THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION of Ireland are set to appoint a new senior men’s manager following last night’s news of Stephen Kenny’s departure.
Below, we have taken a look at 15 candidates who could succeed Kenny — some obvious names and a couple of left-field choices.
The big names and leading candidates
Lee Carsley
One of the bookies’ favourites to get the job, sceptics might suggest Carsley has similar flaws to Kenny, namely not enough experience at the highest level of the game. However, the 49-year-old is well regarded within coaching circles, with the FAI criticised in the past for not bringing him onboard in some capacity.
In recent years, he has undertaken a number of caretaker jobs, while he has also worked at underage level with Brentford, Birmingham and Man City. It would not be easy for the FAI to prise away Carsley, as he only just signed a new contract with England U21s (albeit, a rolling one-year deal) having helped them triumph at the Euros in July. However, a potential compromise could see the association appoint an interim boss while they wait for Carsley’s deal to expire.
Roy Keane
Kenny Cunningham, who both played with and under Keane, suggested the Man United legend should be considered when speaking on Off the Ball recently.
“He’s smart, he’s funny, he can carry a room with him, people gravitate towards him, the dressing room, players, teammates,” the former Wimbledon and Birmingham player said.
“Maybe he’s opened himself up to that a little bit more in the last five years.”
The attractive aspects of Keane are obvious — he is box office, the national team likely wouldn’t be long without a jersey sponsor should he take over, and as someone who has played at the very top level, would have useful advice for the likes of Evan Ferguson.
However, the negatives might outweigh the positives from an FAI perspective — the Harry Arter/Jon Walters controversy from a few years back suggests he may just be too aggressive, unpredictable and confrontational for coaching in the modern game, he has not had a manager’s job since 2011, his stint as a Sky Sports pundit indicates he doesn’t have particularly in-depth tactical knowledge and his appointment could be read as a continuation of the Martin O’Neill era, which fans grew sick and tired of by its culmination.
Damien Duff
Duff certainly ticks some of the boxes on the FAI’s list of requirements. The fact that he is an Ireland legend helps, as does his strong knowledge of the Irish football system, having coached Shamrock Rovers at underage level in addition to previously having been Kenny’s assistant.
His positive spell as manager of Shelbourne, however, might be a mixed blessing. While he has shown real tactical nous when overachieving in that difficult job, the FAI might be keen to look beyond the League of Ireland given how badly results have gone under Kenny. It is probably for that reason that Stephen Bradley, for all his success at Shamrock Rovers, might similarly be a hard sell to the hierarchy.
And there is also the question of whether Duff would want the Ireland job. After all, it was primarily an issue with the FAI and specifically their handling of the ‘videogate’ controversy that prompted him to leave the position as assistant previously, while he has just committed to a new deal with Shels.
Chris Hughton
If the FAI wants to hire an experienced coach who will be good at getting the most out of limited resources without needing to learn on the job, then Hughton could be near the top of their list. His CV is among the strongest of the names on this list. He impressed at various points as manager of Norwich, Birmingham, Newcastle and Brighton, helping the latter two teams gain promotion from the Championship, though the Nottingham Forest spell was the one major disappointment — sacked in September 2021, he oversaw the club’s worst start to a season since 1913 and to make matters worse, his successor Steve Cooper ended up getting them promoted in that same campaign.
These days, he is the manager of Ghana, who are preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, and who have a far greater likelihood of regularly competing at major tournaments than Ireland. Still, working closer to home for the country he represented 53 times as a player may have significant appeal to Hughton.
From Ireland’s perspective though, the style of football could be an issue. His approach not being progressive enough was a key reason for his departure at Brighton and many in Irish football will be keen that the team can still maintain the attractive brand of football that Kenny has established.
John O’Shea
Previously one of Kenny’s assistants, the 42-year-old is already a highly respected coach who has spent time on the sidelines at both Reading and Stoke. With 118 caps, he has a vast knowledge of what it’s like to play international football and might be seen as a less combustible and safer pair of hands than some of the other Irish legends in the conversation (Roy Keane, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff).
However, the Waterford native may also be regarded as too close to the Kenny reign to stand a serious chance, while many will feel that such an opportunity would come too soon for the ex-Man United player.
