Carsley ideal candidate for FAI's head coach job description

The Association have kept in contact with the England U21 boss.

Fri, 09 Feb, 2024 - 23:00

John Fallon

The FAI are sticking with their intention to appoint a boss retitled as senior team head coach with a connection to their underage squads.

Lee Carsley’s background working with Manchester City’s decorated youth team and currently England U21s would appear to position him as the ideal candidate for the wider role.

However, there is no guarantee of the former Ireland midfielder accepting the job.

Such as the schedule of next month’s games, both his England’s U21s in Azerbaijan and Luxembourg as well as Ireland’s pair of home friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland, that clarity on his persuasion is imminent.

The FAI have maintained contact with their favourite while he mulls over the entire package and set-up available, a process that will reach a conclusion following Carsley’s return from a break this weekend.

If the declaration by Marc Canham that the headhunting phase is near the end, contingencies must be in place, were Carsley’s final decision to be a ‘no thanks’.

The FAI’s Director of Football was speaking in Paris following a Uefa Nations League draw that pitted Ireland with England, Finland and Greece.

Games against top seeds England, at home on September 7 and Wembley on November 17, will bookend the series that has playoff spots for the 2026 World Cup at stake, as well as promotion to League A.

They are just two of 10 games for the new manager throughout 2024, all of which are against higher-ranked teams.

Four are against nations ranked inside FIFA’s top 10, Belgium (2), Portugal (9) and England (5). FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill was adamant the outcome of League B has no adverse influence on a contender’s appetite for the job. “I think they’d be quite excited about it,” he countered.

Despite that arduous itinerary for the incoming boss, he was still be required to look beyond his parish.

Canham has finalised his soon-to-be-unveiled Football Pathways Plan, within which a common style approach is advocated for the entire set of teams, from U15 to seniors.

“We're absolutely committed to that - in the sense of them being the head coach and calling them that,” said the kingmaker.

“We want the best person for the job and I won't go into too much detail about what exactly that criteria is and the profile. We'd rather do that when we announce the person.

“But we want someone to come in and coach the team, improve the players and performances and get better results.

“We have a young team with a lot of potential so we want someone on the pitch with them, helping them to get better and help improve our results ultimately.”

Hill delivered a more pragmatic slant, stating: “We do want a head coach who is genuinely interested in the other underage teams and in what Marc is looking to do in relation to the whole of Irish football.

“That’s important as well, though the core focus will be on the men’s senior team.”

Part of the discussions with Carsley are understood to have revolved around his backroom team. After clearing out all of their close staff along with Stephen Kenny in November, they’ve opened applications for a range of vacancies including athletic therapist, two physiotherapists, and osteopath and kit manager.

“Sure, the head coach will have some people he wants to bring in but I see it as a partnership where they’re not just bringing in their own team, but in the same way, we’re not saying you have to have this person. It will be a collaboration between the two.

“There’s a whole support team, more than just the coaches, so there are people who will absolutely maintain and retain their positions. It will be a bit of a hybrid.”

Canham didn’t rule out a caretaker manager covering the March double-header if the search prolongs but Hill insisted the scouting of those teams was active in spite of the managerial deficit.

Still, the football head isn’t digging into matters like uncertainty over the allegiance of uncapped Sammie Szodics amid interest from Euros-bound Hungary nor keeping captain Séamus Coleman abreast of progress, or the lack of it, on nailing down a manager.

“We have a talent ID system, looking domestically and globally, and we keep track of players through that database.

“We haven’t spoken to players in the last few weeks but obviously as we move towards the near the end of the process we will communicate with the players as we did with the women’s team when we announced Eileen Gleeson.

“We do need a head coach to look at all that as soon as they come in.”

UEFA Nations League fixtures