It looks like the FAI’s three-month search for a new Republic of Ireland manager is nearing its end with Chris Coleman now the strong favourite.
Lee Carsley had been mooted as the favourite to replace Stephen Kenny, and the FAI reportedly made a couple of approaches for the England Under-21 manager.
However, he remains committed to his current role.
Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon was interviewed for the Ireland job. However, the Irish Daily Mirror reported he had been unsuccessful.
The reported imminent appointment of Coleman has received a mixed reaction from Irish fans online, with plenty saying they are underwhelmed.
Coleman has a lot of managerial experience at club level. He was Fulham manager between 2003 and 2007. He has also managed the likes of Real Sociedad, Coventry City and Sunderland.
The 53-year-old’s last three jobs have not ended in ideal circumstances. Coleman was in charge when Sunderland were relegated to League One, while he had short spells at Hebei China Fortune in the Chinese Super League and Atromitos in Greece.
His spell in charge of Wales will be of most interest to the FAI. He was the manager of his country for five years, from 2012 to 2017.
Coleman was in charge of Wales during their historic 2016 European Championship campaign, which saw them reach the semi-finals of the tournament where they lost to eventual winners Portugal.
That team included stars such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
Ironically, a loss to Ireland spelt the end of his time in charge of Wales, as a 1-0 loss ended Welsh hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. James McClean scored the goal in Cardiff.
The FAI had hoped to have a new manager in place for the March friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland.
Ireland’s UEFA Nations League campaign starts with a clash with England at the Aviva Stadium on September 7th. Ireland will face England, Greece and Finland in a tough group.
