Nottingham Forest’s hopes of appointing experienced manager Martin O’Neill have received a huge boost with the former Celtic boss admitting that he will not sign a new deal to stay on as Republic of Ireland coach before EURO 2016 according to the Nottingham Post.
The 64 year old Northern Irishman has been heavily linked with the permanent managerial vacancy at The City Ground and the latest news will provide Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi with confidence as he prepares to make a move for the club’s next manager.
It is understood that O’Neill first opened discussions on a new deal with FAI chief executive John Delaney last November however talks seem to have dragged on without any significant progress being made on O’Neill’s future in international management.
Nottingham Forest appointed Paul Williams as the club’s interim manager until the end of the season following former boss Dougie Freedman’s sacking last month after a poor run of results. The Midlands club have endured a disastrous season in the Championship which has seen Forest slide down the table with the club winning just one of their last nine matches while scoring just 40 goals in 44 league matches.
Owner Fawaz Al Hasawi simply must get his next managerial appointment right or face the prospect of receiving some severe criticism from fans. As well as Martin O’Neill, the likes of Gus Poyet, Steve Evans, Nigel Pearson and Steve Cotterill have also been linked with the vacancy at The City Ground.
