Former Manchester United and England defender reveals who he would have appointed as Ireland manager
Ireland’s UEFA Nations League campaign kicks off with the visit of the Euro 2024 runners up.
Ireland are not quite there yet when it comes to beating a top-class team, says former Manchester United and England defender Wes Brown.
The 23-time capped star reckons Lee Carsley’s side will “get the job done” against the Boys in Green in a “hostile” Aviva Stadium.
Both nations will be led out by managers who are taking charge of their respective teams for the first time.
READ MORE: Seamus Coleman has his say on expected hostile reception for Declan Rice and Jack Grealish
Former Ireland international Carsley has stepped up from his Under-21 role to take interim charge of England, while Heimir Hallgrímsson is less than two months in the Ireland role.
Brown says he would have given the Ireland job to one of his former teammates if it was his choice.
He played alongside John O’Shea at Manchester United and Sunderland - and he reckons the Waterford native is a banker for the role in the future.
“We don’t see it often (competitive games between Ireland and England) and I’m sure it will be very hostile,” Brown told Boylesports.
“I can see a tight game with both sides having new managers. It'll be good to see Lee Carsley’s team and his style, but I do think England will get the job done.
“I think the team has just got too much talent for Ireland at the moment.
“Ireland have got a lot of young lads coming in but to go out there and beat the big, big teams, I’m not quite sure if they are there yet.
“The England team are very experienced now, especially with the last three big tournaments they've been in. It will be a close game but I’m going for 2-0 to England.
As for the eight-month long search for Stephen Kenny’s replacement, Browne said: “I would’ve loved Ireland to appoint John O’Shea as the full manager and hopefully one day he does get the job.
“He's been an assistant now at a few different places and obviously he's very happy with Ireland as well.”
O’Shea took interim charge of the friendlies earlier this year against Belgium (0-0), Switzerland (0-1), Hungary (2-1) and Portugal (0-3).
And Brown added: “He led them in a couple of games and they actually did very well. I know Portugal beat them but they should’ve beaten Belgium.
“He's got a little bit of experience there which I think always helps. He's still on the staff so hopefully in the future I can see him definitely being a manager.”
Roy Keane’s name was also linked with the Irish job at various stages during the long-running saga - and he is another man that Brown says has a future in management.
He also teamed up with Keane at Old Trafford and he said: “He knows what it takes to win. If you weren’t playing at your level he would tell you about it and he’d also keep your feet on the ground.
“He made you understand that you had to be at your very best to play for United. It’s as simple as that.
“He's been a manager before and I'm sure he's learnt a few things as well along the way that can and can't work and how to keep the squad together.
“Ultimately, I think if he goes back into management now, I think he's got that experience and he'd be able to deal with it.
“I mean, look at what he did with Sunderland when he brought them into the Premier League. He was very good that season and was obviously doing something right.
“Ultimately, he fell out of love with managing a little bit but I think he'd be a brilliant appointment for a team to have.
“He can get the best out of players and he’d still be excellent at it.”
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