FAI agree deal with Walsall for Staunton

SOCCER/Republic of Ireland managerial position: After a whirlwind tour of the English midlands yesterday during which deals were wrapped up with both Walsall and Aston Villa for the services of Steve Staunton and Kevin MacDonald, the FAI is hoping to confirm its new four-man management team sometime today.

The FAI's chief executive John Delaney agreed a compensation package of around £20,000 for Walsall's player-coach yesterday morning with the club's chief executive Roy Whalley and it was subsequently confirmed that senior officials at Villa had given their blessing to MacDonald taking on a part-time coaching role in the Republic of Ireland set-up.

The intention remains that the pair will, along with Bobby Robson and Alan Kelly, be officially unveiled in Dublin on Monday morning.

Today's confirmation, if it comes, will end a slightly comic period during which the association has publicly declined to name Brian Kerr's replacement despite his identity having leaked out last weekend.

Delaney remained tight-lipped in Birmingham airport yesterday morning when approached by RTÉ television shortly after arriving to meet officials from the two English clubs.

"We're happy with the way the process has been handled," he said, before expressing satisfaction that the decidedly mixed reaction to Staunton's imminent appointment at least reflected an enormous level of interest in who gets the job.

"All I can say is that we expect to confirm the identity of the new man very shortly," Delaney told RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue, "and we'll hope that the public gets fully behind whoever it is that we appoint."

Moments later we were treated to footage of Staunton, who had clearly come to collect Delaney from the airport, getting into his car. Asked if he was the new manager, Staunton grinned almost giddily and said: "We'll have to wait and see".

Delaney's reticence is said to be prompted by a fear that to go public with the name of the new man before all the loose ends are finalised and the various deals are signed might prove embarrassing for an organisation with something of a track record of jumping the gun in this department.

Nevertheless, the four-man team's appointment is now merely a formality.

Former Wales manager Mark Hughes has expressed confidence that the Staunton/Robson combination can work, just as his initial spell in international management was a considerable success.

"If Steve had come to me prior to the appointment and asked me whether it would be a good decision to take up the post, I would have said 'yes'," said Hughes yesterday. "The key is trying to pre-empt and work out what may happen. That makes you a better organiser and as a result you can better affect the outcome on things that may happen."

Hughes believes the bonus for Staunton is he will be working with former England manager Robson. "He'll be a great help," says the current Blackburn Rovers manager. "I didn't have somebody as high profile as Sir Bobby working with me. But I had Eric Harrison (assistant manager at Wales) who I had a great deal of respect for. He was my youth team coach at Manchester United. He had many years of experience and he was a great help to me."

Shay Given said yesterday: "I enjoyed working with Stan as a player and Bobby will bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to his role in the new set-up. It's a big thing for him to be there to help Stan during his first few years in management.

"It's an important time and a fresh start for the rest of us because we were all hugely disappointed not to qualify for Germany and we're desperate to start doing well on the pitch again."