END OF THE LINE
Ireland managers have tended to struggle after leaving the position
AS the FAI close in on their quarry, the next manager of the Republic of Ireland should be warned that the top job in Irish football doesn’t always lead to greater success in the sport. Mostly, the appointment marks either the high point of a career, or the last staging post.
In the past 50 years, nine men have managed Ireland – one of them, Mick McCarthy, twice.
Of the nine, two of the most successful, Jack Charlton and Giovanni Trapattoni never managed again, while only one, Brian Kerr, managed another team at international level.
John Giles and McCarthy were the only two who went on to manage in the top flight of English football after Ireland.
Arguably, none of the ten ever experienced the highs in management which most of them, at some point, had enjoyed with Ireland even though three of them, Giles, Eoin Hand and Steve Staunton were only in their 30s when they left.
Of the leading contenders heading into this week’s final round of interviews, Lee Carsley, 49, and Neil Lennon, 52, hold the high ground as the quest to find Stephen Kenny’s successor reaches the end game.
For the victor, will the Irish job be akin to the Cup that cheers, or a poisoned chalice? The nation holds its breath.
JOHN GILES (Age 39 when he departed as Rep of Ireland manager in 1980)
Giles continued as Shamrock Rovers manager until February 1983. During this period, he also took charge of Vancouver Whitecaps and was NASL Coach of the Year in 1982.
He returned to West Brom in February 1984 and was manager for 18 months before his dismissal after a run of defeats. He led the Baggies to 12th place in the old First Division in 198485. After missing out on the Irish job to Charlton in 1986, he became a pundit.
EOIN HAND (Age 39 in 1985)
As Euro ’88 was getting underway, the manager cruelly denied the chance to lead Ireland to the 1982 World Cup was appointed manager of Huddersfield Town in Division Three (now League One). Under Hand, The Terriers finished 14th, eighth and 11th. They were sixth when he was sacked in March, 1992. Hand had a brief spell in Durban before managing Shelbourne during the 1993-94 season.
JACK CHARLTON (Age 60 in 1995)
Charlton, who was adamant he was sacked by the FAI rather than resigned, was offered numerous managerial positions after Ireland but turned them down.
Only 60 at the time of his exit, he was younger than either Trapattoni or Martin O’Neill when they were appointed.
Instead, the bluff Geordie became a regular on the lucrative after-dinner circuit.
MICK MCCARTHY (Age 43 in 2002)
An outlier in the list in that he voluntarily resigned as Irish manager and then chalked up almost 700 games at club level in England, leading Sunderland (2004-05) and Wolves (2008-09) to promotion as Championship winners.
Took Ipswich Town to the playoffs and two other top ten finishes before leaving in April 2018, a few weeks before his flagged exit.
BRIAN KERR (Age 52 in 2005)
Returned to football after 18 months with St Patrick’s Athletic as technical director before becoming manager of the Faroe Islands in June 2009.
In his 19 games over two years, Kerr won two, drew two and lost 15, many narrowly, such as 1-0 to France and Italy. He has since established a reputation as the most perceptive pundit on Irish TV and radio.
STEVE STAUNTON (Age 38 in 2007)
‘The Gaffer’ was back in football quckly enough as assistant manager to Gary McAllister at Leeds United, a post he held for 10 months before McAllister was sacked.
After scouting for McCarthy at Wolves, in October 2009 he was appointed manager of Darlington, struggling in League Two and facing relegation to the Conference. Staunton won four of his 25 games and was dismissed. Later, scouted for Sunderland.
GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI (Age 74 in 2013)
Trap’s final match with Ireland in September 2013 was his last match as a manager that spanned almost years and 1,418 games although he subsequently turned down job offers in China and Africa.
When he announced his retirement in 2019, just before his 80th birthday, he said: ‘My wife (Paula) has told me, “If you go I am changing the locks and you’re not getting back in.”’ He was true to his word.
MARTIN O’NEILL (Age 66 in 2018)
O’Neill had almost 950 games in management when dismissed by the FAI and must have thought he would smash the 1,000 mark when appointed manager at Nottingham Forest, in January 2019.
He steered Forest to ninth in the Championship, but was sacked in the summer after 19 games in charge. Continues to work as a pundit.
MICK MCCARTHY (Age 61 in 2020)
Unlike his previous exit in 2002, McCarthy struggled for success, apart from a brief golden spell in Cardiff City where he oversaw six Championships wins in a row.
Either side, he had short-lived stints at APOEL Nicosia and at Blackpool, where he lasted less than three months. At 64, could yet return to management but a third crack at Ireland is improbable.
STEPHEN KENNY (Age 52 in 2023)
Unlike many of his predecessors, Kenny is not one for pursuing punditry. He prefers to be out on the grass and has time on his side to do so.
After recharging the batteries, a return to the League of Ireland would surprise no one, should any club perform below expectations. Less likely is a call from the higher divisions of English or Scottish football.