At a time when evolution should be taking place, with a new manager in charge of Ireland and implementing his ideas, is revolution in the air? The delay in appointing a successor to Steve Staunton has gone on for so long that some players could contemplate retiring from international football, Richard Dunne, the central defender, has said.

Staunton, who was appointed assistant manager to Gary McAllister at Leeds United last night, left his international post in October, but the three-man selection panel of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which is in charge of finding a replacement, has yet to name its preferred candidate. It is believed that its choice is between Giovanni Trapattoni, the coach of Red Bull Salzburg, the Austrian club, and Terry Venables, the former England manager.

Dunne, the Manchester City defender, has had enough of the waiting — as have many of his Ireland team-mates — and has called on the FAI to end its protracted search. In the past fortnight, Steve Finnan, the Liverpool defender, and Andy O’Brien, the Bolton Wanderers centre back, have declared that their Ireland careers are over.

“It’s been four months now and is the wrong way to go about things,” Dunne said. “To be honest, I think most of the players are upset. We’ve got three games maximum before our World Cup qualification starts and we should have a manager. We don’t and it’s bad.

“There are players who, the longer it goes on, well . . . if the FAI can’t get a manager, why should the players train hard, try hard and do everything, then it’s not done right for us. It needs to be sorted out before more people go the same way as Steve Finnan.”

Don Givens, the Ireland Under-21 manager and caretaker manager of the senior team, heads the three-man selection panel, which also includes Don Howe, the former England coach, and Ray Houghton, the former Ireland midfield player. Givens, who will manage Ireland for their friendly international against Brazil at Croke Park tomorrow evening, has promised that the new manager will be announced “within ten days”.

Dunne is not holding his breath. “There should have been someone in to pick the squad for the Brazil game two weeks ago,” he said. “The good thing is that it’s Brazil — that will get the players up for the game. But no one knows what is going on, we’re in the dark. I really enjoy international football, but I’m just annoyed at the moment.”

If Kevin Kilbane, the Wigan Athletic midfield player, struck a more diplomatic stance, he clearly shared Dunne’s sentiments. “Every other nation who didn’t have a manager seems to get it done very quickly,” Kilbane said. “All of us have thought it would have been done before now. I don’t know anything about players quitting, I’ve not heard. Maybe it’s just a little bit of frustration.”

Although Trapattoni is favourite to succeed Staunton, Salzburg have distanced themselves from his possible move. “There is a lot of rumour and speculation about Mr Trapattoni, but there is no story to tell,” Tomas Blazig, a Salzburg spokesman, said. “He is concentrating on his job here until the end of the season. I have spoken to him about this and he has told me that there is nothing to it.”

Little is as it seems with the FAI, with even the reported retirement of O’Brien clouded in doubt. “It looks as if Andy has gone,” Givens said. “I would at least like to speak to him to see if he can be talked around.”

Apparently, O’Brien’s message of intent to retire is in the post. Definitely gone from the Brazil team is Kaká, the world and European Player of the Year. The midfield player has a knee injury and has withdrawn from the squad, as has Alexandre Pato, his highly rated AC Milan team-mate, who has an ankle problem. Ronaldinho, the out-of-form Barcelona midfield player, has not been selected by Dunga, the Brazil coach.

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