No longer stay for John O'Shea as fog begins to clear

With the new Ireland manager not being named until April due to an ongoing contract, John O'Shea appears to be ruled out of staying in the job

4 March 2024; Newly appointed interim head coach John O'Shea and FAI director of football Marc Canham before a Republic of Ireland press conference at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

A RAINY, DANK day outside Aviva Stadium befitted the chaos attached to the Ireland managerial search but Marc Canham was crystal clear about a finish line in sight.

Various soundbites since the FAI got serious about sourcing Stephen Kenny’s replacement indicated this hunt wouldn’t have reached March and the necessity to install a caretaker boss in John O’Shea.

On January 30, emerging from one of his early board meetings, new chairman Tony Keohane promised an outcome in the “not-too-distant future”.

According to chief executive Jonathan Hill’s timeline, a new boss would have been in Paris on February 8 reacting to a Nations League draw that grouped Ireland with England, Finland and Greece.

Rather it was Canham, as director of football, who had to front up as the football representative within the delegation. “We’re near the end,” he flagged four weeks ago, amid questioning of the man mandated by the FAI board alongside Hill and board member Packie Bonner to deliver the suitable successor.

When he uttered a similar update at the launch of his Pathways programme a fortnight ago, cynicism set in.

Searches for previous managers descended into wild goose chases and surpassing the 100-day mark last Friday anointed this pursuit with the ignominy of being the second longest in FAI history.

If a sauve, sophisticated Canham is to be believed, the wait will be worth it.

Ireland don’t have competitive fixtures until England come to Dublin on September 7, only a double-header friendly in early June against Hungary and Portugal that the chosen one will be well ensconced for.

“We’d hoped to have a permanent solution in place for the draw but that wasn't possible,” Canham said about recalibrating their approach a month ago.

“It was always part of our thinking that maybe an interim solution would be needed because speed wasn't a measure of success for this process.

“It was more about looking at what we want to achieve, who do we want to get that meets that profile, and being really clear and sticking to our principles, even if it takes a little bit longer.” 

That long dig – scoffed at by Damien Duff as “embarrassing” – doesn’t appear to be concluding with O’Shea upgrading his status.

Much of the focus was on the centurion’s prospects when he entered the press conference room on Monday but within 100 seconds the air was sucked out of that balloon.

Canham, sitting alongside him at the top table, thanked the Waterford man for answering his country’s call but the delivery of three words shot down his candidacy at this juncture.

“The process of the appointment of the permanent new head coach is very close to the end, nearing the end-point, and we look forward to announcing that new permanent head coach in early April,” he began.

“Existing contractual obligations mean we are not in a position to announce any further details on this point, but as we have committed to, we will announce that in early April.” 

That doesn't apply to O’Shea, idle bar this stint following the removals of Kenny and Wayne Rooney from the posts he supplied assistance for.

When Canham later clarified that the incumbent would be starting straight away and wouldn’t job-share with existing duties, a current club manager was all but ruled out.

"That would be the plan, yeah," he said about the appointee giving his undivided and immediate attention to the body of work.

"It's a full-time job for the senior team and absolutely needs to be full-time.

“That (job-share) may have worked in the past but I don't think with all of the demands of a head coach now and all of the things that go around it, all of the players you need to see, I just don't think that's feasible or possible.

“John has only been in the interim role for a week and it's been pretty busy I imagine.” 

O’Shea swiftly concurred to validate that stance and Canham's words leave the identity of Ireland's 13th permanent manager that bit easier to filter.

The contractual criterion points to somebody with matches in next month’s international window to complete, so the name of Lee Carsley naturally resurfaces.

He also fits the bill of enjoying a flexible, rolling contract which facilitates a parachute into certain defined jobs.

Managing the country he represented 40 times remains an ambition of England’s Euro-winning U21 boss but the timing and terms must be suitable. As noted previously, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

The Irish dimension, albeit so unequivocal as Hill raised when renewing Kenny’s contract, seems to be angling that direction too.

“I said recently that having an Irish connection, or being Irish, is a massive plus of course but I don't think we're fixed on it having to be Irish for the coach.

“That would be the short answer. We want to maximise the talent pool that we've got now, keep developing the talent so we've every opportunity to make sure that future coaches for the Ireland team are Irish but we're not absolutely fixed on that.

“We're open to coaches all around the world and that has been the case with this process in terms of looking near home, further afield and across the globe to try to find the best person.” 

Finality within the fog is welcome. They just can’t afford another stumble.