Former Republic of Ireland international Roy Keane has criticised the FAI after a 2-1 away defeat to Armenia on Tuesday dealt a hammer blow to Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in North America.
Speaking with former team-mate Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast, the former Manchester United captain said the FAI “couldn’t organise a p***-up in a brewery” when asked about the most recent managerial appointment process.
The role remained vacant for eight months following Stephen Kenny’s departure in November 2023, with Heimir Hallgrímsson confirmed as his successor in July 2024.
Keane was previously assistant manager of the national side during Martin O’Neill’s time in charge.
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Asked by Neville “what’s your main gripe at the moment with Ireland?”, clarifying “[is it] lack of players, managerial choice?”, Keane replied: “A bit of everything.
“I still don’t think players are playing enough at the highest level for some of the bigger clubs. There’s a few obviously making a living in the Premier League.
“It’s been tough on the manager. Physically they’re not great, they’re not mobile. We got a couple of defenders there, oh my goodness...”
Asked by Neville if he spoke to the FAI about the manager job, Keane confirmed he did speak to the association, adding: “But I think they spoke to everybody, to every Tom, Dick and Harry.”
“You speak to them because the reason you might take the job is that you might help the team. You obviously think you can help them, whether it be the issues they might have lacking quality, you think you might get them organised, get a bit of fight and a bit of spirit in Ireland. I know that’s not enough always, they do lack real quality as well of course.
“But yeah, I would have spoken [with the FAI] about the job. Even that was a farce. They were speaking to every[one].
“The amount of people who have come out in the last six months saying they were offered a job, or they spoke to them, but that’s the FAI again, they couldn’t organise a p***-up in a brewery.”
