Stephen Kenny would probably have been appointed manager next week after Ireland's impending defeat by Slovakia in the European Championships qualifying play-off. The FAI's leaders probably thought adopting a 'he's started so he'll finish' attitude towards McCarthy was the decent thing to do. That pay-off was part of the deal worked out between John Delaney and McCarthy before the latter took the job. One way for the self-styled visionaries who've taken over to prove their mettle would be by replacing McCarthy with Kenny. Should the team continue in limbo under McCarthy, the FAI will suffer the embarrassment of seeing Bosnia take on Poland and Sweden in the Aviva instead.

Source: Irish Independent March 16, 2020 09:11 UTC