LAST WEEK WAS a heady one at the FAI: it brought the unveiling of the long-gestating football pathways plan, and a bruising day in front of the Public Accounts Committee, but not a successor to Stephen Kenny.
With their preferred candidate not yet in reach, director of football Marc Canham bought himself some breathing room by putting in a call to John O’Shea last Saturday.
Canham explained the situation to O’Shea. The FAI needed an interim head coach for the March friendlies with Belgium and Switzerland, and they saw him as the man to step into the breach. It was made clear to O’Shea that he is viewed as an interim candidate only.
O’Shea agreed to step in, and requested Paddy McCarthy of Crystal Palace be brought in as his assistant.
With O’Shea on board, Canham then made further arrangements. The contracts of some football staff were yesterday extended on a short-term basis, and the process of hiring of support staff – including a kitman and physios – was completed.
Some were anticipating an announcement regarding O’Shea on Friday, or at least in the aftermath of a scheduled meeting of the FAI board this evening. The FAI instead announced at lunchtime today, with O’Shea and Canham set to meet the press on Friday.
The last time Canham appointed an interim head coach, that candidate got the job. It looks highly unlikely that O’Shea will follow Eileen Gleeson into the role on a permanent role, however: senior FAI sources confirmed to us today that O’Shea is viewed as a short-term appointment only.
These things can change of course: Eileen Gleeson repeatedly distanced herself from the WNT job on a full-time basis, right up to her unveiling.
Things do appear different this time around, however.
A key line in the FAI’s press release announcing O’Shea is a commitment to announce Stephen Kenny’s permanent successor in April. The text of the FAI’s press release said they expect to announce in “early April”, whereas Marc Canham’s quote in the same release committed merely to “April”.
Nonetheless, the mention of a specific month stirs expectations the FAI have a candidate in their sights, perhaps one whose current contractual or employment status precludes them from being unveiled prior to the end of the March.
Even so, something has gone wrong in this search. That the March friendlies cannot be used by a new head coach to prepare for the Nations League is a waste of precious time.
The FAI had hoped to have someone in place for the Nations League draw in Paris on 8 February. But when you parse the phrasing. February was less a hard deadline than an aspiration. “From February, you definitely want someone working full time in relation to those opponents,” said Jonathan Hill about the new boss being in place for the Nations League draw.
This time the FAI have publicly given themselves a very obvious deadline. They are unlikely to have done that without at least some confidence that they will meet that timeline. A failure to get it done on time would draw even more scrutiny on Hill and Canham, at a time when Hill in particular is in need of some happier headlines.
The enduring mystery is who the April appointee will be. Does this delay open up a window to return to Lee Carsley? Perhaps. The Carsley courtship is reported to have fallen apart because of money, but the FAI have said on-record that money has proved to be no problem in their search.
It’s understand they have the headroom to improve on the €560,000 Stephen Kenny was paid, and can go to roughly the €700,000 mark. That kind of salary is on par with the mid-to-lower tier of the Championship, but it’s more competitive by international standards. It would be broadly in line with what Wales boss Rob Page would get in terms of salary and a qualification bonus for the Euros, for instance.
But if Carsley really wanted the job and the FAI are being honest in saying money isn’t a problem, why hasn’t it happened already? He may not want to leave the FA in the lurch, but they restructured their underage coaches in January, which would have been as suitable a time as any for Carsley to inform them of his intention to leave.
The FAI would love to appoint Anthony Barry, and confirmation that Thomas Tuchel is finishing at Bayern Munich at the end of the season brings some clarity on his future. But Barry will also be involved with the Portugal squad at the Euros, meaning he would miss the June international window too – the last friendly window of the year before a daunting Nations League campaign – were he to take the job. A bigger doubt is whether he is interested in the job at all. When Barry does make the decision to strike out on his own, he is more likely to do so in club football.
April would clear the way for someone involved in the March international window, most obviously Greece manager Gus Poyet. He says he has had no contact from the FAI, though, and is not thought to be in the running.
Former Millwall boss Gary Rowett is also interested in the job, but hasn’t received any contact from the FAI. Neil Lennon and Chris Coleman have been spoken to but are out of the running, as neither fit the job description.
Paul Clement is interested in the job and is a better fit, and sources close to him were coy when contacted by The 42 earlier this week, saying they wished to respect all involved in the FAI’s process. But Clement is currently available, so if he is the FAI’s pick, delaying an announcement until April makes little sense.
We know the FAI have cast the net pretty wide in their search, having spoken twice to former New Zealand boss Anthony Hudson before deciding against him. They may yet come up with a left-field option who has eluded us all to now.
While O’Shea’s elevation is temporary, he may remain involved under the next permanent head coach.
Canham is thought to have been impressed with the environment built by Stephen Kenny, and is eager to retain some of its figures, including O’Shea, opposition analyst Stephen Rice, and head of performance, Damien Doyle.
The main job remains unfilled, though, and just because the clock has been reset to April, doesn’t mean it’s not ticking.