The hunt is on for the next man to lead Ireland’s U-21 side to defeat against the minnows of Eastern Europe. And while John Delaney peruses the CVs of the Hiddink’s, Scolari’s and Erikson’s, Balls.ie has gone the extra mile to find the man who will nurture this crop of middling Championship-level talent into sources of national ire. Our hotlist includes a disgraced banker, a sketchy priest and an actor who played a priest on TV but is no longer alive. Like they say, a country only gets the U-21 football manager it deserves.
Sean Fitzpatrick, former Anglo Irish Bank chairman
Positives
- Inventive with numbers, a requirement for the position
- Very available
Recommended
Negatives
- Future travel restrictions could inhibit both scouting trips and attendance at away matches
- Already hated by the pubic at large
Sean Baptist Brady, Cardinal
Positives
- Adept at navigating bureaucracy of failed institutions
- Enjoys the company of young men
Negatives
- Clings to power, would be harder to uproot than Givens
- Serious question marks over the assistants he would employ
Dermot Morgan, star of TV's 'Father Ted'
Positives
- National icon
- Has succeeded in the past while surrounded by lesser talents
- Hilarious half-time speeches and bus slaggings
Negatives
- Unproven tactical footballing mind
- Currently deceased
