Cunningham Unsure Ireland Players Would Welcome Anthony Barry Back | Balls.ie

Anthony Barry became the latest name to have concrete reports link him to the Ireland job earlier this week, with the English coach described as a "leading candidate" to take over from Stephen Kenny.

Barry, currently an assistant coach to Thomas Tuchel and Roberto Martinez with Bayern Munich and Portugal respectively, has an impressive coaching CV despite only being 37 years old.

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Previously an assistant under Tuchel at Chelsea, Barry has already been part of a Champions League-winning setup during his time in London.

Perhaps most relevant to his candidacy for the Ireland job, however, is his previous work with the national team. During the early stages of Stephen Kenny's reign, Barry served as an assistant coach, taking over in early 2021 after the departure of Damien Duff.

Disappointingly for the Irish players and fans, Barry left his role just under a year later to seek out a new challenge with Belgium. That swift exit is what has led Kenny Cunningham to question his loyalty, and whether he is a good candidate to take over as Ireland boss.

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Kenny Cunningham questions Anthony Barry's loyalty amid Ireland links

6 March 2022; Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, right, and Belgium assistant coach Anthony Barry after the international friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Belgium at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

After Chelsea's Premier League victory over Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, Premier Sports pundits Kenny Cunningham and Stephen Kelly discussed the recent links between Anthony Barry and the Ireland job.

Though Kelly's concerns surrounded Barry's lack of managerial experience, Cunningham zeroed in on his previous decision to abandon the Irish team as something which may make him an unpopular figure among the playing squad.

Cunningham suggested that Barry would not be welcomed back by some of the playing squad after his abrupt departure in 2022:

I think, listening to the players and the noise around the team, he made a big impact when he was there as a coach previously.

However, I would have to say I was so disappointed with the manner in which he left. He basically left us in the lurch. If he was having that much of an impact within the squad, amongst the players...the fact that he stepped away from that and took another career opportunity...if I was a player, I would have been gutted, I would have felt let down by that decision.

I thought he let the manager down and showed a lack of loyalty towards the manager and the players by doing that. That's how I see it.

But, in terms of his coaching credentials, he's right up there.

In any case, it seems as though the FAI would have a lot of work on their hands if they were to tempt Anthony Barry to take charge of the team. Not only will there be a potential seven-figure release clause to contend with, but Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel spoke out this week to shut down any suggestion that Barry might depart to take the Ireland job.

Barry is one of a long list of candidates to take over from Stephen Kenny, with Cunningham going on to name Lee Carsley and Neil Lennon as his leading contenders for the job.

With the Ireland women's team also in the process of filling a managerial vacancy, it is likely to be the new year before we hear who the next Ireland men's head coach will be.