Brady and Walker among candidates

THERE was further evidence yesterday of the problems the FAI is experiencing in replacing Jack Charlton as manager of the national team with the belated inclusion of Liam Brady and Mike Walker among the shortlisted candidates for the post.

Brady and Walker, who did not figure in the conjecture at the start of the week, joined Mick McCarthy, Joe Kinnear and Dave Bassett for the interviews in London.

And the total is expected to rise gates, headed by the president, Louis Kilcoyne, hope to interview the Southend United player manager, Ronnie Whelan.

Brady " ho recently parted company with Brighton after a similarly unsuccessful spell in Glasgow in charge of Celtic. had long nurtured the hope of managing the national team before coming to grief at the Goldstone ground.

As a player, his contribution to the evolution of the Ireland team was profound but at this stage, his promotion to the short list of managerial candidates indicates the difficulties of the FAI in finding a credible successor to Charlton.

Walker, who had a reasonably good run in the UEFA Cup with Norwich City a few years ago, has been out of football since parting company with Everton 16 months ago. On his way into the interview in the Marriott Hotel adjoining Heathrow airport yesterday. he acknowledged that his was a surprise nomination but said that he was looking forward to meeting with the Irish delegation.

The first candidate interviewed yesterday morning was McCarthy, who arrived shortly before 8.30 and left some two hours later without comment. His was the longest of the five interviews but if that held any special significance, neither he nor those at the top table was prepared to elaborate.

Bassett followed McCarthy and, on his way out, said that it had been more of a discussion than a question and answer session. He reaffirmed his interest in the post but said that he had no idea what the FAI now intended to do.

Walker was the third person in followed by Brady whose interview lasted 45 minutes and finally, Kinnear. At that point, Sean Connolly announced that the day's deliberations were done but they intended to stay overnight in London.

The priority is to move quickly, and, in fairness to the people involved, arrive at the earliest possible decision, he said. Naturally, those interviewed will need to be informed of their positions sooner rather than later so that they can make their own arrangement.

"Once we have completed the preliminary interviews, we will return to Dublin, pore over our notes and take it from there. Hopefully, the process of naming a new manager will be completed before too long."

Whelan, in his first season as player manager at Southend, was originally named as a possible number two to his old Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish before the latter occasioned a sharp revision of plans by announcing on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in the position.

Whelan is currently recuperating from a long term injury but was recently quoted as saying that at 34 he hadn't yet abandoned hope of resuming his playing career. Coincidentally, Eoin Hand was also 34 when he became the youngest to manage the national team.

Another name hovering in the background is that of David O'Leary, who earlier this season announced his retirement as a player with Leeds United after a protracted knee injury had failed to respond to treatment.

There is evidence that the FAI has been in recent contact with O'Leary but in which context is not yet clear. It is possible that they saw him as a possible assistant to Howard Wilkinson, his old manager at Elland Road who even at 55. was perceived by some FAI personnel as the ideal replacement for Charlton.

That scenario was killed off. however, when Leeds United refused them permission to speak with Wilkinson. Later O'Leary was mentioned as a possible number two to George Graham but officials at Merrion Square reject suggestions that the discredited Arsenal manager, currently banned in Europe for accepting illegal transfer payments, was ever a candidate for the vacancy.

The manner in which the agenda changed for yesterday's talks is indicative of an organisation in some disarray just now. The developments of the next week will be monitored with exceptional interest.