We ran a poll to save Ray and Ruud all that hard work and here’s the result…
After Friday night’s bizarre game with Germany, where we could easily have lost 10-4 but instead only lost 3-0, the quest for the next permanent Irish boss continues.
Once the Kazakhstan game is done and dusted this week, the search will begin in earnest so we thought we would run a poll to see who JOE readers wanted to get the job.
We offered up 10 names, from the realistic like Mick McCarthy to the more left, or right, field like Paolo di Canio and ran the poll for three days leading up to the Germany game and now the results in.
Topping the poll, in fairly emphatic fashion with 42 per cent of the vote, was Martin O’Neill. The former Celtic boss was well over twice as popular as the next man on the list, Roy Keane, who managed 18 per cent.
Keano just beat out old friend Mick McCarthy, who finished joint third on 13 per cent with Norwich boss Chris Hughton.
Surprisingly, Gerard Houllier was fifth, interim boss Noel King was sixth, while Paolo di Canio, Tony Pulis and Sven Goran Eriksson all managed to pick up some, very small, support.
The only man in our list of ten not to pick up a single vote was former Leeds gaffer David O’Leary. So if the FAI pick him, we can confidently predict it won’t go down well with Irish fans.
We also asked those polled to give their reasons, with most citing O’Neill’s experience, his work with Leicester and Celtic and his ability to get the very best out of teams who may have been a bit limited talent wise.
As for Keane, most mentioned that he would restore a fighting spirit while others said that at least it would be a bit of craic to have the Corkman at the helm. Can’t argue with them there.
And the McCarthy supporters reckoned he was hard done by the last time and deserved another shot. Again, hard to argue.
Our favourite response, apart from those who wanted Di Canio for even more of a laugh, was the fella who wanted Houllier as he backed him at 14/1 and he wanted him to get the job for some much needed dough. As noble a reason as any…
Anyway, it is Martin O’Neill (above) that our readers want. Let’s see what the FAI come up with.
