Fear not folks, it seems as if MonKeano are staying right where they are for the foreseeable future.
The FAI have dismissed speculation that the current Irish manager might be about to take over the vacant managerial position at Nottingham Forest following the departure of Billy Davies, after a report on the Daily Mail website suggested that the club wanted O’Neill to come on board, even if only as interim boss until the end of the current campaign.
Approached by the Irish Times about the rumours, an FAI spokesperson said: “I’ve spoken to Martin. He says there’s nothing in it and he doesn’t know where it’s come from.”
O’Neill is one of a number of names linked with the job at Forest, with owner Fawaz Al Hawasi keen to get somebody in while Forest continue their push for a finish in the Championship play-off places. Stuart Pearce and Neil Warnock have already rebuffed approaches, while Gianfranco Zola has also been heavily linked with the role in recent days.
Although there was no concrete approach, there had even been suggestions that O’Neill and Keane might reprise their partnership at a club where both have played in the past, but speaking in Cork on Wednesday night, Keane was eager to reaffirm his commitment to his current role with the national side.
“No, there’ll always be speculation, I was linked with a job a few months ago and I’ve had opportunities to go abroad but me and Martin have been in the door two minutes with the senior team and we’re enjoying it,” Keane is quoted as saying in The Irish Times.
“There’s a big, big challenge ahead, even the Serbia match was a learning curve for us in terms of preparation and boundaries with people and even the media and the FAI. Sometimes with this speculation you’d take it as a compliment. Forest are a top club but my intentions are to continue working with Martin and the senior team and try and qualify.”
Given their profile and O’Neill’s record as a manager, it is probably not the last time that O’Neill and Keane will be the subject of speculation regarding vacant managerial posts, but it would appear as if they’re going nowhere for now and don’t intend on doing so for some time either.
