Corcoran - We need time

Milo Corcoran, the president of the FAI, has warned that it could take up to five years for the recommendations of the Genesis Report to be implemented.

The report, which was published last week, was the result of an independent inquiry into Ireland’s World Cup campaign and particularly focused on the events of Saipan which resulted in Roy Keane being sent home.

It called for greater professionalism and a more modern structure within the FAI and also recommended the appointment of four senior professional executives to administer Irish football.

FAI treasurer John Delaney is keen for the changes to be implemented as soon as possible, but Corcoran does not believe the recommendations can be carried out overnight.

“Implementing the Genesis report is a big process and it cannot be rushed,” said Corcoran. “It will take time. There are a lot of people involved and all their interests have to be taken on board.

“Certainly there is a need for change, the board of management accept that, but to do it in six or 12 months in my opinion is just not on.

“We have a great treasurer, John Delaney, who likes things to be done yesterday, but in the real world I don’t think you can do that. It has to take a lot of discussion and a lot of planning.

“We do need to have a time schedule and we have a meeting on November 29 in Dundalk. That will be an important meeting because we hope to set a time frame of how long it will take to put all the recommendations in place.

“But I am not talking about months, I am talking about years – maybe five years.”

Top of the agenda is finding a new national team manager to replace Mick McCarthy.

The FAI have set up a three-man committee of Corcoran, Delaney and Kevin Fahy to undertake this task, but they will be co-opting a football “expert” to advise them – with Liam Brady one of the names being touted as the man whose advice they might seek.

“We have set up this three-man committee and we would hope to add one or possibly two people with international expertise to the committee for their guidance because we know very little in that area,” explained Corcoran.

“We would rely on one or two people in football to help us. We have a blank sheet of paper and there is nobody on that sheet. We’ve already had a few applications and there is maybe one serious candidate among those, but we need to get into the process and see who is there and who is available.

“I am confident we shall find the right man. I remember having a conversation with Mick McCarthy when there was all that talk about him and the Sunderland job and I told him he already had the best job in the world – I think it’s a fantastic job.

“I’m glad our target is to have somebody in place by the time we play Scotland in February otherwise it would probably drift on.

“I’ve no doubt that this will be the start of a great new era for Irish football. We have a young squad who have done really well and there is a lot of optimism. The future is certainly bright for Irish football.”

The burning question remains whether or not Keane will return to the team in time for the Euro 2004 qualifying double-header in Georgia and Albania in March and April, but Corcoran insisted that was a matter for Keane and the new manager to sort out.

He said: “Roy is a world-class player and you expect to have a lot of talk about him, he has been special over the years and he will always be special to Ireland and to Manchester United.

“But it is up to both Roy and the new manager to decide whether or not he plays again.

“You’d prefer to be going to places like Georgia and Albania with Roy Keane in your squad but it is up to Roy whether he wants to come back and up to the new manager to decide whether he wants him back. We as an association are not going to get involved.”