NEW REPUBLIC OF Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has confirmed that he wants John O’Shea to stay on as his assistant.
At a press conference in Aviva Stadium alongside FAI director of football Marc Canham, the 57-year-old was also adamant that he was never going to leave his previous job with Jamaica before this summer’s Copa America.
Hallgrímsson stressed that he made the FAI aware of this from the outset of their pursuit and it also led to an emphatic defence from Canham that he did not deliberately set out to mislead anyone when he said in March that only “existing contractual obligations” were preventing him from naming the permanent appointment.
It was at the first unveiling of O’Shea as interim boss for March friendlies that Canham stated the new boss would be in place by early April.
“Contrary to what’s been written and said, it was never, ever, our intent to deliberately mislead anyone. To be super clear, never ever did we sit in the room and think, ‘let’s deliberately mislead anyone’. Never, ever was that part of our conversation or decision-making, ever.
“It was always the focus on getting the right person, I am conscious that I am repeating myself, and will continue to do so if I get similar questions, that was not the best communication from us, we take responsibility for that, if we were to do that again we’d communicate in a different way and it’s good learnings from us moving forward.
“We always stayed true to the fact that we tried to get the best person for the job.”
In a back and forth to determine the timeline and whether Hallgrímsson might not actually have been the candidate cited for that early April appointment, Canham said: “We made a decision that Heimir was our no.1 candidate.
“We hoped to conclude that process, it wasn’t possible. Heimir was consistent all the way through that he was committed to the Nations League and Copa America. The learning from us was the we shouldn’t have communicated that we hoped to make an announcement at this point.”
Hallgrímsson confirmed that he had at least one other option to consider – believed to be Ecuador – and that before the Copa America he informed Jamaica of his decision to resign after the tournament.
“It was always kind of exciting and the top of my list to come here. I don’t what date it was when I was clear in my head to take this. I just always admired the professionalism from the board, the respect they showed me in the process,” he said.
“I know it was probably difficult for them, I repeated myself again and again that I was focused on finishing the Copa America and that probably not what they wanted to hear.”
Ireland begin their Nations League campaign at home to England on 7 September and Hallgrímsson is now in the process of forming his coaching staff, as well as finding a home in Ireland with his wife Iris after confirming they will be based here for the duration of a contract that runs during the Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Hallgrímsson wants O’Shea to be part of those campaigns, citing the need for “continuity” and spoke with the former interim boss briefly yesterday, as well as chatting with captain Seamus Coleman.
“The challenge is of course getting to know everything and everyone and getting to know their names, and you know what they can bring to the national team etc, so that is going to be a tough time for me as a coach.
“I’m relying on past coaches, John O’Shea and more to assist. I told him I’d really love to have him as a part of this journey and he has a lot of respect from the board being a caretaker. I really think in the context of him continuing with the team, if he is on board, we will probably move fast in what we want to achieve, and the same with the staff. That is the most challenging thing, knowing not only the players but the culture.”
It’s been said already but Delaney needs to go before a new manager comes.
How does someone like Delaney lose his job. How can he get sacked?
The board would have to decide that he’s not doing his job right, and since he hasn’t been doing it right in years there is also clearly a problem with the board.
yeah that’s unfortunately the way, very unlikely then.
What exactly has John Delaney done wrong??
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we all have hard-ons when Delaney appointed Trap?
I agree to a degree man, I think most people’s beef is they don’t like his chancer persona, but in terms of performance, it’s a case of it being debatable.
People who know fck all will always pick holes in stuff they know nothing about….. What’s new here?!!
Standby for grass roots waffle and his wages being too high etc…..
So Dunphy, and now Giles have given Martin O’Neill the seal of approval. O’Neill should enjoy this honeymoon period, because those two lads will be slating him to high Heaven in two years’ time, like they’ve done with every Irish manager for the past 20yrs.
Well lets take a comment Delaney made yesterday that his involvement with the international side of the FAI is only 3-4% of the work he does. So what the F does he do for the other 96-96% of his job to warrant his wages? The League of Ireland is in shite. Last season when clubs were going to the wall where was Delaney, pissed out of his head at the Euro’s.
