Irish set totempt O’Neillas SFA stall
DITHERING SFA chiefs have still not met No.1 target Michael O’Neill for talks on the Scotland job.
And the Irish FA plan to punish their Hampden counterparts by tying him
down on a new six-year deal before the Northern Ireland boss has a chance to discuss a move with chief executive Stewart Regan.
It’s the latest twist in a saga that has been rumbling on since Gordon Strachan, below, was sacked in October and provides little Christmas cheer for the Tartan Army who had hoped the SFA would have made significant progress by now in appointing a new boss.
Strachan broke his silence this week and was critical of how the SFA didn’t meet him face to face when he was sacked after failing to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals.
Regan will face more ridicule if he doesn’t land O’Neill who has been their top target since the start of the process.
The IFA will allow the SFA to speak to the 48-year-old but only if they meet the conditions of his contract which runs until 2020. To begin discussions with the Northern Ireland boss the SFA must agree to pay £500,000 in compensation if successful in luring O’Neill from Windsor Park to Hampden.
The Irish opened talks with him last week about the new six-year contract offer on the table and will hold a further meeting after Christmas about the £4million deal which could potentially take him up to the 2024 European Championship.
The former Dundee United and Hibs player is aware of Scotland’s interest and would welcome the opportunity to hear the SFA’s views but will only do that if Regan meets the IFA’s contract requirements.
Scotland have not qualified for a tournament since 1998 and see O’Neill as the man to take them back to the promised land having guided Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals and World Cup play-offs.
For now he is looking forward to friendlies in Central America against England’s World Cup opponents Panama on May 29 and Costa Rica on June 3 next year.
He said: “These are exciting games and ones we are looking forward to.”