Will Packie Bonner step out of the shadows?
Will Packie Bonner step out of the shadows?
Bonner's got calibre and class to find the new Irish manager, if only he was asked to assist
By Daniel McDonnell
Monday December 10 2007
From the very moment that the FAI sought outside help to recruit a new international senior team manager they were admitting vulnerability in terms of the expertise of their own staff.
It was an admission that in the upper echelons of Irish football's ruling body, they were lacking in characters with suitable knowledge of what is required to compete with the elite of international football.
Eventually, after being knocked back by some of their chosen headhunters, they were forced to row back and eventually give one of their own employees a part in the 'process' by calling on the advice of U21 manager Don Givens who -- while ticking most of those requirements -- is compromised by the truism that his position is often dependent on his relationship with the manager.
Remarkable
Remarkably, one name who has managed to completely slip under the radar is now located just a short hop down the corridor from John Delaney in the association's brand new HQ in Abbotsown.
This person played 80 times for his country, has represented Ireland in two World Cups and made himself a national hero with his exploits during that memorable era, and even has the recent experience of being right there when the camp imploded in Saipan. But his name has barely registered as Delaney and his blazers collectively scratch their heads and ring around the English game to find anyone who can help them get a manager. Step forward, Packie Bonner.
Understandably, the FAI and Bonner himself will point out that he has plenty of work to be doing in his current role as the Technical Director of the association.
After Brian Kerr departed that role to become senior boss in 2003, the Donegal man was put in place to carry the Technical Development Plan that was initially driven by the previous incumbent through to fruition. Heavily based on player development, the wide ranging document has concentrated on improving the quality and quantity of coaches, referees, administrators and expertise in all aspects of the game.
Progress
It is widely acknowledged that in terms of regional development, the FAI has made progress in recent years and Bonner, in tandem with assistant Richard Fahy, has been immersed in those advancements. With a new plan on the next phase of development to be rolled out in 2008 when the current one comes to a close, then it can be argued that staff in that department has plenty to keep them busy.
"There's 80 people working under Packie at the moment which makes it the biggest department in the association with the biggest budget to operate," says one FAI source.
Ultimately, though, it is surprising that Bonner has not been in anyway involved in the circuitous process of finding a new boss. While Givens -- for all that he is respected and personally well regarded within the game -- is effectively working below Staunton's successor, someone in Bonner's position is working in tandem and is an important stakeholder in the path forward.
While other football federations across Europe are generally littered with former internationals engaged in some shape or form, this is not the case within the FAI. It was embarrassingly emphasised in the fall out from Staunton's departure when Delaney and his board declared that they should have no hand or part in identifying his replacement.
In fairness, they are gradually coming around to this realisation by advertising for the much vaunted position of High Performance Director which will be awarded to an individual who will be responsible for the development of all the FAI's international sides.
This is the kind of role earmarked for a respected figure with a history at the top level of the game and some of the names bandied about include Chris Hughton and a man who has designs on stepping into Staunton's shoes -- Liam Brady.
At least then, in times of international crisis, there will be someone obvious for the FAI to turn to without having to resort to a situation similar to last month where Givens was taken away from his U21 side ahead of a competitive qualifier in Montenegro to fill a caretaker role thus having a domino effect through the under-age sides at a busy time of the year.
But it seems odd that Bonner should be left out of consultations and has never been brought forward to offer his input into decisions at the business end of the association which the public are far more likely to pay attention to than any technical development projects.
It would have been a sensible move to involve the 47-year-old by installing him alongside the other kingmakers or perhaps utilising him as an effective go-between.
He remains enduringly popular and is indelibly linked with the most glorious period in Irish football history.
Advantage
With that comes a certain amount of credibility and, unlike Ray Houghton, he has the advantage of being employed by the association and knowing exactly how the internal mechanisms of the organisation operates.
The FAI counter that Bonner simply does not have the time to dedicate to the process as this is currently a busy period in his area of employment. On Friday, he was engaged in discussions at the other end of the scale in a four-hour summit which discussed the findings of the Genesis report into a study of amateur football in this country, while the Christmas period is relatively hectic as youths from the Emerging Talent Programme meet for inter-league gatherings on their school holidays.
That point stands, but then with such a large staff and a competent assistant in Fahy, then you would imagine that compromise could have been found.
In England, there is an ongoing discussion at the moment about their lack of a technical director since the departures of Howard Wilkinson and subsequently Les Reed (another to be mentioned in relation to the Irish Performance Director post despite his brief and unsuccessful spell in charge of Charlton Athletic).
Their figurehead is Trevor Brooking whose official title of 'director of football development' is not that far removed from that of a technical leader.
Not surprisingly, English FA chief executive Brian Barwick moved quickly to involve Brooking in the process to replace Steve McClaren after he was unceremoniously shunted out the exit door following his abject failure in the top job after failing to qualify for next summer's European Championships.
Rumours
As recently as last Friday, there were even rumours of a rift between the pair over a difference of opinion on McClaren's replacement with Brooking wanting an English appointee and Barwick intent on a continental coach.
While that was denied by Brooking, it illustrates that his input has been deemed crucial to the task at hand. Contrast that with how Delaney never even looked that direction and immediately stressed that outside help was required within a few hours of Staunton being handed his P45.
Of course, Brooking has also come under criticism from the likes of Graham Taylor who have questioned his effectiveness in his position. More pertinently, they suggest that he is distracted by mastering the internal politics of the Soho Square hierarchy just to keep his head above the parapet.
Amid the constant manoeuvring that exists in the background of the FAI, the same comments could equally apply to Bonner who has managed to remain relatively mud free while the organisation has endured abuse from all angles in the past twelve months.
Given his public persona, then it may well be that his long-term future lies in moving up the administrative ladder rather than putting his head on the block by risking his reputation on the fate of the senior team.
All the same, it seems remarkable that a process desperately lacking in credibility failed to call upon a figure who retains a fair degree of that precious commodity and happens to already be on their payroll. As ever with the FAI, though, the simple option remains the path less travelled.
- Daniel McDonnell
