Sunday, September 8, 2024

Given wonders ‘What’s the plan’ on bumbling FAI hunt that’s left O’Shea in limbo

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SHAY GIVEN reckons the FAI’s delayed managerial search has raised more questions than it answered.

Stephen Kenny’s tenure as Ireland boss came to an end 176 days ago and the Association missed two self-imposed deadlines for an appointment of a permanent successor.

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Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper and Just Eat ambassador Shay Given
There is a sense his former teammate John O'Shea was strung along before eventually being asked to stay on as interim boss for the June window

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There is a sense his former teammate John O’Shea was strung along before eventually being asked to stay on as interim boss for the June window

The FAI said they were close to the end of the process in February, and then an appointment would be made in early April with that hold up being over “existing contractual obligations.”

But Canham did an in-house interview last month where he confirmed the appointment would be later without directly answering why the April date was missed.

Instead, John O’Shea will again take charge of the team on an interim basis for the friendlies with Hungary and Portugal next month having also led the side in March.

And former Ireland goalkeeper Given admitted that it is a bad look now, with so many questions unanswered.

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Given said: “I don’t know if it was handled very well, the announcement that the new manager was coming in and we were all waiting on tenterhooks…

“In an ideal world you’d get it announced in April like they said they would, it’s more questions than answers.

“They went back to John again which John agreed to, but what’s the long-term plan for John?

“Is he going to be involved with the new manager, has he been promised something?

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“I don’t have any answers to that but you’d like to think that with John going back in for June he’s had some reassurances that he will be kept on under a new manager.

“But that’s only me reading between the lines.

Man City star Ederson furiously boots drinks box after being substituted

“The first question I’d ask him is, what guarantees have you been given going forward?

“John is looking at the bigger picture of the country.

“It could have been dealt with better, if they’d said at the start of March, we want you for these four games and make a decision after that, that would have been better.

“But the way it’s been handled has not been ideal.”

Just Eat, proud partner of the UEFA Europa League, and have teamed up with former  Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given to launch their new Deliver At Home campaign, ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final. 

Just Eat have produced a piece of video content titled Deliver At Home: Any ‘Given’ Wednesday which features Shay as you have never seen him before and is now live across all of Just Eat’s social channels. 

For further information on Just Eat’s sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League, visit: justeattakeaway.com/newsroom

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