
If that rings around the Aviva on March 22, Canham, Hill and Bonner may have to take a hard look at themselves. They may have erased the winning Lottery numbers.
Of course, the FAI can save face, by rolling out Lee Carsley, the current England U21 manager as the new boss.
If Carsley is the man Canham referred to as has having ‘existing contractual obligations’, the FAI can claim credit for finally chasing down their No. 1 target from day one.
Only sources close to Carsley have told Mail Sport they believe he’s staying with England, not just for two upcoming Euro qualifiers, but beyond.
If Carsley is ready to jump, then he’s kept his cards closer to his chest than the Cincinnati Kid. Other than Carsley, there is no stand-out candidate, at least not one with an Irish connection which the FAI have a stated preference for.
Robbie Keane would be a leftfield call but an intriguing one at that.
His reputation as one of the Irish all-time greats is without peer and so far as a manager, he’s impressed at Maccabi Tel Aviv, who play Olympiacos in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League tomorrow.
As we wait for white smoke over Abbotstown, Canham was right on Monday to highlight the urgency for Ireland to improve their current world ranking of 62nd, and their seeding for future qualifications.
The road to redemption will not be straightforward no matter who is anointed boss.