THE SEARCH IS underway for the next Ireland WNT head coach following Eileen Gleeson’s departure.
The FAI announced that Gleeson’s contract would not be renewed on Wednesday night, and that the process to recruit her successor would begin immediately.
It’s exactly 10 weeks until Ireland begin their 2025 Nations League campaign against Turkey on 21 February. The Irish Examiner is reporting that U19 manager Dave Connell could take interim charge, while other names like Hope Powell and Colin Healy are already being linked.
Many of the same runners and riders from after Vera Pauw’s exit in August 2023 will re-enter the frame, as a crucial appointment awaits.
Ireland will be in direct competition with Scotland following Pedro Martínez Losa’s exit this morning.
Here, The 42 takes a look at some candidates the FAI should at least talk to.
It’s more of an alternative list: not necessarily the top names being linked, but coaches who might be available, willing, and have the CV and experience to succeed. The FAI’s financial constraints will obviously play a part in the process, so we have tried to keep that in mind also.
There are many more, but here’s six for a start:
1. Carla Ward
The former Aston Villa boss has been out of football since May, when she stepped down from the helm of the WSL outfit to prioritise her family life.
Ward recently told BBC Sport she was ready to return to management, and that international football would suit her as a mother to five-year-old Harvey. “In the last month or so, I’ve started to get an itch and that burning passion hasn’t gone away,” she said.
Ward, 40, spent three years at the Villa helm; steering them to their best-ever league finish of fifth in 2022/23, along with the FA Cup semi-final. The former Sheffield United captain also managed the Blades and Birmingham City before taking charge of Villa, where she was a popular figure and recruited well. That job reopened this week, while she likely has other options elsewhere.
2. Mark Parsons
Parsons was most recently head coach of Portland Thorns in the NWSL for the second time. The 38-year-old Englishman started his career at Chelsea’s Boys Academy before steering the Blues’ Women’s Reserves to a treble in his first season in charge.
He then held various roles in America before taking over Washington Spirit in 2013. He oversaw a turnaround there, and later, at Portland, where he won one NWSL Championship, two Shields and made the playoffs in each of his five seasons.
Parsons also has international experience with the Netherlands, where he succeeded Sarina Wiegman at the helm but departed after a short spell when the defending champions exited Euro 2022 at the quarter-final stage.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is another available name from the international circuit, but the former Germany boss is a more obvious candidate.
3. Melissa Phillips
Phillips is currently Head of Analysis at Arsenal Women, but the American coach might fancy a return to management.
Having cut her teeth Stateside, Phillips made her impact felt at English Championship outfit London City Lionesses. She began as Lisa Fallon’s assistant in 2020, but took over when the Dubliner departed.
With several Irish players in the team, Phillips guided them to sixth and second-place finishes respectively, but surprisingly resigned in January 2023. London City were top of the table at that juncture, but Phillips returned to the US to become Angel City assistant coach. The 37-year-old later managed Brighton & Hove Albion to safety in the WSL relegation battle.
4. Alan Mahon
Mahon left Manchester City Women after almost a decade during the summer.
“As sad as I am to leave City, I am also excited and inspired for the future,” the former Ireland international said as he departed. “I am looking forward to what lies ahead for me and sharing my experience and passion in pastures new.”
Mahon was heavily linked with the Ireland job before Gleeson’s appointment, and undoubtedly will be again. The Dubliner has garnered huge experience through roles at underage and senior level at City, including assistant coach and interim manager in 2020.
5. Becki Tweed
Tweed is another exciting young coach and is available, having just exited Angel City in the NWSL.
The former England underage international has spent her entire coaching career in America, having started as assistant at Monmouth Hawks and Sky Blue FC, now NJ/NY Gotham. Tweed enjoyed success as co-head coach of the Gotham Reserves, before her Angel City journey began in 2023. There, she went from assistant to interim to permanent, reached the NWSL playoffs and was nominated for Coach of the Year.
While a more left-field candidate, Tweed also has underage international experience, having acted as assistant coach of the USA Women U20s.
Rita Guarino could be another from the club scene, having recently managed Inter Milan and Juventus, and previously, Italy U17s.
6. Casey Stoney
Admittedly, Stoney would be more of an outside shot. Her profile and stature in the game would likely mean she’s out of reach for the cash-strapped FAI, and put simply, this would be an incredible coup.
Stoney has been widely suggested for the Arsenal Women’s post since Jonas Eidevall’s departure, but interim manager Renée Slegers has been doing a fine job since taking the reins. She has been linked with other roles, including Tony Gustavsson’s successor in Australia.
Former England international Stoney made her managerial name at Manchester United, where she impressively steered their newly-formed women’s team through the ranks. She stepped down in 2021 and went on to establish San Diego Wave in the NWSL. She departed in June, and has been out of work since.
