At this stage it seems like Martin O'Neill is the most likely appointment as Ireland manager although there is no official indication of this.

Like Harry Redknapp missing out on the England job despite much speculation and anticipation, predictions can go awry.

It is important to get the right man for the job, both tactically and from a communication point of view.

Giovanni Trapattoni brought a level of organisation to the team at the beginning of the post-Steve Staunton era but failed to evolve adequately as Ireland became rigid and ever more predictable.

So let's see how the likes of O'Neill, Mick McCarthy, Chris Hughton and Guus Hiddink weigh up tactically, in terms of flexibility and under other criteria...

 

©INPHO/James Crombie

Martin O'Neill

Tactics and formation: The former Celtic boss has mostly used a 4-4-1-1 and 4-5-1. The style of play is not the most easy on the eye, favouring a target man in the John Carew or Steven Fletcher mould. But the players work hard for the manager. It might be reasonable to expect Jon Walters to lead the line and Aiden McGeady is likely to have a very prominent role if O'Neill is appointed.

 

Strenghts and success: Most people have said it already. He is a master motivator and apart from his time at Sunderland, he has tended to do well wherever he has gone. Aston Villa finished sixth three seasons in a row under his stewardship although it is claimed that more could or should have been achieved with the significant sums he spent in that time.

 

Familiarity: O'Neill has worked with many Irish players before at many of his clubs and should know the mentality.

 

 

©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

Chris Hughton

Tactics and formation: The Norwich manager prefers a solid 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 with a strong defensive setup. He has been criticised for being a bit negative and Norwich were not one of the most goal-hungry teams last season. There is no emphasis on possession football, although it must be questioned whether it is a style he favours because of the Canaries' status. Anthony Pilkington and Wes Hoolahan in particular could become central figures.

 

Strengths and success: He appears to be popular with players wherever he has gone and has enjoyed relative success wherever he has gone. He took Newcastle back into the Premier League and was unfortunate to be sacked, while he garnered praise for his work at Birmingham.

 

Familiarity: A former Ireland international, he also served as an assistant to ex-Ireland manager Brian Kerr. He also has Wes Hoolahan and Anthony Pilkington in his current Norwich squad.

NOTE: Chris Hughton has since ruled himself out of the running.

 

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Mick McCarthy

Tactics and formation: Like Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland tenure, Mick McCarthy tends to be a 4-4-2 man. But it is certainly not as negative as the Italian's. He favours wingers and getting the ball into the box. In 2011/12, his relegated Wolves side put 26 crosses in per match, the fourth highest rate in the league. The season before, they ranked highest in terms of crosses per game with Matt Jarvis particularly emphatic. But can the likes of McGeady, James McClean and Robbie Brady be relied upon to provide consistent delivery from the flanks?

 

Strenghts and success: McCarthy's record with Ireland was reasonably strong, qualifying for the 2002 World Cup and reaching the Playoffs for World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000.

His club career is a tale of two divisions. He has a good track record for getting teams promoted from the Championship but has not enjoyed the same level of success in the Premier League.

 

Familiarity: Needless to say, a former national team manager like Mick knows the setup well and even at club level has often signed Irish players.

 

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Guus Hiddink

Tactics and formation: The Dutchman has used every formation under the sun during his club and international career. He has ranged from the very Dutch 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 for South Korea. He is also an advocate of the 4-2-3-1 but tends to adapt according to the locale he finds himself in.

 

Strenghts and success: In terms of pedigree, he is the closest to Trap, having won the European Cup, reached two World Cup semi-finals and won league titles. At international level, he has managed all over the globe from Australia to South Korea and from Turkey to Russia. In all of those roles, he has shown a willingness to adapt to the culture and strenghts of his players, rather than imposing a rigid tactical vision.

 

Familiarity: He has not worked closely with Irish players but significantly the former and current FAI High Performance Directors have been Dutch - Wim Koevermans and the incumbent Ruud Doktor. Two years ago I interviewed Koevermans at FAI HQ on the subject of youth development and he told me that the FAI planned to go 4-3-3 at underage level but said that they had no plans to go "Dutch".

Meanwhile Hiddink would have seen quite a lot of Aiden McGeady while in Russia and will have noticed how the winger thrived in a more intelligent formation at Spartak Moscow.