Scots face WBA fight for O’Neill
English Premier League giants eye Northern Ireland manager for hotseat
The SFA’s hopes of landing Michael O’Neill could go up in smoke as West Brom prepare to make a move for the Northern Ireland boss.
Hampden chiefs have made it clear O’Neill is their No.1 target as they look for Gordon Strachan’s successor.
But having seen off Sunderland they now face serious competition from the Baggies.
Boss Tony Pulis is facing the boot after yesterday’s 4- 0 hammering by Chelsea
made it 11 games without a win. O’Neill is a wanted man after leading Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 and the World Cup play- offs – with the SFA confident the 48-year-old can replicate his success with the Scotland squad.
The Irish FA are desperate to keep O’Neill and have put together a package which would include an extension to his contract, which ends in 2020, and a significant increase in his £500,000 salary.
But both they and the SFA could not compete with the wages on offer in the English top flight.
Pulis, in charge at West Brom since January 2015, is on £2million a year and O’Neill could expect the same sort of numbers as the Welshman.
The Northern Ireland gaffer has ambitions to manage in the Premier League and would find it hard to turn down the Baggies.
Key players in his national team – Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt – also play at the Hawthorns and that could be another factor.
Irish fans could understand a club switch for their boss as many feel Scotland would be a sideways move.
But the former Hibs and Dundee United midfielder, who is based in Edinburgh, is known to feel that Scotland have a strong enough talent pool as they bid to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1998.
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has put all his eggs in the O’Neill basket and would face embarrassment if he failed to land his man.
Earlier this week the SFA asked for permission to speak to O’Neill which was granted by the IFA.
They will allow O’Neill to talk to whoever he wants, hoping that he will eventually choose to stay put.
Championship strugglers Sunderland wanted him but he wasn’t interested and that led to Welsh boss Chris Coleman taking on the job at the Stadium of Light.
West Brom, or any other Premier League team, would have to pay £750,000 compensation for O’Neill as part of a deal signed last year. But for Scotland it would be around £500,000.
Baggies skipper Evans is hot property with Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester City all after him in the summer.
It is expected they will come back in for the defender in January but if O’Neill is in the dugout for West Brom by then he would hope to persuade him to stay.
Should O’Neill leave Northern Ireland, it will shake up the Scottish Premiership with St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright and Motherwell’s Stephen Robinson sure to be in the running for the post.
IFA sources say they would like to speak to both to hear their ideas on following the O’Neill success story.