Subscription for information that’s free elsewhere?
Closure of daily edge, then a subscription model for sports… makes me think that ad revenue is dropping and the business model isn’t as successful as it once was.
Wonder how long it’ll take for this to be deleted???
@sequoia: maybe you didn’t read the article
@Stephen Watson: There’s no maybe about it. Sequoia couldn’t wait to have a whinge about something. Trivial matters like facts and statements would only get in the way.
This is how you lose users. Or drive up costs
Very few users will pay a subscription to a service where:
A) the information is available free elsewhere
B) a paywall is suddenly introduced
Just look at traditional media for examples
All that’s happening here is costs are being driven up by putting in value add features with no indication of how successful they’re going to be.
Even if they’d contacted all users and asked them would they be willing to pay for the service, if 100% said yes, the likely return would be less than 40%.
@sequoia: I agree. Best thing about the 42 is the comments section. No offence but the level of journalism on here is average at best. Some good stories every now and again but majority of the time it’s just click bait with misleading headlines. And that’s fine. I like it. Get my sports hit. But to pay for it?!! I can sympathize with the pressure of putting up constant content. That must be difficult.
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: Did you read the article? You’ll still get the articles and comments section for free, the subscription is for extra stuff.
And I disagree, there is some great sportswriting on here – much better than other free sports sites. Some click bait headlines, yeah, but that’s one of the ways they make money. If you don’t want click bait headlines then pay for your journalism
@JarvisOFlaherterahry: oh I’ve read it! Seeing… “Only for subscription members” is going to drive a wedge between its current audience. Reading down through the articles and not being able to access everything! It will lose readers in my opinion.
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: are you sure you’ve read it? Because it clearly says that nothing will change on the 42 site
@JarvisOFlaherterahry: I think you are a little nieve to think that. Things will be introduced bit by bit as to not shock the audience too much all at one time. But things will change
“this is not a paywall or subscription service “….. and guess what.. it’s a subscription service….
@windbag: if you want it to be
Pity ye changed from the Score to The 42. Ye would have had to charge just the €20 then ;)
@Stephen Keane: Quality. Hopefully members will vote emphatically in favour of the return of ‘Comment of the Week’.
@Gavan Casey: Bring back red thumbs!
Best of luck with the new plans. I’ll probably sign up anyway just to see what it’s all about. You’ll get the usual idiots saying that they won’t pay for information that is free elsewhere. If everyone had that attitude you’d have no professional journalists and no quality reporting, just echo chambers and click bait.
@JoeO:
€42 a year is feck all. I’ll pay that no dramas. I enjoy the site and can afford it.
Sport won’t be what it once was for much longer. Greed and money killing what’s good about sport. This is just another example. More wants more. Bubble will burst.
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: €42 a year isn’t too much
@Eoin Murphy: it isn’t… But you can live without sports content. I’d prefer to give it to my child to pay for something useful then to pay for headlines!!
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: Cool story, Caoimhín. Off you go with your kid to McDonalds and let people who want to pay for extra content do so without judgement.
@James McLoughlin: what are u on about? Not judging anyone! Do as you please. Giving my opinion. That’s it. Don’t get personal.
Oh I do wonder where this is headed…
Be great to put a face to a few names…
Ill buy if you stop censoring any comment that isnt leftist
@sean: yea ‘rightist’… sorry I’ll get my coat.
I thought twas free, 5 euros a month getaway out of it…
The podcast is going to be journalists interviewing other journalists?
So, like the late late show, but it costs extra….pass!
definitely better to sign up….
Da fuk is the 42
@Faixa Roxa: There is a hidden clue in the headline if your clever enough to find it.
@davcar: a long shot I’d say, give him a hand with his shoelaces will you
Not about the cost but the principle, so The 42 I will not be signing up as all content is available on other social nedia sources, its not like you provide inside scoop stories.
That said all the best with the venture but please don’t start shoving adverts down our throat and then pull the bullshit of the premier version being ads free or something…
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: couple of points here. Firstly the writing from the 42 is easily the highest quality of all such online media. Secondly the 42 will remain the same for non paying users, the sub service is clearly for the many extras including podcasts, interviews and competitions and not for info freely available elsewhere. Clearly you feel entitled to receive such a service for free but ya know that’s not how the world works and maybe you don’t know this but it’s your choice whether you subscribe or not.
Personally a fiver a month is very affordable for people who enjoy such content but there will always be whingers who want everything free.
Firstly the quality of writing is far higher than the other similar online sites. Secondly the usual output remains free and people choose to pay for extra which is not information free elsewhere but includes podcasts, interviews, competitions etc and is your choice whether to subscribe or not. Media changing rapidily and clearly the 42 are moving with it. A fiver a month is excellent value imo but there are always whinge bags ready to knock ideas. Just don’t sign up if you don’t want to, it’s pretty simple.