Unlike Carsley for example, he has not built up an abundance of coaching experience at a variety of clubs and only completed his Uefa Pro Licence course last December. Bigger names than O’Shea have struggled under similar circumstances when suddenly thrust into high-profile jobs.
Robbie Keane
Like his namesake Roy, the pros are obvious: a big name with box-office appeal, more likely to attract sponsors and someone the players would instantly respect in light of what he achieved as a player. He has made an encouraging start to life with Maccabi Tel Aviv — they are currently top of the league with five games played. Although football has been put on hold in Israel owing to the security situation, with Keane and his assistant Rory Delap being forced to flee the country last month.
The Ireland job would surely be a welcome change for Keane, yet with a fairly thin managerial CV, he would be a bigger gamble than most. He also previously worked on the coaching staff with Middlesbrough, Ireland and Leeds, though each of those was a fairly brief stint. There also might be some lingering tension on both sides given the controversy surrounding his last contract with the association.
Neil Lennon
A number of bookmakers list Lennon among the favourites for the job. The ex-Northern Ireland manager has comfortably won more trophies as a manager than anyone else mentioned on this list, including five league titles with Celtic.
On the other hand, his fortunes beyond Parkhead have been mixed. He had a largely successful spell at Hibernian, helping them win promotion back to the top flight, though his time there ended controversially. He struggled in his year and a half at Bolton, regularly fighting relegation, though the club was struggling financially at the time, so it was always going to be an uphill task.
Despite a couple of decent results — notably beating Gent to qualify for the Europa League group stages — Lennon lasted less than a year in his most recent job as manager of Cypriot side Omonia.
There is no real obvious connection to the Republic of Ireland team and given his recent struggles, the 52-year-old might be perceived by some as a manager on a downward trajectory.
The outside bets
Kieran McKenna
Along with Rafael Benitez, McKenna is among the names the FAI are considering according to a recent report in The Independent. However, both seem like a long shot given how cash-strapped the association are at present. Benitez — currently managing Celta Vigo, who are 18th in La Liga as it stands — in particular surely wouldn’t leave his native Spain for cheap and would be seen by some Irish fans as Trapattoni part II — a past-his-prime manager with a negative style and little knowledge of the game in this country.
Conversely, former Northern Ireland underage international McKenna, who was born in London and raised in County Fermanagh, is on the crest of a wave with Ipswich Town. Having helped the Tractor Boys get promoted last season, the former Man United assistant coach is threatening to repeat the feat, as they are currently second in the Championship.
So despite his Irish connections, whether one of the most highly regarded young managers in the game would be willing to leave a job that is going so well for a struggling national team frankly seems a little fanciful.
Mark Kennedy
One of the more under-the-radar ex-Irish internationals mentioned in this article, the Dubliner nonetheless has a strong reputation in England, coaching for a number of years at underage level with Ipswich, Man City and Wolves. His first senior managerial job did not go well — he left Macclesfield after just 12 games amid a season dramatically shortened by the Covid-19 pandemic. After the club received a points deduction for financial issues and were relegated to the National League as a result, Kennedy promptly left, despite being offered a new contract.
His most recent job at Lincoln City had been a better experience — the club has a considerable Irish playing contingent, including ex-Bohemians star Danny Mandroiu, current U21 international Sean Roughan and club captain Paudie O’Connor. He guided Lincoln to an 11th-place finish in League One last season, an improvement from 17th the year before. Their current position of ninth suggests the upward trend is continuing.
Nevertheless, Kennedy was dismissed as manager last month somewhat surprisingly. According to Imps chief executive Liam Scully, public criticism of Irish youngster Mandroiu and not the results were among the reasons for his departure. So whether this track record is enough to warrant appointing him to the most high-profile job in the country is at best debatable.
Chris Wilder
One of the few people mentioned on this list who is currently unemployed. Not so long ago, Chris Wilder had a sky-high reputation and was considered one of the top managers in England. In a five-year spell at Sheffield United, he took the Blades from League One to a scarcely believable ninth-place finish in the Premier League.
Moreover, the style of football was far better to watch than the more stereotypical perception of English coaches who primarily have a background in the lower leagues.
