FAI to recruit consultant in search for new manager
FAI officers will meet this weekend to select a consultant and to plan their campaign. And the scope of their choice will be limited only by financial constraints. Meantime, U-21 manager Don Givens will take charge of the senior team on a part-time basis until a new appointee is announced.
FAI president Milo Corcoran yesterday dismissed suggestions that the association would prefer to appoint an Irishman as manager if at all possible.
“Our only task is to secure the best man for the job,” he said. “That obviously means he does not have to be Irish or involved in English football. We believe there will be interest in the position from abroad, which is why we want to recruit somebody who is experienced in dealing with appointments at this level.” The FAI does not have access to unlimited funds, for their overheads have risen dramatically in recent years with the regular appointment of a growing number of regional coaches and increased activity generally in coaching in all parts of the country.
As well, of course, their resources were reduced by payments to McCarthy and to his assistant, Ian Evans, in settlement of their contracts.
John Delaney, FAI hon treasurer yesterday expressed his anger at newspaper headlines suggesting the FAI had settled financial matters with the manager and his assistant for a derisory sum.
He said: “How can people make this claim when there is no way they could know what arrangements were arrived at. The truth is that negotiations with the manager and his agent, Liam Gaskin, were extremely cordial as they have always been, and we arrived at a solution acceptable to all parties in a very short time. There was absolutely no aggravation when it came down to agreeing on figures and to suggest otherwise is simply untrue.”
It is only a short few months since the FAI awarded McCarthy a bonus of £100,000 to mark Ireland’s advance to the second stage of the World Cup finals, so his overall package in this current year must have been substantial.
The money paid to the Irish team manager has never been revealed by either party, but I am satisfied his salary was of the order of ÂŁ350,000. As such, it would be comparable to the salary paid by the Scottish FA to their international team manager, the former German international, Berti Vogts.
Said Mr Delaney: “Of course, we will have to take our financial position into account when appointing a new manager and we are a small organisation. But we will be delighted to pay an appropriate salary for the job involved to the right man. The senior team is our flagship after all and it is vitally important from every point of view that the team is successful and qualifying for championship finals.”
In this regard, he said it was appropriate to pay tribute to the advancements made by McCarthy: “History will show that he presided over a very successful period of time. He got us to the finals of the World Cup and to be ranked 13th in the world with a team he discovered and developed. He produced a young, vibrant team playing a style of football that was very attractive.”
Said Mr Corcoran: “The legacy Mick McCarthy leaves is the strength of the squad his replacement will inherit. He introduced a lot of young players to the side at every stage and the situation he inherited was a lot less attractive to the one he has left for his successor.” The new manager will be expected to take an interest in FAI matters beyond the international team, as did McCarthy. He will be expected to take a close interest in the U21 team that is managed by Don Givens for this team is run primarily as a feeder team for the senior squad. He will also be encouraged to look at the other football structures within the FAI with a view to fine-tuning them. Said Mr Corcoran: “We would hope to have a new man in place by the end of January.
“We play Scotland in a friendly game in February and that would be the ideal opportunity for him to work on what new ideas he might have for the team before we play Georgia in the European qualifiers in March.”
Mr Corcoran said the new manager would be given a free hand to choose whatever players he wanted for the team and no influence would be brought to bear on him in this regard.
“Any manager worth his salt would not tolerate any interference in this aspect of his work” said Mr Corcoran, “if he chooses to pick Roy Keane or any other player that is his prerogative. There will be no interference from the FAI in this regard.”
Said Mr Delaney: “The selection of international squads is outside of our control and that is as it should be. We employ a man to manage and we expect him to do so without fear or favour.
“Roy Keane is a top-class player and it is up to the manager to select who he wants whether it is Gary Kelly, Shay Given, Robbie Keane or Roy Keane ... that is a matter for him and him alone. We do not interfere in team matters.”
The officers of the FAI will meet on Saturday in Dublin and the FAI’s international committee have a meeting scheduled for Monday.
A board meeting will be called for next week to finalise their plans for the selection process.
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