Neil Lennon has been touted for the Republic of Ireland job by former international Paul McGrath.
Current Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has gone 10 games without a win in charge and embarrassingly lost 1-0 to Luxembourg in Dublin on Saturday night.
The defeat led to fans calling for Lennon to take over. The Northern Irishman is currently out of work after leaving Celtic officially last month after a toxic season in charge.
And those calls have now been added to by pundit McGrath. The former Man Utd star, who played for ROI 83 times [Transfermarkt], believes the FAI could do a lot worse than ask Lennon the question.
Speaking in the Irish Independent, McGrath said: “I never like kicking a man when he’s down. I was down myself many a day. But I’m sorry, Stephen Kenny – it is time to go. International football management is about making the most of what you have got.
“We’re now out of the World Cup realistically. We’re not going to make a play-off with this result hanging around the team like a noose around our necks. So the FAI have to get in a new leader for Irish football with a bit of big-time experience, who can make the best of what we have.
“Is there anyone out there? Maybe Neil Lennon would take on the job? I can’t think of too many others who’d be rushing to get involved when it is clear the country is going through a phase where we just don’t have the football talent. The money is not out in Abbotstown to get in a big name who would do the job for the dosh and shut his eyes to the other problems. But the simple fact is Qatar 2022 is over for us now.”
MORE CELTIC STORIES
Neil Lennon should grab Ireland job with both hands if it comes up
After Lennon left Celtic unceremoniously last month, he left with his reputation taking an absolute hammering. Rightly so. He left Parkhead having treated the supporters’ concerns with nothing but sheer ignorance. So much so that many Celtic supporters no longer view him as a Parkhead legend.
Therefore, with his reputation in tatters, you could be forgiven for thinking the Ireland job would be above what he could obtain. Many may even believe that Lennon would have to drop down a division if he wanted to get back into football. Things were genuinely that bad last season.
But there’s no denying that Kenny is under massive pressure. His Ireland side have failed to score in eight of their 10 matches under him. With him suffering national embarrassment on Saturday evening, his future looks ominous.
And that could open up a window of opportunity for Lennon. As McShane says, the FAI doesn’t have the luxury of a big budget to bring in a top-class manager. That’s partly why Kenny is in charge in the first place.
Lennon, however, would be a cheap option for them if they decided to make a change. He’ll surely view the Ireland job as a much more prestigious opportunity than he would expect at this stage. And an immediate opportunity to bounce back from his Celtic horror show.
We’ll see what the coming weeks and months bring. Ireland have one final friendly match in Qatar before the international break ends. After that, Kenny’s future will be firmly in the spotlight.