International newsWith the FAI's board of management scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss the process of choosing advisers to recommend a successor to Steve Staunton, two former internationals, Niall Quinn and John Aldridge, in Dublin yesterday for a Docklands football camp, proved reluctant to offer their own advice on who the new manager should be, but stressed the necessity for the FAI to get the appointment right this time around.
"The Irish public, the Irish players, the FAI, the Irish media, everybody needs to be in agreement that this is the right way forward, whoever we appoint," said Quinn. "The reconnection has to be made so everybody is happy, everybody feels we're going the right way and it has to be a bit of a wow appointment, it's not the time for gambling."
The Sunderland chairman's former Arsenal and Irish team-mate David O'Leary remains the bookies' favourite for the position, despite potentially damaging allegations by former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale in his newly-published book United We Fall. Quinn, though, believes O'Leary is a viable candidate for the position, but is one of many. "I played with David but I never worked under him so I don't know his management style," he said, "but his record at Leeds in the early days was superb and he did a very steady job at Aston Villa. He's certainly going to be in there with some others who look appealing - Liam Brady looks appealing too - but there are a load of people in there in the mix."
Aldridge, who has been out of club management since resigning from the post at Tranmere Rovers six years ago, declared an interest in the Irish job before the appointments of both Brian Kerr and Staunton, but is non-committal this time around.
"Over the last couple of times I was very interested, when Brian Kerr got the job and when Stan got it, but I've not really put my thoughts together this time, in all honesty," he said. "I was disappointed on the last couple of occasions when I thought I had a chance, but it wasn't to be."
Would he, though, like the job? "I swear, I just don't know. I haven't given it any thought whatsoever. All I know is that the FAI are under immense pressure, and will be over the next couple of months, to get it right," he said.
