Eileen Gleeson appointment makes sense despite U-turn

This festive period has seen the FAI subjected to questioning on the trust levels and timing of certain sequences.

Last Wednesday’s visit to the Oireachtas culminated in senior figures being accused of concocting a cock and bull story and lacking credibility when it came to laying out facts.

News of Eileen Gleeson being elevated to the senior women’s job should be a positive news story but is again tainted by chicanery and evasiveness.

During all three international windows the temporary boss took charge of since September, she refused to admit her interest in the vacancy on a permanent basis.

The answers ranged from emphatic denials to obfuscation.

A string of wins – the only boss to rack up six competitive on the spin - didn’t improve the mood when the inevitable promotion to the post on a full-time basis was floated.

By the most recent window, when promotion to the top tier was already guaranteed, Gleeson hardly answered at all.

She was visibly tetchy and fed up with the repetitive queries despite the public interest in what individual would be tasked with filling Vera Pauw’s sizeable shoes. “It’s not saying anything,” came the retort when asked if she was still ruling herself out.

Because that had been her default position since being requested by the FAI to steady the ship after the axing of Pauw in late August.

Here’s a sampling of what was said by Marc Canham, the FAI’s director of football. “There's a possibility, as ever, but that's not our intention for that to happen,” was his take on Gleeson seeing out the Nations League campaign, never mind starting the Euro version next April.

“Eileen is the head of women's and girls’ football; she is very clear, we're very clear on that.

“She was the right person to put in