The Republic of Ireland manager search took another twist when Lee Carsley ruled out himself out publicly for the first time, and for the second time privately, it seems, last month. This meant the best football betting sites scrambled to reset the market, and it had former Bayern Munich defender Willy Sagnol heading the market, alongside former Sunderland and current Greece boss Gus Poyet. Interim manager John O'Shea and Ireland legend and former assistant to Martin O'Neill Roy Keane then shortened significantly. Bayern Munich assistant manager Anthony Barry was the prohibitive odds-on favourite previously, but now he has drifted in a big to be replaced by a new favourite in Chris Hughton. Hughton is near the top of the betting market alongside Steve Bruce.

The FAI has said it hoped to have a permanent successor to Kenny in place by "early April," which has now been changed to September, with O'Shea in charge for at least another two fixtures. Betting apps thought Barry could be the chosen candidate, but now it appears both he and Carsley have turned down the roles and now O'Shea is the box seat alongside Sagnol.

The best football betting sites all have Ireland manager odds available. and it will be interesting to see what happens now. The UK betting sites have reported a brisk trade, with John O'Shea still also among the favourites. 

John O'Shea the Likely Permanent Manager?

John O'Shea has plenty of experience from being around the Ireland setup. He won 118 caps for the team during his playing days and was assistant manager to Steohen Kenny. He has now been given the chance to prove himself with two games in charge against Belgium and Switzerland in March.

If Ireland were to show enough promise in those two games, it is easy to see why he would be the favourite to take the role on a permanent basis.

Steve Bruce Could Be Open to Position

Steve Bruce was last seen in the West Brom dug out last year, with the 62-year-old not lasting particularly long in charge of the Baggies. However, the former Manchester United defender has a vast amount of experience when it comes to football management and he's among the favourites to become the next manager of Republic of Ireland.

Bruce has declared that he would definitely be interested in taking charge of the Irish national team if approached by the FAI. Having had a hiatus from football management after his time with West Brom, he's clearly keen to find a new role although some would argue that this wouldn't be a progressive appointment. After all, he's been something of a journeyman manager. 

Bruce can include Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Aston Villa as some of the football clubs that he's managed. It's now known that he has a desire to return to management, with an international role such as this one potentially appealing considering the relatively part-time nature compared to club management. 

Would Roy Keane Consider a Return to Republic?

It would be something of a surprise to find Roy Keane taking charge of the Republic of Ireland team, with the 52-year-old having endured something of a strained relationship with the FAI for much of his adult life. Keane was regularly at loggerheads with the FA of Ireland during his playing days, although he did return to partner Martin O’Neill following his retirement from.

Keane earns plenty of money by being an outspoken media pundit on various channels, and it might be that he passes up the opportunity to return to the international scene considering there probably needs to be root and branch review of the situation as far as the Irish national team are concerned. The latest qualifying campaign illustrates that it's a tough order for any manager to achieve instant success with the Republic, but his odds with most betting apps suggest he shouldn't be discounted.

Could Northern Irishman Neil Lennon Take Charge?

As a player, Neil Lennon represented Northern Ireland on 40 occasions, and it would be interesting to see whether the 52-year-old would cross the border and become the next Republic of Ireland boss. He does have a long-standing association with Celtic after playing 214 times for them before two managerial stints at the Old Firm club.

More recently, Lennon had a short spell in charge of Cypriot club Omonia, although perhaps an opening could be good timing for someone who has been installed as the initial favourite for this job with most new betting sites. In addition to his two spells with Celtic, Lennon has also enjoyed management roles with Hibernian and Bolton Wanderers, with this candidate potentially on the FAI shortlist. 

Carsley No Longer A Target for Ireland Job?

Lee Carsley made 40 appearances for the Republic of Ireland between 1997-2008, with the 49-year-old having since enjoyed a successful coaching career. He's held a number of high-profile roles and is currently operating for the English FA as the under-21 manager, with the former Everton midfielder having held this role since 2021.

Last summer, Carsley was able to help England win the under-21 European Championship, which was their first title in the competition since 1984. It's entirely possible that the Irish FAI will want to speak with someone who has also held coaching roles with Coventry City, Brentford and Birmingham City, with him potentially being the number one target to replace Kenny. Reports have suggested he was not interested in taking the role, and him disappearing from the betting a number of times suggests he was out of the running but there's been consistent support for him over the last few months.

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