FORMER USA ASSISTANT manager Anthony Hudson was spoken to by the FAI as part of their ongoing search for the new Ireland boss, Gavin Cooney said on today’s Football Family podcast.
This perhaps shows that the Association is approaching the process with more creativity than many would think, according to Cooney, football journalist with The 42.
Hudson is currently in charge of Al-Markhiya in Qatar.
Cooney said the FAI have been criticised for a “lack of outside the box thinking” with Neil Lennon and Chis Coleman touted as alternatives to long-time target Lee Carsley.
“In fairness to the FAI, there has been that (creativity) I think,” said Cooney. “As to whether it will be the candidate at the end of it . . . maybe not, but I know they had spoken to guy called Anthony Hudson who was the assistant manager to the US at the last World Cup, who had managed New Zealand, came close to qualifying them for the 2018 World Cup.
“So they did speak to him twice, he’s out of the running now, they told him last night that he won’t be the next Ireland manager.
“But I just find that interesting in terms of what it says about a process, which has been shrouded in mystery really for the last 13 weeks or so.”
Cooney added: “Just the fact that they find this guy, who I had never heard of, made me think, ‘Hang on, maybe, you know, the thought going into this from the FAI then is not necessarily just what’s in the betting list’ . . There’s maybe a level of creativity, a width to the search, that has not been acknowledged publicly so far.”
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