I think Dennis O’Brien should get the job and have a chunk of his salary paid by Trappatoni.
I agree with johnny I have to say, other names being mentioned are risky, albeit risks can sometimes be profitable, they are more often failures.
O Neill poses as the safest and steadiest option, and right now that’s what we need.
I agree O’Neill best man for job. Think he was a bit overrated earlier in career but looks best available. Right man at right time. Out of work a while and maybe his one and only shot at international level. It’s all timing, 10 years ago David O’Leary would have been one of favourites. Not even a mention this time
Funnily enough, David O Leary is probably the most successful Irish manager of all time having finished 3rd or 4th in the Premier League and qualifying for the Champions League a couple of times. I think he even got to the quarter finals…. Just saying!!!
Gor them to semis actually
And, further more he has a good grasp of the English language. That will help communicating with the squad.
O Neill would have been my first choice 5 years ago but things have not seemed to work for him since then. Are his tactics and approach old? I don’t know. I do know he is a good man manager but is that enough anymore? A two year contract is a must in my opinion.
Where’d ye get the photo?Has Giles been Tangoed?
Only one problem with Johnny’s reasoning, the £uck All Intellengence brigade. You know the FAI
I thought he’d suggest Paul Jewel… again!
Dunphy was calling for Jewel to get the job years ago, I think before Staunton got the job. His star faded pretty quickly.
How about Johnny Giles as manager?
If you don’t like the way trap played football god happy you when you see martin o’neill as a manager he almost destroyed aston villa then look what he did to Sunderland .
I agree. O’Neill is a good motivator but his teams do not play attractive football. This won’t matter if he’s successful but if not, everyone will turn on him. Still, he’s probably the best available at the moment.
How did he almost destroy Villa?
would Martin o neill get on with players like Gibson and other NI players ??
Poisoned Chalice,you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Bring in Roddy Collins. Saw him on the sidelines for Carlisle Utd when he managed them. Like a bull on the sidelines. He’d scare the sh1t into these players… Otherwise Martin O’Neill is head and shoulders above the others mentioned. NOT ROY KEANE!!!
Obviously I’m joking about Roddy :-P
John Giles is a deluded old moron
And u are an attention seeking oul wan. Mr gambling ireland.
You haven’t a clue you attention seeking clown.
Gary Neville has already been offered the job. He turned it down last night!!
So easy to wind up. I mad
So easy to wind up. I made a mistake, it was Phil Neville!
John robertson is sn excellent coach, martin o neill is a mediocre msnager.
Mon without his team would be like buying a knockoff rolex, might look the business at beginning, but could fall apart any moment
Yep I think Martin o Neill or maybe Chris Hughton if u can prize him away from Norwich I doubt it
Hey Alex Ferguson isn’t doing anything at the minute
All any manager can do is make the best of a bad situation re players. The steady decline of Irish soccer over the years is set to continue.
Chris Houghton – if he is available – has a good track record .
Niall Quinn for Delaneys job and a manager with the guile and vision to oversee a total transformation of irish soccer from grass roots level to the senior international team,this needs to be a long term project over the next 5-10 years as in the style of what the germans and spanish did and are now reaping the rewards with countless world class players all under 25 years old….my choice would be Louis Van Gaal
You do realise Van Gaal is in a job with his own country?
I wouldn’t read too much into anything Giles says. A few years ago on off the ball, he claimed that Wayne Rooney was the best mid-fielder in the premier league, he ranked him above lampard and Gerrard who were in their prime at the time. Whoever gets the job should be given a contract up until the end of the euros in 2016 and then rewarded with a new one if we qualify, give a good account of ourselves etc…
Giles was correct. If Rooney put his mind to it he would be a way better player than lampard or gerard as an attacking midfielder. You can’t blame john that Rooneys attitude has gone down the drain since.
Des Cahill for manager
Just give O’Neill the job.
We owe the Germans for the hammering they gave us in the Aviva. And O’Neill might be the man to beat them!