After John O’Shea was announced as the interim manager until after upcoming round of friendlies, are the FAI waiting for Lee Carsley?
FAI’s pursuit of a new manager enters its endgame with permanent appointment due in AprilThe head-hunting team of Canham, chief executive Jonathan Hill and Packie Bonner are believed to have settled for O’Shea as a stopgap when talks to install a permanent manager stalled. Or, perhaps, the FAI are waiting for Carsley.
It is 99 days since the association parted ways with Kenny following a disappointing Euro 2024 qualification campaign that included home and away defeats to Greece. O’Shea was a part of that coaching ticket, as Ireland’s fourth assistant in three years after Damien Duff, Anthony Barry and John Eustace.
“John knows this group of players extremely well and with the support and expertise of Paddy, we believe this team are the right choice for the interim period.” O’Shea’s playing record speaks for itself. Following a stellar 12 years at Manchester United, where he made 256 appearances and won five Premier League titles, he played 226 games for Sunderland before finishing at Reading in 2019.
“John wants to be a manager and wants a shot at it,” said Mowbray in January. “We had a long chat, I tried to persuade him to stay.”