The FAI confirmed last week that former Irish international John O’Shea will be in charge of the senior team for the friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland at the Aviva Stadium later this month. They say that a decision on a permanent manager will be made in early April. O’Shea, who is 42, won 118 caps for Ireland and is third on the all-time list of appearances. After a successful career with Manchester United the Waterford native has answered Ireland’s call more than once, first as assistant to Jim Crawford with the under 21 team then as No. 3 to Stephen Kenny for the Euro 2024 campaign. O’Shea also has coaching experience in England with Reading, Stoke City and most recently Birmingham City.
It’s now over 100 days since Stephen Kenny’s last game against New Zealand on Nov. 21 last year and we are still waiting for a new manager. Up to now, the longest gap between appointing Irish managers was the 112 days it took to appoint Giovanni Trapattoni in February 2008 after Steven Staunton was let go the previous October, but that mark will be broken by the time Kenny’s successor is revealed in April. Derry City manager Ruaidhrí Higgins, who was part of Kenny’s backroom team, believes O’Shea will be a “calming influence” for the two friendlies. O’Shea will be Ireland’s fifth caretaker manager, following on from Seán Thomas, Alan Kelly, Don Givens and Noel King. O’Shea will have Paddy McCarthy from Crystal Palace as his assistant along with former Irish international Glenn Whelan.
And in a surprise development Brian Kerr, who managed the Irish senior team for 33 games between 2003 to 2005 is back; he will work as technical advisor for this international window. Kerr thinks his role will only be short-term, saying ‘‘I think the FAI have something sorted for a new manager in April.’’
O’Shea’s assistant Paddy McCarthy, who hails from Raheny in North Dublin, played at every age level for his country from under 16 to under 21. He represented Ireland at both a European Youth Championship and World Youth Cup. However, the closest the 40-year-old got to playing for the senior team was sitting on the bench under both Steve Staunton and Giovanni Trapattoni. He deputized a few times at Crystal Palace when their former manager Roy Hodgson was unavailable.
FOREST SEE RED
OVER REF’S ACTION
A good weekend for Liverpool and Manchester City, who both won, while Arsenal were 5-0 up at halftime at Sheffield United, and eventually finished out 60 winners. On Saturday Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score a dramatic 99th-minute winner to send Liverpool four points clear at the top of the table with a win over struggling Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. As the game drifted past the eight added minutes announced by the fourth official, Nunez found the bottom corner with a glancing header from MacAllister’s cross, sparking bedlam on the Liverpool bench and in the stands. While flares were lit in the away end and Jurgen Klopp celebrated wildly with his team, Forest players surrounded referee Paul Tierney at the final whistle. Former Irish international Steven Reid, who is now a coach with Forest, was shown a red card as the Forest back room staff fumed at the decision to give Liverpool the ball after Konate went down with a head injury shortly before the goal.
Caoimhin Kelleher was again in goal for Liverpool, and made a crucial save early on, while fellow Irish squad member Andrew Omobamidele gave a solid performance in a Forest defense that kept the Reds scoreless for almost 100 minutes.
On Sunday a Marcus Rashford strike gave Manchester United a shock first half lead in the Manchester derby at the Etihad. For a while in the second half it looked like United might hold out for at least a draw, but two superb strikes from Phil Foden and a last minute goal from Erling Haaland ensured City stay just a point behind Liverpool. Goal scorer Foden said: ‘‘My aim is to turn up in the big games. That is what I want to do and I think this season I am proving that. I just need to keep working hard. I understand what it means for the fans, a derby at the Etihad. It means everything for me, to score as well is even better but it was about the win today.’’
I thought United were poor, but as usual manager Erik ten Hag came up with an excuse, saying: ‘‘We had two players on the pitch which were not 100 percent fit, Jonny Evans and Marcus Rashford, but they gave everything like the whole team and we are disappointed with the score.’’
