Occam’s razor got a mention at Tallaght Stadium ahead of the Nations League tie between the Republic of Ireland and Albania. The simple solution is Eileen Gleeson. As the weeks turn into months, the interim Republic of Ireland manager appears to be inadvertently applying for her dream job.
“If I had ambitions to manage any team, this is the team I’d want to manage,” said Gleeson. “The focus is on the head of women’s and girls football role so it’s a super difficult decision, but I need to ensure that these girls continue to move forward and the future generation continues to move forward so I had to make that decision. But if I wanted to manage any team, it’s this team.”
To sum up the current situation, Gleeson wants the job she currently has but the Football Association of Ireland wants her to remain as their head of grassroots football for females. For now, she is double jobbing in enormous roles that cannot possibly be done at the same time.
The FAI is also seeking a chairperson for its board of directors to replace Roy Barrett and it is potentially entering the market for a senior men’s manager after a board meeting on November 28th discusses three unsuccessful years under Stephen Kenny.
The women’s managerial role may already be filled. Gleeson won her first two games in charge last month, at home to Northern Ireland and away to Hungary, so by December she may have secured promotion to the Nations League “A” division with a record of six wins and zero defeats.
Marc Canham, the FAI director of football, is tasked with the recruitment of both senior managers and he plans to publish a white paper on the future direction of Irish football. The Canham plan, initially earmarked for a December release, has apparently been pushed to January.
Gleeson is enjoying her brief stint as Ireland’s head coach, with a staff of 17 seemingly in place on a more permanent basis unless the next manager insists on bringing in their own coaches. However, it is unclear whether the FAI has offered Gleeson’s assistant coaches Emma Byrne, Colin Healy and Brazilian native Ivi Casagrande deals beyond the six-match campaign that finishes against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on December 5th.
Does the next Ireland manager inherit Byrne, Healy and Casagrande? “I can’t actually answer any of those questions,” said Gleeson. Are they under contract? “I can’t answer that either. All I can say is that process is ongoing, I don’t have any definitive answers for you. There is no point even trying to make up one for you.”
The official state of play has Canham turning a long list of candidates to replace Vera Pauw, into a short list. But what if Ireland keep winning? What then?
“Look, I don’t have an answer for you. But it’s a great staff, with a great skillset, some real top-quality staff, and all bringing a different set of attributes, which gives it a really nice mix and everybody being able to commit to their role with complete autonomy. And that inter-disciplinary approach is very positive, I’m sure the players feel that as well. It’s a really great staff and what you’re seeing on the pitch is a result of that, of that real openness.”
Denise O’Sullivan, having won 107 caps for Ireland over 12 years, nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, they’re fantastic,” said O’Sullivan. “That’s out of the players’ control obviously but I can only speak on now and what I’m seeing in camp and the staff in place is absolutely fantastic, they all bring something different to the team and so far it’s been really good.”
The solution could be the most obvious one.