But there are also negatives, namely much of what has transpired in the three years since that heady ninth-place finish.
In that period, Wilder has left the Blades as well as two other managerial jobs, Middlesbrough and Watford, though the latter was always intended to be a short-term appointment.
Wilder’s lack of any real association with Irish football would make him a tough sell to the fans and critics, but if the FAI are going to go down the route of appointing a manager from abroad, they could surely do a lot worse. Sam Allardyce and Mick McCarthy (again) are other primarily British-based coaches mentioned in recent times, but the chances of either of them getting the job seem highly remote.
Brian Barry-Murphy
Another man who has League of Ireland links, albeit as a player rather than a coach. Brian Barry-Murphy — son of Cork GAA legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy — made 82 appearances for Cork City between 1995 and 1999, before going on to forge a successful career in England, lining out for Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Bury among others.
As a manager, the Corkonian was hailed for his Rochdale team’s exciting style and he worked with several Irish players during his time there, including Gavin Bazunu, though the spell ended badly, as the club were relegated from League One.
Barry-Murphy is still highly thought of as a coach, however, and he currently manages Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad. His appointment would be considered a big risk given his lack of top-level experience, but the same could be said for many of the other names included on this list.
John Eustace
Like Kenny’s other former assistant Duff, Eustace has tried his hand at management since leaving the Irish role. Inheriting a Birmingham City side tipped for relegation amid off-field problems, he guided them to a creditable 17th-place finish in the Championship last season, while they have also started this season really well.
Nonetheless, with the club sixth in the table, Eustace was sacked so they could appoint Man United legend Wayne Rooney.
The attractive style the 44-year-old favours is a bonus, but the lack of any obvious emotional connection to the role could be a problem — after all, he left the job as Kenny’s assistant after just four months.
In addition, if the FAI do identify him as their favoured candidate, they might need to act fast. Eustace did a good job overall with the Blues and is unlikely to be short of suitors as the season develops.
Steve Bruce
Has an Irish mother and his son Alex won two caps for the Republic of Ireland before switching allegiance to the North, but that connection aside, it would feel like a bit of a random appointment.
That said, Bruce is one of the few names on this list with extensive experience of managing at Premier League level, so his CV would compare favourably to most candidates. He has had no fewer than 12 managerial jobs from his first with Sheffield United in 1998 to most recently managing West Brom last year.
By far his longest and arguably most successful spell lasted nearly seven years at Birmingham and encompassed two promotions to the Premier League and one relegation. He also enjoyed success at Hull, earning promotion and guiding the club to the FA Cup final.
Yet results have been more mixed elsewhere — his last four jobs: Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle and West Brom — have all been regarded largely as disappointments.
Unlike most of the candidates mentioned, Bruce has publicly expressed an interest, telling Gambling Zone earlier this week: “Once the manager position is free, then they (the FAI) can give me a call.”
Gus Poyet
Another manager who is seemingly keen on trying his luck in the Ireland job. Poyet twice outwitted Kenny’s Ireland in qualifying and has suggested he will leave his current job as Greece manager when his contract is up in March, even if they do make it through the playoffs and qualify for the Euros. The way he tactically outmanoeuvred Kenny in those games will have done his cause no harm.
But his CV overall doesn’t leap off the page. He had a good start to his managerial career, helping Brighton earn promotion from League One before being sacked for what the club described as “gross misconduct”. The FAI may also be concerned at how regularly he seems to switch jobs — since 2015, he has managed a total of six teams, despite being managerially unemployed for the entirety of 2019 and 2020. So there is no doubt selecting Poyet would be a bold move.
Anthony Barry
Before departing, Barry’s influence as part of Kenny’s coaching staff was clear. He is understood to have played a key part in the manager’s original decision to switch to three at the back. It was also no coincidence that results improved once he came onboard and deteriorated again after he left. And obviously, Barry would know many of the Ireland players well straight away.
The former Coventry City youngster is highly thought of in coaching circles and that is reflected in the assistant jobs he has had — Wigan, Chelsea, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Bayern Munich.
Whether the lure of the number one position would be enough to tempt him away from his current dual role with Bayern and Portugal is uncertain.
A version of this piece originally appeared on 13 September
