TWO HORSE RACE
Carsley and Hughton front runners as FAI set to decide quickly
ON TUESDAY night, as it ended for Stephen Kenny like it had started, with the Republic of Ireland huffing and puffing to a draw against a weaker nation, Lee Carsley was back on familiar turf, while Chris Hughton was breaking new ground in the Indian Ocean.
Carsley was at Goodison Park as England U21 manager for a Euro qualifier against Northern Ireland. He spent six years with Everton, making 199 appearances as a holding midfielder, where he was known for tenacity in the tackle, a thunderous shot, and his leadership.
Carsley was an Everton player when he crossed the white line for Ireland in the 2002 World Cup finals in Yokohama against Saudi Arabia, and his midweek return was poignant as Goodison Park will no longer be the club’s home from next season.
Setting aside sentiment, Carsley oversaw a routine 3-0 win for England against Northern Ireland, with Harvey Elliott of Liverpool bagging a brace. Elliott featured against Manchester City yesterday as a second-half substitute.
The England XI included Burnley ‘keeper James Trafford, Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento, Everton defender Jarrod Branthwaite and centre-half
Josh Wilson-Esbrand, on loan at Reims from City.
When England won the European U21 Championship for the first time in the summer, Carsley picked Trafford, Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea) Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal) Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) and Levi Colwill (Chelsea) to play in the final. These are the calibre of players Carsley is helping to progress their careers. He is a modern-day manager working with players at Europe’s elite clubs under some of the highest-paid managers in the game.
If Carsley wasn’t able to get a tune out of the U21s, many of whom are already established first-teamers, he’d have been found out a long time ago.
Instead, there are smiles with the U21s happy to turn up and be prepared by Carsley, for the short time he has to work with them. Clearly, he is prospering, as a record of
21 wins and one draw from 26 games, along with that Euro Championship glory, illustrates. For those in the FAI wary of appointing a manager with so few club games on his CV, they should consider that Carsley has proved a success at international level, which is where he would be headed if offered the Ireland job. Carsley is an avid follower of games, of data and coaching trends. He has been tracking the Irish team under Kenny like a hawk and would know every player’s strengths and weaknesses inside out. While he signed a new deal as England U21 manager in August, it is understood to include a month’s notice release clause, so the FAI won’t have to worry about paying compensation.
Within the FAI board, there is support also for former Ireland full-back Hughton, a highlyrespected figure in football with almost 500 games in club management, and the current Ghana head coach.
Hughton has been at the helm of Newcastle United, Birmingham City and Norwich City before a five-year spell at Brighton, who he led to promotion from the Championship. His last club role, at Nottingham Forest, ended with the sack.
Hughton was technical adviser to
Ghana before stepping up as No 1 last February. So far, it hasn’t exactly been plain sailing.
After a series of friendlies to prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ghana were stunned 1-0 away to outsiders Comoros on Tuesday night.
The World Cup is on hold as the AFCON gets under way on January 13 next door in Ivory Coast where Ghana, last champions in 1982, are expected to contend.
Would Hughton be prepared drop the Ghana gig at such short notice? If not, would the FAI wait until the finals are over on February 11, three days after the Nations League draw in Paris?
At 65 next month, Hughton would be the oldest Irish manager since Giovanni Trapattoni was unveiled at the RDS aged 68.
With Marc Canham, the FAI’s director of football, driving the recruitment process, Carsley and Hughton have emerged as the frontrunners to bring order and stability after three and a half years of grim viewing under Kenny.
It took a while for the FAI blazers to see the light. Some admit privately that Kenny should have departed in the summer after the anguish of Athens. The FAI are desperate to appoint a manager who will halt the slide from 34th to 60th in the world ranking, and lead Ireland back into the top of half of Europe’s 55 international nations. They were 19th when Kenny took over, and are now 29th.
Any rational assessment of the 29
CLEARLY, CARSLEY IS PROSPERING, AS HIS RECORD ILLUSTRATES
competitive games under the Dubliner will lead to the inescapable conclusion that he simply wasn’t up to the demands of the job.
For all his vision of a youthful Ireland XI, playing a possessionbased, free-flowing style and qualifying for tournaments, the reality was utterly different.
A win percentage of less than 21% in competition was the worst of any Ireland manager for over 50 years and is a low bar for the next manager to improve on.
How ironic for Kenny if Carsley was to follow him into Irish football’s top job, now re-titled by the FAI as head coach, rather than manager.
In January 2021, after Damien Duff’s frustrations under Kenny led to him walking away, Kenny wanted Carsley as his new No 3 but back-channel approaches didn’t get very far.
Then, Carsley was content to play the long game. His CV and reputation are shining brighter now.
Whether he or Hughton gets the nod rests with Canham, and the FAI board, with a decision expected this week.