Aston Villa are holding on to their Champions League spot. On Saturday they won 3-2 away to Luton and stay five points clear of Spurs. And a sweet result for West Ham manager David Moyes, who managed Everton from 2002 to 2013 as he led the Hammers to a hat-trick of Goodison Park wins over his old club. West Ham move up to seventh in the table while Everton are 16th, five points above the relegation zone, despite having their points reduction reduced from 10 to six points last week. The Toffees are also winless in 10 games, stretching back to a 2-0 win over Burnley on Dec. 16. Dara O’Shea and Josh Cullen both started for Burnley who were beaten 2-0 at home to Bournemouth. Cullen had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for a foul by a teammate in the build-up.
EPL results: Brentford 2, Chelsea 2; Burnley 0, Bournemouth 2; Everton 1, West Ham 3; Fulham 3, Brighton 0; Luton 2, Aston Villa 3; Newcastle Utd 3, Wolves 0; Notts Forest 0, Liverpool 1; Manchester City 3, Manchester Utd 1; Shefield Utd 0m Arsenal 6; Tottenham 3, Crystal Palace 1.
5 FOR HAALAND
In midweek Erling Haaland scored five goals in a stunning display of finishing as FA holders Manchester City won 6-2 away to Luton Town to reach the quarter-finals. It was the Norwegian’s eighth hat-trick for City and he also became the first player to score five in a game twice for the club. Also in the FA Chelsea, like they did in the 1970 Cup Final replay, beat Leeds United but this time the final result was 3-2.
FA Cup quarter-final draw: Manchester City vs. Newcastle Utd and Wolves vs. Coventry on March 16 and Chelsea vs. Leicester and Manchester Utd vs. Liverpool on March 17.
ARMSTRONG
ON TARGET
In the Championship Irish international Sinclair Armstrong got Queens Park Rangers’ second goal in their 2-1 away win to long-time leaders Leicester City with a fine strike from 12 yards. It was a welcome win for Rangers who are in the danger zone in the bottom end of the table and a confidence-booster for the 20-year-old Dubliner Armstrong, whose first touch as a second-half sub proved to be the winner. The Foxes are now only three points clear of Ipswich Town at the top of the Championship table. The Tractor Boys regained second place with a 2-0 away win over Plymouth, while Leeds United could only draw with Huddersfield Town. Meanwhile possible Irish striker Sammy Szmodics got his 19th League goal of the season for Blackburn Rovers, who lost 2-1 away to Swindon Town.
Sinclair Armstrong, playing for Ireland’s Under 21 team vs. Latvia in October, scored QPR’s winner against Championship league leaders Leicester at the weekend. [Inpho/Edijis Palens]
GLEESON’S UNBEATEN
RUN ENDS VS. WALES
Republic of Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson and her Irish players were honest enough to admit things went pear-shaped during the Republic’s 2-0 defeat to Wales in Tallaght Stadium last week, but we are told that there’s no need to press the panic button just yet. It was a ragged showing for sure, one that few saw coming. The Girls in Green were on seven-game unbeaten run under their new manager (six wins, one draw) Gleeson. Then Wales came to town and buckled the wheels of their momentum. Afterwards manager Gleeson said: ‘‘There were no levels of complacency. When you are on the pitch you have to find the ability to change the game and calm it down and not make one mistake, a second mistake, a third mistake. If you lose a player, don’t lose her again. It is being accountable for that.’’
Ireland’s Heather Payne tackling Josephine Green in the friendly game at Tallaght Stadium last week. [Inpho/Ryan Byrne]
REDS GALORE AS
’70 RE-REFEREED
The 1970 FA Cup final replay, which was won by Chelsea 2-1 over Leeds United, has been re-refereed again, following a similar exercise in 1997, and after watching the game on YouTube English referee Michael Oliver issued 11 red cards, two of which were for Chelsea’s Eddie McCreadie. Of the 16 bookings there were three each for David Webb, Ian Hutchinson and Charlie Cooke. Seven of the reds were for Chelsea players as well as Norman Hunter, Eddie Gray, Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner. In 1997, David Elleray, then considered the English game’s most senior referee, awarded six red cards and 20 yellows to the 23 players who appeared that day at Old Trafford. Leeds manager Don Revie never saw fit to call upon his one substitute, Mick Bates. Elleray’s card-count was an increase on the numbers recorded by Eric Jennings, the referee on the night. Jennings booked one player, Chelsea’s Hutchinson.
