Graham Cummins on why David Moyes would be the perfect Ireland ...

THE post-Stephen Kenny era begins for the Republic of Ireland as they take on Belgium and Switzerland in two meaningless friendlies. 

Although there isn’t much optimism around the team because of the uncertainty of who the next permanent manager will be, whoever is next in charge won’t have a hard act to follow. 

When Kenny was appointed Ireland manager, there was a sense that it was a new beginning for Irish football, that Ireland were going to play an entertaining and attacking style of football. While there were some brief moments in games to suggest Kenny’s vision was becoming a reality, ultimately his time in charge was a failure. 

He probably got more time than he deserved in the job because people were blind to extremely poor results because the team were trying to play out from the back rather than be more direct, something that fans had witnessed from the Irish team for decades.

What the Kenny era has taught me, and I’m sure many others, is that international football shouldn’t be about style first, results second. It’s about doing the best you can with the tools that you have and if the next Ireland manager wants the team to play a certain brand of football that can be a hard watch but gets results, then I’m all for it. 

Watching Ireland growing up, I’ve always watched a team that were willing to fight for one another no matter how hard the circumstances, I think Ireland under Kenny became a soft touch. A team that opponents faced and didn't leave the pitch thinking they had a difficult match.

As much as Kenny seemed a 'nice guy', there's a saying about them finishing last. In Kenny’s case it was second last with Gibraltar saving the former Irish manager that indignity. 

It says a lot about the calibre of manager he was when he was linked with the vacant Bohemians job. Imagine when Mick McCarthy or Martin O’Neill left Ireland the idea they'd move into the League of Ireland? 

Whoever is next in charge, I would like to see him install that toughness back so that when visiting teams come to the Aviva it’s not a game they are looking forward to. John O’Shea is in charge for these two friendlies but it is highly unlikely that he will be the next permanent appointment. 

So in that sense, are we going to learn much from these games. 

I don’t think it will make a difference what way Ireland play or what the results are because the next permanent manager will want to implement his own ideas which will differ from O’Shea’s.

Of course, the million-dollar question is, who will be the next Ireland manager? 

It seems every name has been linked with the job but none have stuck. Lee Carsley, despite being favourite to take the role, ruled himself out.

UNCERTAINTY

At this stage, I think if you asked five different people who they think will be the next Ireland manager, you would probably get five different answers. So the question should be who they want to be the next manager, that is a realistic possibility.

One man that is nearing the end of his contract, and appears not too keen to sign a new deal and is coming to a stage in his career when international management might be more appealing than the weekly pressure and workload of club management is West Ham boss David Moyes. 

The Scot appears to have lost the backing of the majority of Hammers supporters despite doing a remarkable job. 

That lack of support seems to come from the fact that Hammers fans aren’t happy about the style of football their team plays. 

However, it is winning football. 

He’s exactly the type of manager Ireland needs. Someone who will have the respect of the players and will prioritise winning over anything else. He would certainly bring that toughness back to the team and make Ireland competitive again.