CHARLIE FROM THE STANDS - A good appointment at the end of an atrocious process

After what seemed to be like an endless wait, the wonderful FAI finally announced the new Republic of Ireland MNT manager, unveiling the ex-Iceland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson after a 231-day search.

That's 231 days in which the Ireland team has had no manager to prepare for the Nations League games. I get it if they wanted to wait to get their man, but Heimir was available and attainable during those 231 days. So, the question is - how far down the list was Heimir?

Now, I know the job given to Director of Football Marc Canham, FAI president Paul Cooke, independent board member Packie Bonner, and interim CEO David Courell wasn't an easy one. Still, the way they went about it was atrocious. There was no bounce from the Stephen Kenny era. They missed two deadlines (which they had set themselves by the way) and on two separate occasions, issued criteria of the candidate they would like - at one stage describing the ideal candidate as Irish, someone that understood the culture and what it means to wear the jersey, all this while John O’Shea was in charge. To an outsider, it would have appeared that they were setting it up to give John the job should his interim stint go well – which frankly, aside from players loving him, it didn't. Their job was to contact potential candidates and assess their interest in the post, which doesn't seem that difficult.

When Marc Canham did that cringy video update on Day 149, I didn't think it could get any worse. It was clear after that video that Marc was in over his head. Remember, he was originally brought in to oversee the Men’s and Women’s U21’s and all underage, but after Jonathan Hill exited, his responsibilities changed. This is when the FAI should have appointed or delegated responsibility to someone qualified and competent enough to get this appointment right.

Canham was quoted after the appointment as saying: “Earlier this year, we identified Heimir as our number one candidate whose capabilities and experience aligned with our criteria,” which was a load of bollocks. The only thing worse than having no communication with someone you are looking for information from, is being told nonsense that you know is absolute bull.

It was clear that the FAI struggled throughout this process, and they made the biggest mistake you can make when hiring a senior position within an organisation - they kept the job open for too long. At any level, if you see a job advertised and unfilled for over six months, everyone including their dog thinks, why can't they fill it and what's wrong with the role? This was a simple headhunting project that the FAI failed miserably at.

But enough about the process; let's discuss the new manager and his background. 

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s task is a massive one, considering he will be immediately challenged with putting a team together to beat England (which he has done in the past) on 7 September at the Aviva. He has yet to work with any of the squad, is at the beginning of a new season in terms of where players will be and will have had just a couple of days contact with the players he selects.  

Aside from the FAI’s process and wasted days of opportunity, I like Heimir's appointment, but not the timing. He galvanized Iceland by engaging the fans, working closely with the local Icelandic league, embracing young players, and developing a structure that worked. This allowed him to beat England in the last 16 of the Euro 2016 and guide Iceland to their first World Cup in 2018. Iceland beat Turkey (twice), Croatia and Ukraine on route to qualifying for Russia 2018, where he showed a ruthlessness to do it his way regardless of external (media) pushback. Whilst he doesn't have the sustained international experience that Marc Canham promised, you have to applaud what he has achieved so far in his international management career.

I like his commitment to moving to Ireland and his pedigree of getting Iceland - a population of just 377,000 - to a World Cup. Surely with a population of over 5 million he can get us to the World Cup in 2026. Light the holy candles…

Derry City have it all to do

As a player, playing in Europe is incredible. The stadiums, trips, camaraderie. The teams and players you play against – it is a special experience for players lucky enough to get to do it. A big theme amongst players during my European trips was always, ‘Jesus the fans look like they are having a ball, I would love to be out there’.

The main reason for this was, we as players are cooped up in a hotel room and not allowed to move until match day then whisked away shortly after the match, so we don't get to see the city/town we visit or experience any of the culture. So, being on the other side last week was amazing, and the fans didn't disappoint.

From arriving in Malaga on Tuesday until leaving on Friday, it was just red and white fans everywhere having a ball. The heat was incredible, not sure that was because we haven't had a day above 16 degrees in Ireland since 1992, but walking into 32 degrees and 74% humidity was tough. However, we managed to stay well hydrated. The only thing that needed to be added to an otherwise flawless trip was a result and getting beat 2-0 wasn't part of the script.

It's hard to put into words when I think back to the match, but it just seemed like Magpies played out of their skin and Derry were poor. Now, this can happen and I don't expect Magpies to be as good this week and I definitely don't expect Derry to be as bad, so what can we expect?

There have been some memorable nights at the Brandywell over the years, even last year against KuPS; the atmosphere was electric. We will need something similar on Thursday night as I expect Magpies to come and protect their 2-0 lead. The question is, should Derry go two up top and go for it early or try and get a first-half goal, then pile the pressure on in the second half?

There is no doubt that the pitch and heat gave the Magpies the edge in Gibraltar last week, but the performance levels of the players just weren't there throughout the whole 90 minutes. Derry will look back at Daniel Kellys mazey run and think what might have been, or Adam O’Reilly’s effort which came off the crossbar, but aside from that, they offered very little by means of threat.

One of the disappointing aspects was the aggression that Magpies showed and that Derry failed to live with, with the home side winning the majority of individual battles all over the pitch. Conceding from a set-piece is annoying. Conceding from two is criminal. It is a big week for Derry as they attempt to prolong their European journey, and indeed their FAI Cup pursuit as they face St Pat’s on Sunday, in Stephen Kenny’s return to the Brandywell. The positive to take is Derry’s home form to date, and Ruaidhri Higgins will be hoping they can maintain their home momentum.