Dec 05,2024
Eileen Gleeson may have refused to discuss her future after the Republic of Ireland failed to secure a place at Euro 2025 on Tuesday night, but Rianna Jarrett believes that the FAI's finances will prove a key factor in deciding who will be at the helm of the women's team moving forward.
Gleeson's contract is up after the 3-2 aggregate play-off loss to Wales, with the manager's immediate focus on her crestfallen charges and not her own position after the heartbreaking result.
While the 52-year-old had intimated that remaining in the hotseat and a new contract were of interest prior to the encounters with Wales, this wasn't a topic Gleeson was willing to delve into after the full-time whistle.
"I understand you have an interest in that but I can tell you now, I'm not talking about it tonight, I'm not thinking about it tonight," Gleeson said when asked about any imminent contract discussions with the FAI.
"It's difficult to predict," the former Ireland international said. "If we look back to the end of the Vera [Pauw] era, who would have predicted that Eileen would have got the job permanently?
"The way the Nations League was set up, she had a really good campaign in terms of when we were in League B.
"Obviously going up to League A was a whole different ball game.
"We got drawn into the group of death. I don't think we'll ever be drawn into a group again with the likes of England, France and Sweden."
If the FAI and Gleeson do opt to go their separate ways, securing the services of a new boss with the pedigree to bring the team forward may not prove straightforward.
"It depends on what the FAI sees, obviously we know that the FAI is in a bit of trouble," Jarrett said.
"It's difficult to see where the see the women's game is financially, and in terms of getting the best managers, it's going to cost a lot more than it would have a couple of years ago.
"How appealing is that job to the top managers?
"Do they want to go externally again? If they go externally again it's going to cost a lot more.
"It all comes down, I think, to the financial factor."
For Méabh De Búrca, a crucial role in the next manager's remit - whoever that happens to be - will be to develop new talent to replace established ageing stars.
The Galway woman believes that the creation of a Republic of Ireland Under-23 team - or any stepping stone between under-19 and senior level - would make that task easier to achieve.
"The starting 11 has changed, but we've had a similar core of six seven players who play every game and the majority of those are in their 30s or hitting their 30s in the next couple of years," she said.
"It's a factor that every squad faces. It's inevitable. I think the issue is the feeder system coming through and the fact that players aren't getting game time on the pitch with the seniors.
"It's shouting out for an under-23 team, there's no way around it, and to have players who have played with the under-19s progress through to an under-23 team, or a home-based team, or a B team, or whatever you want to call it, getting their international experience there and building up their minutes.
"Then they might be in a better position to take over from the players who are pushing on in age."
