Next Senior Men's Team Manager - Runners and Riders

[JR89]

There must be at least some board members who would want Canham to be stood down from further involvement in the managerial search process at this point.

Probably not because then they'd have to try find a new manager themselves or outsource that job to someone else. Then they'll get stick if they don't deliver. I'd say there's a few people though rubbing their hands in glee after today hoping Canham follows Hill out the door.

[SkStu]

I mean I'm not even joking at this point, literally give John O'Shea the job. Canham and the rest of the cronies behind this hiring process have made an absolute mockery of the job and any manager worth his salt will see that and wont touch it with a barge pole, I mean going potentially 8+ months without a manager is gone beyond a joke at this point.

The only thing they can do now to attempt to restore any credibility in the role is give it to John O'Shea as he seems popular with the players, been involved in the set up before and with two friendlies in the summer will have 4 games under his belt as the manager. Considering how much of a mess the FAI have made of the process he's probably the best option as any other option that comes in will have no time with the players or in the set up.

I don’t necessarily agree with giving Josh the job now but I did say in a previous post (maybe in the Kenny thread) that things were likely to get worse before they get better but I meant in the context of who the next manager might be and what we might see on the pitch. I certainly didn’t mean to include that the FAI would be shown up to be a complete mess while they’re at it. For goodness sake, any professional organization with a semi-decent recruitment process does a better job at head hunting than these imbeciles. The job challenge and package ain’t the most attractive but it’s also not the worst. They’ve actually succeeded through all this in making it less attractive now. Absolute joke shop.

[Eminence Grise]

I, for one, am delighted that in this process the FAI have managed to reconcile those who stood by Kenny to the bitter end and those who were as convinced in wanting him out, by getting both factions to agree with a simple statement that rings true no matter where you stood on the schism:

Nobody's better than Kenny.

:rolleyes:

[texidub]

Rumours flying around now that Eamonn Dunphy hasn't been this ashamed to be Irish since we drew with Egypt.

[samhaydenjr]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

:confused2::nails::angry3:

[samhaydenjr]

:mad2::curse::cry:

[samhaydenjr]

:excruciating::hopelessness::dejection:

[CraftyToePoke]

Does Canham survive this & do any of you think he may in fact be the reason we don't have a manager ?

Even if he does weather this does he have any credibility capital left to go about implementing his plan for the future of Irish football document, which was literred with the buzz word corporate phraseology he's now being rightly crucified for as a total bluffing fraud ?

[seanfhear]

Sometimes, Football just needs a Football Man.

[CraftyToePoke]

Sometimes, Football just needs a Football Man.

Indeed
We need Tony Pulis trying to channel Jack Charlton with a Ouija board in an open back truck filled with burning tractor tyres being driven flat out towards a cliff by Mick McCarthy on pills.

[seanfhear]

Indeed
We need Tony Pulis trying to channel Jack Charlton with a Ouija board in an open back truck filled with burning tractor tyres being driven flat out towards a cliff by Mick McCarthy on pills. Yes ~ Football is a simple game ~

[Eirambler]

If the board of the FAI got rid of Canham at this point, along with Hill already on the way out, you could make a case for re-approaching previous candidates like Carsley, this time without Canham's ridiculous conditions for taking the job and by allowing them to bring their own backroom staff etc.

[seanfhear]

If the board of the FAI got rid of Canham at this point, along with Hill already on the way out, you could make a case for re-approaching previous candidates like Carsley, this time without Canham's ridiculous conditions for taking the job and by allowing them to bring their own backroom staff etc.
Can we find a, Sugar Daddy / Sugar Mammy ? !

What ever happened to all those, super-wealthy Celtic Tigers ? !

[Eirambler]

Having so many non-Irish based people involved was always going to make that harder. But unfortunately I'm not sure the team has the public profile at the moment that would encourage a Denis O'Brien type to stump up a million a year or whatever. Maybe I'm wrong and they would but just haven't been asked - it wouldn't surprise me.

A lot of possible candidates mentioned will be ruled out due to the salary on offer. But others may have been ruled out by the conditions. Carsley the most likely on that score. If we start again from the beginning minus the conditions and the idiots imposing them, we might have a chance of getting someone decent.

[Olé Olé]

Eamon Sweeney opens his article in the Indo today with a lovely line : "God grant me the confidence of a mediocre Englishman."

Honestly do think that the Hill and Canham double act come across as the sort that thought they'd come over and sort out the Eire at their leisure.

They had jobs in management in the FA. Turns out that doesn't translate to jobs in the leadership in the FAI. Not that these chancers were aware.

The Canham interviews when he was smugly telling us he has a manager lined up demonstrate this. If he were in management he wouldn't have been in a position to speak in such a context. As a leader, he completely botched it and overplayed his hand.

