Ireland's Nathan Collins has given a thumbs up to the idea of John O'Shea being the next Ireland manager. O'Shea has taken the Ireland job on an interim basis and has seen his temporary side draw and lose in their two games.
The bookies have the likes of Gus Poyet and Willy Sangol as favourites for the job, while O'Shea, who is not as experienced, is dropping in price amid speculation that he could be the man to lead the Ireland team full-time.
The likes of Dara O'Shea and Will Smallbone have given their opinions on O'Shea being the manager, and Collins has become the latest name to back the Waterford native when it comes to the Boys in Green job.
"I guess it's a fresh start. I think you can see in the coaches and manager that they're youthful, but we also have that twist of experience with Brian there," he said after the Switzerland game.
"So they give us that and the lads have worked hard. They've given us tactics and we've trusted them and it's worked out well.
"I know we haven't got the result; I know we haven't won; we drew (against Belgium), but I think you can see that we've gone both games where you think, "We should have won that."
"Finding that cutting edge is the difference, but we're close, I think, and the lads have been really good."
🗣️ 'I can't speak highly enough of John!'
Nathan Collins had nothing but good things to say about John O'Shea's time as interim Ireland boss. | 🇮🇪
🎙️ @nathanmurf
Off The Ball Football w/ @WilliamHillIre. pic.twitter.com/oKpVGJKBxg— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 27, 2024
However, fans of the national team do not agree with Collins's assessment and think that O'Shea, although he is a nice guy, should not be given a job of this magnitude.
"The way people were talking about O'Shea on Saturday, you'd swear he reinvented the wheel. He isn't qualified for the job but that's besides the point. If we end up with him, it's because the FAI botched the recruitment process, simple as that. Players and media talking scutter about," said one user on X. While another said, "Good lad, but Ireland needs about 5 or 6 top-class players to have any impact."
O'Shea was also asked after the Switzerland game about him possibly being the Ireland manager and said that his experience with the squad has given him a hunger to continue. When asked about the job, O'Shea replied, "My instinct would be that I’m more than ready and capable to be a manager. I think that’s something that we will discuss later on.
"But for me, the full focus was on the two games: enjoy the moment in terms of learning from it and really understanding it, learn about myself in terms of how I cope with the situation with the games, and learn whether I want to do it more.
"And look, the emphatic answer from me would be yes. But where that is, let’s wait and see.
"It’s only giving me a taste for more," he added. "Whether that’s with Ireland or club football, or whatever the case may be,
"But this is an answer I was giving five or six years ago when I was planning on becoming a manager, having that process of taking assistant manager roles and then to take a managerial role.
"It’s something I’ve obviously loved every minute of, and I’ve been engrossed in it fully. It’s just annoying that we didn’t get a win in either of the two games."
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