Roy Keane did not hold back in his assessment of the FAI's pursuit of Lee Carsley to take over as Republic of Ireland manager.
Carsley was the instant frontrunner when Stephen Kenny exited stage left last November, and a months-long saga saw the former Ireland international's odds fluctuate wildly.
Ultimately, Carsley would publicly rule himself out of the running, choosing instead to focus on his pre-existing commitments with the England U21 side.
The English senior team would reach the EURO 2024 final this summer, losing out yet again in heartbreaking fashion to Spain in Berlin. Manager Gareth Southgate chose to step aside after the final, leaving the FA with a search for their first new manager in eight years.
The man chosen for the job on an interim basis was Carsley - with his first game in charge intriguingly set to be next month's Nations League clash with Ireland in Dublin.
Roy Keane and Ian Wright gave their assessment of England's new man ahead of Saturday's Community Shield. When the topic of Ireland was brought up, Keane threw a not-so-subtle dig at the FAI's bumbling search for Stephen Kenny's replacement.
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Roy Keane thinks Lee Carsley lacks experience after England appointment
6 February 2008; Lee Carsley, Republic of Ireland, in action against Gilberto Silva, Brazil. International Friendly, Republic of Ireland v Brazil, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit; Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
Appearing pitchside at Wembley ahead of the Manchester derby Community Shield on Saturday, Roy Keane gave a frank assessment of Lee Carsley's prospects of getting the England job on a full-time basis.
After running the rule over Carsley's lack of experience, Keane would make his feelings clear on the FAI's search for a permanent Ireland manager.
The timing is key for any manager to get that opportunity. As you pointed out, the games coming up, you'd fully expect England to win most of them games. He's in prime position to get the job.
He obviously lacks experience, he's not managed that long but he's worked at international level. Listen, good luck to him, I've played with Lee, he's a nice lad . He's got this opportunity, let's see if he can go and take it.
Allegedly [the FAI wanted Carsley]. But apparently they wanted everybody, they didn't know what they wanted.
Keane was another man heavily linked with taking over from Stephen Kenny, sending mixed messages in his various media appearances while the search was ongoing.
Ultimately, Icelandic coach Heimír Hallgrímsson was the FAI's choice, and he will face Carsley in the pair's respective debuts as head coach next month.
Not only did Keane throw a dig at the FAI's pursuit of Carsley but the ex-Ireland captain also suggested that Carsley may have turned down the Irish job in favour of waiting it out for the England job.
My experience with Lee is that he's a very quiet lad. Obviously, he had a good career, he's gone and done the hard yards with his coaching and worked at underage and had lots of different roles.
The key for lots of managers, a bit like Gareth [Southgate] when he got the England job, is timing. That opportunity has opened up for him now and he's seized it.
Maybe that was one of the reasons he turned the Irish job down, maybe he was told a few months ago, 'Listen, you've got a chance of certainly getting an opportunity for the England job.'
Let's see how he gets on.
The presence of Lee Carsley on the touchline will certainly add another level of spice to the mouthwatering Ireland v England clash next month.
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