GUS BUS
Leading Ireland managerial candidate reignites hope he IS set to replace Stephen Kenny after all
This comes straight from the horse's mouth
THE GUS BUS may be headed to Ireland after all.
Saturday saw reports emerge in the Greek media that Gus Poyet had officially closed the door on taking over as Ireland boss.
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It was stated that he had turned down a five-year offer from the FAI in favour of sticking with Greece.
This was in spite of him up until that point sounding very open to moving on to greener pastures.
Seemingly, the Greek players convinced him to commit a U-turn and instead remain in situ - despite them missing out on Euro 2024 after a penalty shootout play-off defeat to Georgia.
That still looks the likeliest outcome, however, Poyet posted a social media statement on Monday evening that suggested him staying on is far from a done deal.
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The 56-year-old said: "After a fantastic two years, the coaching staff and I have reached, yesterday, the end of our contracts.
"I do not know what will happen, but if this were to be the end of our journey together, I can't leave without sharing my gratitude.
"Working and representing the Greek national team has been an absolute honour and pleasure...
"Who knows what the future will hold, if we keep going together or not, but one thing is certain - I will forever be a supporter of Greece."
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It's worth noting that Poyet and John O'Shea's time at Sunderland overlapped so there would appear to be a natural fit there.
But the stumbling block that seems to have emerged in talks with the FAI centres on what backroom team the Uruguayan would be permitted to bring along with him, per Greek outlet novasports.gr.
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When contacted, Abbotstown chiefs re-emphasized that they will not publicly discuss its vacancy in relation to specific individuals.
The FAI also remained firm that it will make a permanent appointment at some stage this month.
O'Shea did of course take the March window on an interim basis and has been backed in some quarters to take on the job full-time, including by the likes of Seamus Coleman and Nathan Collins.
The Waterford man himself insisted that he is ready for the responsibility.
JOHN'S BAPTISM
Speaking after the 1-0 loss to Switzerland, he said; “It’s only given me a taste for more, whether that’s with Ireland or in club football.
“But that was the answer I was giving five or six years ago, that I wanted the chance to become a manager.
“That was what I was planning to do and part of the process was learning through assistant roles and then taking a manager’s role.
“I have loved every minute of it. I was fully engrossed in and it’s just annoying that we couldn’t get a win.”
The FAI held a board meeting on March 26, with no clarity offered regarding the identity of the new manager.