REPUBLIC OF IRELAND coach John Eustace will link up with the squad in Armenia later tonight, having been granted time off from the camp to get married.
Eustace was a notable absentee at Irish training sessions at Abbottstown earlier this week amid speculation linking him with managerial jobs at Watford and QPR, the latter at which he is currently working as a coach.
His absence, however, was due to the fact he got married in the Cotswolds yesterday, which he had booked and arranged before he joined the Irish coaching staff in March
Eustace flew to Dublin to work with the Irish squad last weekend, before dashing back to England. His honeymoon is on hold, however, as tonight he will fly to Yerevan to join the Irish squad ahead of Saturday’s Nations League clash with Armenia.
Eustace is Kenny’s third appointment as his number three, following Damien Duff and Anthony Barry. There were fears Eustace’s would be an even more brief stint than either of his predecessors, as he reportedly held talks with Watford about their vacant managerial role, while he was the early favourite to step up to the QPR job in the wake of Mark Warburton’s exit.
The Watford job, however, went to Rob Edwards, while Michael Beale, Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa, was yesterday confirmed as the new QPR boss.
Though Ireland’s immediate priority is Armenia, Stephen Kenny had more than a passing interest in last night’s World Cup play-off between Scotland and Ukraine, given Ireland play both sides next week in the Nations League. Ukraine’s 3-1 win at Hampden Park set them up for a winner-takes-all play-off with Wales in Cardiff on Sunday.
“Ukraine were excellent in the game, really impressive, weren’t they?”, said Kenny at the Irish team hotel in Yerevan. “We knew that as we have watched a lot of their games.
“Ukraine played very well, they have a lot of really good, technical players. They changed their midfield three and they’ve got a lot of really good midfield players. Obviously Yaremchuk is a really good centre forward. Scotland probably didn’t play to their full potential last night, and Ukraine deserved to win overall.
“To be honest we really have to just focus on Armenia. That’s what we have to focus on. We have to focus just on Armenia. Coming away from home, Armenia’s results have been up and down, but they have had some good home wins here against Iceland and Romania, two good things. They won a group with Georgia and North Macedonia to qualify, so you have to respect that. This is the game we are fully focused on and trying to get ourselves ready for.”
Meanwhile, the Armenian FA provided the FAI with security assurances ahead of their trip to Yerevan. The city has roiled with street protests in recent week, encouraged by opposition leaders in riposte to what they believe are too many concessions made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in the wake of conflict over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Given the situation, the FAI sent a security delegation to Yerevan 48 hours ahead of the squad.
“The security of the football players and staff of Ireland’s team will be ensured, just like it is being ensured in case of all other teams”, read a statement by the Armenian FA to local press.