If it was Carsley, their old colleagues in the FA must have really disliked Canham if they easily managed to draw him back in.

[Stuttgart88]

At least it's not going to be Noel King.

[Razors left peg]

A thought just occurred to me... If they have already conceeded that there's an interim in June now and O'Shea has signed a contract for those 2 games, does that mean the search stops now? It's 3 months away. A club generally finds someone in a week or two. What if someone lads in their lap somehow, do they say JOS continues in June cos he has a contract?

[CraftyToePoke]

A thought just occurred to me... If they have already conceeded that there's an interim in June now and O'Shea has signed a contract for those 2 games, does that mean the search stops now? It's 3 months away. A club generally finds someone in a week or two. What if someone lads in their lap somehow, do they say JOS continues in June cos he has a contract?

I think it has to be considered that O'Shea now has an extended interview effectively and if the friendlies give any leeway to do so he'll be installed for the NL as a further extension. So I'd say the manager search could well be scaled down particularly if Canham is moved on, it kind of has to be. There is a considerable financial saving in that too which will have an appeal.

It's not what I think will or should happen but it is an in play possibility now.

[ontheotherhand]

I think it has to be considered that O'Shea now has an extended interview effectively and if the friendlies give any leeway to do so he'll be installed for the NL as a further extension. So I'd say the manager search could well be scaled down particularly if Canham is moved on, it kind of has to be. There is a considerable financial saving in that too which will have an appeal.

It's not what I think will or should happen but it is an in play possibility now.

Crafty....I genuinely shudder to think what a scaled down version of this "manager search" would look like. Why would you say that? On a Sunday.

[CraftyToePoke]

Crafty....I genuinely shudder to think what a scaled down version of this "manager search" would look like. Why would you say that? On a Sunday.

Might not be so bad OTOH, it'd look a lot like the search up to now only the papers & socials wouldn't be clawing their eyes out looking for the identity of the non existent human.

You know, the one who has club and international experience, will look after the overall well being of our game as head coach, qualify us for tournaments, not have his own backroom team, etc, all for about half of what a middle of the road Championship job pays, with no midfield. That one :D

[elatedscum]

I think it has to be considered that O'Shea now has an extended interview effectively and if the friendlies give any leeway to do so he'll be installed for the NL as a further extension. So I'd say the manager search could well be scaled down particularly if Canham is moved on, it kind of has to be. There is a considerable financial saving in that too which will have an appeal.

It's not what I think will or should happen but it is an in play possibility now.

Regarding the interim manager situation. I don’t think we’ve saved any money. JOSH definitely got a pay increase to be interim manager. So we are probably looking at something like 40k per window, or €200k per year. Backroom staff costs remain identical. It was basically swapping like for like guys, level and salary. Paddy McCarthy isn’t any cheaper than Keith Andrews.

So after these fixtures, we’ll have saved about €120k. But the ticket sales for the 3 home friendlies have been much less than what there would have been for a new manager, so there’s a definite a loss there. I’d estimate in the region of €600k on tickets alone (a few thousand tickets per game) - but could easily be double or triple that, not to mention concessions and jerseys and so on.

So the reality is, not having a manager is costing the association a lot…

[seanfhear]

Might not be so bad OTOH, it'd look a lot like the search up to now only the papers & socials wouldn't be clawing their eyes out looking for the identity of the non existent human.

You know, the one who has club and international experience, will look after the overall well being of our game as head coach, qualify us for tournaments, not have his own backroom team, etc, all for about half of what a middle of the road Championship job pays, with no midfield. That one :DSolve the Irish housing crisis / Solve the Irish health care system / Bring world peace / Win Miss World / Solve nuclear fusion / All in a few weeks / Win the World Cup on Soccer and Rugby ! ! !

[Olé Olé]

Regarding the interim manager situation. I don’t think we’ve saved any money. JOSH definitely got a pay increase to be interim manager. So we are probably looking at something like 40k per window, or €200k per year. Backroom staff costs remain identical. It was basically swapping like for like guys, level and salary. Paddy McCarthy isn’t any cheaper than Keith Andrews.

So after these fixtures, we’ll have saved about €120k. But the ticket sales for the 3 home friendlies have been much less than what there would have been for a new manager, so there’s a definite a loss there. I’d estimate in the region of €600k on tickets alone (a few thousand tickets per game) - but could easily be double or triple that, not to mention concessions and jerseys and so on.

So the reality is, not having a manager is costing the association a lot…

It's going to cost them a lot, lot more. Standalone tickets and the next round of season tickets will continue to diminish in lustre on the back of this unless Canham makes a Lazarus like recovery with an exciting appointment. Being lied to and strung along is bad enough when it is done by lads like Canham who is out of his depth it hits even worse.

