JOHN O’SHEA INSISTS nothing has changed regarding his position with Ireland.
The FAI have insisted that O’Shea is interim charge for this week’s friendly double-header, with a candidate to be announced as Stephen Kenny’s permanent successor early next month.
But given the total mystery around the identity of the new candidate, the recent confirmation that Lee Carsley is out of the running, and the FAI’s recent precedent of insisting Eileen Gleeson would not be the permanent WNT manager right up until the moment she was unveiled, speculation is mounting that O’Shea might end up getting the gig on a full-time basis.
O’Shea, however, says nothing has changed.
“Not from my point of view”, he told his pre-match press conference. “The main focus has been on these two games to get that experience in terms of leading a team, organising staff, organising players, getting that experience under my belt. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
O’Shea has served on the coaching staff at Stoke, Birmingham and with the Irish U21s and senior team as he prepares himself for management. Asked whether he is ready to make that step now, he demurred, saying his immediate focus is tomorrow’s game and then spending some time with family later this week.
“That’s why I went about it this way”, said O’Shea, “getting experience with different managers and different ideas, and then hopefully take the chance to do it myself. Every scenario presents a different opportunity and whatever happens next will happen.”
O’Shea confirmed he has a fully-fit squad to select from for tomorrow’s game.
Joe Hodge and Andy Moran linked up with the squad yesterday, having played in the U21s victory over San Marino last Friday.
The interim boss was coy on all matters relating to team selection, and as to whether Finn Azaz, Jake O’Brien, and Hodge will make their senior debuts. He has said he will make a few tweaks to the starting line-up, with Gavin Bazunu expected to play in goal in place of Caoimhín Kelleher.
O’Shea admitted he may have used this double-header of friendly matches for experimentation had he been installed on a full-time basis.
“My remit was to focus on these two games”, he said. “If my remit beforehand was, ‘John you’re the full-time new manager’, it might have been a different situation. The focus for me was, ‘these two games John, look after these games and see what happens then.’”
Having initially sold tickets for tomorrow’s game as a two-match bundle with Saturday’s game against Belgium, the FAI have put tickets on sale on an individual basis for the clash with Switzerland.
