EVANS: Please don’t leave gaffer
JONNY EVANS last night pleaded with inspirational Michael O’Neill to snub Scotland.
And former Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez has warned the current boss he would be making a huge mistake by taking the Tartan throne and swapping a greater chance
of success for an improved pay packet.
SFA chiefs are gearing up to make their move for O’Neill to replace Gordon Strachan at Hampden.
Irish failure to make Russia 2018 on Sunday night has opened the door for chief executive Stewart Regan to contact his Belfast counterparts and seek permission to hold talks with the 48-year-old.
O’Neill is contemplating his next move.
With a contract in place at the IFA until 2020, the ex-Dundee United and Hibs midfielder has options.
Among them is to stay in his post and on-field Northern Ireland lieutenant Evans has led the calls for him to reject Scots advances and remain at the helm.
The West Brom defender and his team-mates are desperate for O’Neill to stay.
And, while Evans has confessed that no one within the camp would begrudge their boss a crack at a new challenge, he is hopeful that won’t happen.
He said: “It’s a difficult one for players to comment on but as a manager he’s unbelievable. He’s so inspirational.
“We all love him and every single player plays for him. He’s such a good manager and it would be a shame to lose him.
“But we know, on the other side, management is such a difficult job and if something came up where it would be difficult to turn down, no one would ever begrudge him that.”
Clubs are also interested in O’Neill but Sanchez insists he should steer clear of that brutal environment.
And, in a cutting remark towards Hampden, he also feels Scotland offer no step up the career ladder because O’Neill would have a better chance of reaching Euro 2020 by staying put.
Sanchez, who led the Irish between 2004-2007, said: “Michael has more chance of qualifying with Northern Ireland than he does with Scotland.
“There might be more money in Scotland than there is in Northern Ireland for managing the team.
“But he has to be thinking if he wants to make another major championship, there is a great chance of reaching the Euros the next time.
“Qualification is obviously a little bit easier than for the World Cup. Pretty much half of the teams in Europe qualify.
“He will be thinking, ‘Who has the best chance? Scotland or Northern Ireland?’ At this moment, it’s Northern Ireland.
“He’ll be aware that when you become a league manager, the casualty rate is phenomenal.
“In his first two years with Northern Ireland, I think he won one game. You don’t get that time in league football. You don’t get that chance to come again.
“He has a two-year contract that he knows is going to be there and he can say this is what I’m going to be doing. You can’t do that in league football.
“Obviously, the challenge of Premier League is there. He’ll want to test himself at the highest level. But day to day involvement? He hasn’t really had it.
“He managed in Scotland and then Shamrock Rovers but that’s not a full-time league. It’s for him to decide.
“The people in Northern Ireland will be saying to Michael that he has done brilliantly and let’s have one more go at it. Let’s go out and get to the European Championships again.”