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All bets are off as O’Neill edges closer to Ireland job

Published 08:21 1 Nov 2013 GMT

Updated 10:29 1 Nov 2013 GMT

Conor Heneghan

All bets are off as O’Neill edges closer to Ireland job

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The FAI are believed to be on the verge of appointing Martin O’Neill as the next Ireland manager ahead of friendlies against Latvia and Poland later this month.

The former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss has long been touted as the favourite to succeed Giovanni Trapattoni since the Italian’s departure after defeat to Austria in September and it now seems likely that he will be in situ for the friendly against Latvia at the Aviva Stadium on 15 November and the meeting with Poland in Poznan on November 19. Reports in today’s papers suggest that bookmakers have stopped taking bets on O’Neill after being inundated over the last 24 hours or so and it is likely that Ray Houghton and Ruud Dokter will recommend his appointment in a scheduled meeting with the FAI next week. Fans in favour of O’Neill’s appointment had been concerned about his apparent desire to return to Premier League management, but the available Crystal Palace job is not believed to be to his liking and while jobs at Fulham and Norwich – where Martin Jol and Chris Hughton respectively are under pressure at the moment – may become available in the near future, the Ireland job could be O’Neill’s safest option at the moment. Interim manager Noel King is due to name a 40-man squad for the friendlies against Latvia and Poland imminently and though it is not yet clear whether or not a new man will be in charge by then, the naming of such a large pool of players suggests that it is because whoever comes in will have as many available options as possible before trimming it back to their own liking. Having a new man in charge in time for the two friendlies this month would also increase the appeal of the games to Irish fans, which must be a factor for the FAI after the paltry attendance for the final World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan last month. Tickets for the Latvia game are now available through the FAI website, starting at €20 for adults, €10 for children and €50 for a family ticket (two children and two adults).