JUST WHEN THE FAI thought they had made a breakthrough on one of the major issues that has hung over them for the past five months, 48 hours of confusion has undermined their progress.
It has been a prolonged search, conducted parallel to other matters of importance and controversy . . .
When the FAI confirmed Stephen Kenny’s contract was not going to be renewed on 22 November, the statement finished with the following line: “The recruitment process for new Head Coach is now underway.”
It had already been a surprise two months previously when chief executive Jonathan Hill said Kenny would be allowed to fulfil the length of his deal.
After back-to-back defeats in Euro 2024 qualifying against France in Paris and the Netherlands in Dublin, it was felt an early exit was likely.
Ireland’s campaign had petered out. It was ebbing away from the moment they were outfought and outplayed by Greece in Athens. That 2-1 defeat left Kenny as vulnerable as ever during his reign at a point when the expectation was the work he had been doing during the previous three years should be coming to fruition.
But the FAI persevered and, at a joint media briefing with director of football Marc Canham in September, Hill confirmed that Kenny would remain in situ.
Those defeats against the top two seeds France and the Netherlands are not what sealed his fate – it was known almost five months ago that change was coming.
Canham has the remit to oversee that recruitment process, although he’s had plenty on his plate given at that same conference alongside Hill he laid out the reasons why senior women’s manager Vera Pauw was not being offered fresh terms following the World Cup.
There were also queries about the small matter of when he would be releasing findings and targets for his player pathway plan. February is the latest indication on that front.
Searching for Pauw’s successor had begun in September and ended just before Christmas when Eileen Gleeson was offered the job on a full-time basis after achieving a 100% record in the Nations League while in interim charge.
The FAI, and Hill in particular, were also dealing with the fallout from governance issues, with State funding temporarily suspended. That was in relation to an audit carried out by Sport Ireland which found that the CEO’s pay was €20,000 above the terms set out by the government bailout of the FAI in 2020.
Hill repaid the sum and apologised, and these factors are important to lay out when it comes to determining the context for what has been a muddled week in the search for a new men’s senior manager.
It has only been once these other important matters could be taken care of that full attention could turn to finding Kenny’s replacement.
The new year brought a renewed focus, as the FAI continued to seek out the kind of progressive head coach that Canham preferred to work in a collaborative manner within the FAI’s structure.
So when figures like Sam Allardyce came to Dublin to throw their hat in the mix for the job it was never taken seriously at Abbotstown.
Hill did lay out a desired end date for the appointment before the turn of the year, citing the Nations League draw on 8 February as an ideal time for the new person to be in situ to begin preparations.
Friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland in Dublin this March should be the perfect starting point. “From February, you definitely want someone working full time in relation to those opponents,” Hill said.
The FAI, as they laid out in that exit statement for Kenny, did speak to a shortlist of candidates prior to Christmas.
In November, Neil Lennon also confirmed his willingness to chat. In an interview with one bookmaker and then released through their PR arm, Steve Bruce also said it would be a job that would “interest” him at this stage of his career.
That is how some of the speculation has garnered traction, reacting to a betting market that can fluctuate as a result of nothing more than conjecture or a €20 punt.
Canham, throughout this process, has held his counsel as he has worked alongside Hill to try and determine the best course of action. During that time it has become clear that Lee Carsley emerged as the No 1 target.
Other candidates, like the now former Ghana boss Chris Hughton, fell by the wayside.
It emerged this week that discussions have been held in London and that FAI director Packie Bonner travelled south from his home in Glasgow to join them.
The events of the last few days have brought a sense of confusion to the process just as it became clear some at Abbotstown were beginning to feel it was reaching the desired conclusion.
Roy Keane’s expression of interest in the job on Tuesday set pulses racing for some but was never going to be something that would cause Canham veer off course.
Within 24 hours of Keane’s input reports emerged that Carsley’s appointment would be sealed within seven days.
Today they appear to have been quashed with news from across the water stating that Carlsey had turned down the Ireland job offer in favour of remaining with England’s U21s and hopefully emerging as a serious candidate to replace their senior boss Gareth Southgate down the line.
The question for the FAI now is whether they feel it’s a salvageable situation with their No 1 choice, or do they turn to willing alternatives?
Two months after Kenny’s departure was confirmed and five months on from everyone knowing what was coming down the tracks, Canham must shift course.
Greece boss Gus Poyet said it was “a possibility” he could be interested in the job.
He is due to be in Dublin on Monday for a promotional event, so it won’t be long for the vacuum to be filled by more speculation.
