Damien Duff: Why not leave John O'Shea at it?
Damien Duff feels interim boss John O’Shea is the best available option to lead the Ireland team, albeit he’s more interested in developing the indigenous pipeline for the incoming gaffer.
The FAI’s protracted search for their new manager officially began in November and their completion timeline of this month has been confused by reports around Gus Poyet’s supposed rejection of the vacancy.
O’Shea, for all his status as a member of the centurion club alongside Duff and from progressing through various assistant roles, managed for the first time in last week’s doubleheader against Belgium and Switzerland.
FAI director of football Marc Canham stipulated existing contractual obligations delayed the announcement until after the international window, a restriction O’Shea confessed didn’t apply to him.
Duff grabbed the headlines last week by claiming the league which his side Shelbourne currently sit atop of is far more important to fans than the international team.
That, he explained after Monday's draw against Derry City, was drawn from the “best years of his life” managing the Reds and being convinced the Ireland team is dependent on LOI academies to hothouse teen gems in the post-Brexit era.
“John O’Shea is a classy guy, has surrounded himself with a good background team so why not leave him at it?”,” Duff said of the caretaker network that includes support staff Paddy McCarthy, Glenn Whelan, and the former manager he idolises, Brian Kerr.
“I love the Irish international team the same as everyone else and I hope they do well.
“I hope John gets the job. If he doesn’t, I hope the person who comes in does a good job.
“I don’t even read the reports. I’m sure there's a lot of detail in it — that Gus turned it down, or
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