At this point, is the best option Hughton as manager with O'Shea in tow? I know Kerr stated on telly he reckoned it wouldn't be Hughton as he wanted time out after the Ghana role and bumpy ending. He could get the guts of 6 months of a break given how Canham has kicked the can.

Given his age, the fact that this gig might not swing around to him again and his experience, he might be willing to pinch his nose to the FAI smell, take the chance to manage his country (the other country of his two parents - quite a feat, in fairness) and there's a chance he improves us like he has done club sides.

[Stuttgart88]

Both Ken Early (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2024/04/22/ken-early-fais-farcical-search-for-an-ireland-manager-should-lead-them-to-john-oshea/) and Kevin Kilbane (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2024/04/20/kevin-kilbane-why-is-marc-canham-hiding-behind-fai-tv/) having their say.

TLDR: "farcical" and "realm of nonsense"

[ifk101]

So now that John O’Shea has had a go as interim manager and is likely to be interim manager again in June – the FAI (Marc Canham) putting his name forth with like and hope, and O’Shea has expressed his want for the job, nobody in John O’Shea’s “friends circle” will want to step on his toes my putting their name in the hat/ or suggesting somebody else suitable for the position. If the FAI don’t want John O’Shea to get the job, they have now created a situation where not appointing John O’Shea will be perceived as a mistreatment of somebody with “excellent experience across domestic and international football as a player and also as a coach” - Marc Canham’s words. Agree with Kilbane - O'Shea now has leverage.

[John83]

We have to look at the positives. If Carsley had taken the job on the FAI's terms, he'd have had to move to Ireland, exacerbating the housing crisis. Really, this is a good thing for the country.

[elatedscum]

I do think we’re one win, maybe even one goal, away from John O’Shea being the Ireland manager, despite having no managerial experience and having largely coached in failed regimes both at club level (Reading, Stoke, Birmimgham) and internationally (Crawford’s 21s, Kenny’s senior team).

Positives are, he seems to be considered as a decent if unremarkable coach. Average championship clubs seem to want him around, although not in the driving seat. And he is, by all accounts, a very decent guy.

Saying all that, the 2 game trial was definitely a failure and we were tactically suspect, particularly in the second game and it’s not too surprising we didn’t score…

[CraftyToePoke]

Its possible Canham couldn't announce O'Shea as interim in his staged video because O'Shea now has leverage in this & will know how shambolic the recruitment drive was fully, we public as yet don't I'd say. There's no way Canham didn't at least try to have an interim sorted to lessen the debacle a little bit. They are in touch often, O'Shea was around last week. Should have been achievable you'd think ?

So if that's the case, the next installment could be, what John O'Shea wants. I don't accept O'Shea is the wallflower hoping to finally be asked to dance that some are painting him to be in all this.

[CraftyToePoke]

Both Ken Early (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2024/04/22/ken-early-fais-farcical-search-for-an-ireland-manager-should-lead-them-to-john-oshea/) and Kevin Kilbane (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2024/04/20/kevin-kilbane-why-is-marc-canham-hiding-behind-fai-tv/) having their say.

TLDR: "farcical" and "realm of nonsense"

Kilbane saying there's a lot more to come out in the wash about how badly it was run there, is the highlight. We're all ears KK.

[seanfhear]

Kilbane saying there's a lot more to come out in the wash about how badly it was run there, is the highlight. We're all ears KK.
The Kill !

[Jolly Red Giant]

We have to look at the positives. If Carsley had taken the job on the FAI's terms, he'd have had to move to Ireland, exacerbating the housing crisis. Really, this is a good thing for the country.
Outside of your tongue-in-cheek comment - Carsley was never going to move to Ireland (assuming that was one of the conditions of the job) - one of his kids has down syndrome and the Carsleys' have a settled settled family life in Warwickshire - moving to Ireland would be far too disruptive and a non-runner.

[Jolly Red Giant]

At this stage they should seriously consider begging Chris Hughton (or someone with a similar record) to take the job - at the very least, he has experience of dealing with an FA that is a bigger shambles than the FAI and he would stabilise the ship for the next couple of years.

[EalingGreen]

Outside of your tongue-in-cheek comment - Carsley was never going to move to Ireland (assuming that was one of the conditions of the job) - one of his kids has down syndrome and the Carsleys' have a settled settled family life in Warwickshire - moving to Ireland would be far too disruptive and a non-runner.That was the reason he turned down the manager's job at Brentford nearly 9 years ago - more than he could commit to 24/7. Meaning he went to a lower pressure job with The FA at St.George's Park, close to his family home.

