With the Republic of Ireland job now available after the departure of Stephen Kenny, a list of the usual suspects has been linked with the role over the last few weeks.
The likes of Lee Carsley, Neil Lennon, Steve Bruce, and Roy Keane are said to be in the running for the position. It is not exactly the most inspiring list, with each of those appointments coming with potential pitfalls.
Considering that Mick McCarthy, and subsequently Stephen Kenny, seemed like obvious candidates back in 2018, this is the first thorough managerial search that the FAI have had to undergo in around a decade.
Since the turn of the century, there was a list of names that seemed to be linked Ireland every time the job became available. Here's what five of those coaches are doing now.
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The perpetual Ireland managerial candidates - where are they now?
Philippe Troussier
A classic of the genre, Philippe Troussier seemed to throw his hat into the ring every time the Ireland job became available. We're not sure if the FAI ever actually gave him any consideration, but the Frenchman was certainly keen on the gig.
Troussier has managed no less than eight different international teams over the course of his career, starting with Ivory Coast in 1993 before taking in stops at the likes of Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Morocco and Japan (whom he coached as hosts at the 2002 World Cup).
He is currently the manager of Vietnam, a role he only took earlier this year having previously managed the country's U19 team. This is his first role in first team football since managing Chinese club Hangzhou Greentown back in 2015.
Outside of his stint in Japan, none of his international managerial roles have lasted much longer than a year.
David O'Leary
David O'Leary looked like an incredibly bright managerial prospect early on in his career, doing a brilliant job at Leeds United before then also impressing at Aston Villa.
However, his last coaching gig would come at UAE club where he was sacked in 2011. He would then spend the next couple of years in dispute over money he was owed by the club, eventually being awarded over $5million in compensation after a ruling by FIFA.
Since then, he has kept a very low profile.
O'Leary was linked with the Ireland job as early as 2003, then being brought up as a possible replacement for Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton, and Giovanni Trapattoni.
He now occasionally appears as an Al Jazeera pundit on the channel's Premier League coverage. He is also a regular at Arsenal games and legends events for the club.
Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell is another name that has consistently been linked with the Ireland job in the past, most notably as a potential replacement for Steve Stuanton or Giovanni Trapattoni.
He experienced quite a bit of success during his time at Wigan Athletic, leading them to the Premier League and enjoying some good results in the English top flight.
His managerial CV after that was very underwhelming. He would go on to have brief spells at Derby County and Ipswich Town, with his most recent managerial role ending in 2012. Since then, he has had spells as an assistant at West Brom and Oldham Athletic.
He has acted as a television pundit on occasion since leaving Oldham in 2018, although his focus now seems to be mainly on the world of golf.
According to an article in Hazzad, Jewell is the captain of Bradford Golf Club for 2023 and is also a member of Royal Cinque Ports in Kent. Such is his love for those courses that he has arranged for his ashes to be scattered in both of them when he dies.
He plays off a handicap of ten.
Chris Hughton
Unlike the other names on this list, Christ Hughton did spend some time in the Ireland coaching setup. He acted as assistance manager under Brian Kerr from 2003-2005.
Since then, he has steadily built a good managerial CV of his own at the likes of Newcastle United, Birmingham City, and Brighton. He was consistently linked with the Ireland job throughout this period and is thought to be in the mix once again on this occasion.
His last job in club management came in 2021, when he left Nottingham Forest after less than a year in charge. He would then linked up with Ghana, the country where his father was born.
Having initially been brought in as a technical advisor in 2022, he would be appointed as manager of the country in February of this year. Results have been mixed since then, although he would ensure their qualification for the 2024 African Cup of Nations this past summer.
He is set to manage the country at the tournament in Ivory Coast in January.
Sam Allardyce
A classic of the genre, Sam Allardyce has been linked with Ireland every time the job has come up for the best part of 20 years. Some have even suggested that he could be brought in to replace Stephen Kenny.
His managerial CV is well known, having managed the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, West Ham, Sunderland, and Everton as well as his hilariously short spell in charge of England.
Allardyce most recently managed Leeds United for four games and saw them relegated from the Premier League last season. He now spends his time slagging off the complexities of the modern game on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
He would no doubt throw his hat into the ring for Ireland manager if the money was right, a move that would perhaps be the most unpopular in the history of Irish football.
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