Critical that the FAI now appoint very wisely

The diversification of Irish society over the last 50 years in particular has had quite a significant impact on our sporting culture. GAA, soccer, rugby and horse racing remain as some of the key pillars, but we've enjoyed significant success in golf, athletics and boxing while the likes of cricket, gymnastics and equestrian have also had their fair share of success.

The recent World Cup showed the strides rugby has made in making a dent in the wider public's imagination. It is no longer a niche sport, confined to a certain section of society or areas in south Dublin – it is a sport capable of stirring the nation. TV viewing figures for the games in France back-up that theory.

Part of that reason is because Ireland had a genuine chance of winning the World Cup – and will likely win the Six Nations next spring, given France will be shorn of the services of Antoine Dupont.

Yet, for all that, the Republic of Ireland football team stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to the nation getting behind a certain team. It is, as was once uttered, the biggest show in town. In that context, it was incredibly difficult to watch such a limp performance against a pretty underwhelming Netherlands outfit on Saturday night.

Usually, an international window is a huge deal and the centrepiece of any week for anyone with an interest in football, yet last week there was a sense of dread and, more worryingly, indifference to how Ireland performed in Amsterdam, in what was their final game in a European qualifying campaign that has been dead in the water since the loss to Greece in June.

For what it's worth, I believe the decision to appoint Stephen Kenny as manager of the first team was the right move. When you consider his achievements at Dundalk, they really were superb; only last week we were reminded of the scale of their work at European level, when they not only qualified for the Europa League group phase, but also beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in that group at Tallaght Stadium, as Ciaran Kilduff, who scored the winning goal, guided Athlone Town to Women’s FAI Cup success at the same venue on Sunday.

Similarly, Kenny also made strides as Republic of Ireland under-21 boss and his appointment was also a welcome nod to the growing potential of the League of Ireland.

There has been an enormous, almost unparalleled, sense of loyalty to Kenny as manager from a large section of Irish supporters. Has any other manager, with such a poor record, experienced anything similar? Not that I can think of in recent memory. But the bottom line is this – it has not worked. It was worth trying and threatened, at times, to burst into life, but ultimately results have been far below what should be the minimum standard. More worrying though is the general air of indifference hanging around the fortunes of the Irish football team at present.

The first port of call has to be to instil a level of belief and purpose in a squad quite clearly low on confidence.

It would be unfair to characterise Stephen Kenny's time as manager as a lost few years, but there's a sense that his work in bringing through 20-odd players to make their international debuts will make the job easier for the next manager. That, now, is the question. Where do the FAI turn?

For a start, the recent negative publicity around the FAI is most unwelcome at a time when the association is in the process of trying to appoint a women’s team manager – a hugely important decision – and will soon be looking for a men’s team boss too.

If you’re looking to attract talented individuals to those posts, you’re going to have competition. And that means you need to have your own ducks in a row. Might negative headlines about the FAI turn off potential candidates?

One of the things working in favour of the FAI at this point should be the ability of Director of Football Marc Canham, a former Premier League employee, who is, by all accounts, extremely well connected in the game. This should help in identifying suitable candidates. But a quick glance at the names being bandied about is rather uninspiring.

There is an opportunity for the FAI to really cast the net far and wide here to get the best candidate to suit the profile of this team – young, capable and willing to learn. Yet many of the names popping up come from the same sort of gene pool.

We have seen the likes of Steve Bruce, Sam Allardyce and others mentioned in certain dispatches as potential successors to Kenny. It's hard to get terribly excited by any of those names, managers who undoubtedly have good pedigree yet are now at the end of their cycle.

Allardyce was unable to work the oracle in his brief stint at Leeds last season, while Bruce's last job was in charge of West Brom last year. He departed with the club 22nd in the Championship. Neither are what Ireland need right now.

The leading candidate appears to be obvious.

Lee Carsley ticks virtually all the boxes. An accomplished midfielder in his playing days, his trajectory as a coach has been hugely impressive. This culminated in guiding the England under-21s to European glory earlier this year.

Given that he has been linked to so many club jobs in England, might he be tempted to turn down any offers from the FAI and wait it out? Gareth Southgate may well depart as England's first-team boss after next summer's Euros and, if that does happen, Carsley will be in the mix to replace him.

Neil Lennon could also be an option, and there has been a growing clamour in some quarters for Roy Keane to be given an opportunity to take the reins.

Whatever way the FAI go, it's important to find someone who has the ability to reinvigorate morale. The hope then is that results will follow.