However his lad is now an adult, meaning LC can commit more heavily to his career. Which is not to say he would still go the whole hog and relocate, but maybe his reluctance to take the ROI job was more to do with having his own back-up team and budget etc? Or is it known that the jobholder definitely has to live in ROI?

[zero]

are you ruling yourself out EG?

[EalingGreen]

are you ruling yourself out EG?Absolutely not. In fact, in the spirit of (life long Blade) Neil Warnock's interest in managing Sheffield Wednesday, I've just put in my application:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bazm6S-IcAEbRuT?format=jpg&name=small

[zero]

you'd probably still have better results than our last manager.

[JR89]

1782851849629884466

Unless he's reporting old news then this would be the third time we spoke with him. The news reporting this morning too that Hudson has left his job in Qatar.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Unless he's reporting old news then this would be the third time we spoke with him. The news reporting this morning too that Hudson has left his job in Qatar.
You could see why Hudson would be an option for Canham - while manager of New Zealand, Hudson was also responsible for overseeing the underage sides.

Now - he doesn't have much of a record as a manager, his best stint was probably assistant with the USA from 2021-2023. But the fact that he was out of contract this month could be used by the FAI as 'look - this is the guy we wanted all along'.

I would be a bit meh with the appointment.

[JR89]

You could see why Hudson would be an option for Canham - while manager of New Zealand, Hudson was also responsible for overseeing the underage sides.

Now - he doesn't have much of a record as a manager, his best stint was probably assistant with the USA from 2021-2023. But the fact that he was out of contract this month could be used by the FAI as 'look - this is the guy we wanted all along'.

I would be a bit meh with the appointment.

Yeah think it would be a very Stephen Kenny type appointment. Would put him in a similar bracket to O'Shea if O'Shea got the job.

While Hudson has better experience than O'Shea as a coach he absolutely bombed big time when he took over as manager at Colorado.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Hudson certainly something of a left-field option. Not great at Newport. Seems to have done alright with Bahrain, and with New Zealand. Colorado tenure looks rather disastrous. Better then as part of the US set-up. Hard to know what to make of him, other than he seems to do better at international level than club. But a job like Ireland would be very different to the likes of New Zealand and the US, both big fish in small ponds (talent of competition wise). I'd rate him over O'Shea, but I don't think it's credible to say there aren't better options available out there somewhere.

[Fixer82]

It might be good though to have someone come in with absolutely no connection to the team or the country, much like Big Jack back in 1986.
Someone who has no favourites within the Irish game or ideas about the Irish game or its players.

[pineapple stu]

It might be good though to have someone come

I'll settle for that at this stage tbh

[elatedscum]

JOSH confirmed for June

[weldoninhio]

JOSH confirmed for June

Absolute farce.

[JR89]

JOSH confirmed for June

With no Kerr involved. Now people gotta listen to him talk **** on the telly.

[backstothewall]

Hudson certainly something of a left-field option. Not great at Newport. Seems to have done alright with Bahrain, and with New Zealand. Colorado tenure looks rather disastrous. Better then as part of the US set-up. Hard to know what to make of him, other than he seems to do better at international level than club. But a job like Ireland would be very different to the likes of New Zealand and the US, both big fish in small ponds (talent of competition wise). I'd rate him over O'Shea, but I don't think it's credible to say there aren't better options available out there somewhere.

If we're resorting to looking at managers at this level the current Newport County manager is Irish and seems to be doing a decent job there. I don't see what Hudson has got going for him that Graham Coughlan doesn't?

[NeverFeltBetter]

International experience? As limited as it might have been at Bahrain and New Zealand (I'd rank higher his work within the US set-up, especially now as they push hard to be credible co-hosts). Being such a different environment to the club game, a back catalogue in that regard is nothing to be sniffed at.

[backstothewall]

International experience? As limited as it might have been at Bahrain and New Zealand (I'd rank higher his work within the US set-up, especially now as they push hard to be credible co-hosts). Being such a different environment to the club game, a back catalogue in that regard is nothing to be sniffed at.

I mean his record with New Zealand was lousy.

Lost to Uzbekistan
Lost to Thailand
Drew with Myanmar
Needed penalties against Papua New Guinea
Drew with New Caledonia
Lost to Northern Ireland
Drew with Solomon Islands.

It's not great looking on paper. If we're taking a chance like this I think I'd rather gamble on the Irish guy tbh.

[EalingGreen]

Lost to Uzbekistan
Lost to Thailand
Drew with Myanmar
Needed penalties against Papua New Guinea
Drew with New Caledonia
Lost to Northern Ireland
Drew with Solomon Islands.

Oi! Don't be so disrespectful!

New Caledonia are no mugs...

[SkStu]

Oi! Don't be so disrespectful!

New Caledonia are no mugs...

They’re like a newer Scotland.