Another year, another manager, another mess. Where do Ireland go now? The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) will confirm today the departure of Steve Staunton, after only 21 months in the job, yet there appeared to be no clear thinking as to who would replace him.

David O’Leary, the former Aston Villa and Leeds manager, is the obvious favourite on the grounds that he is a) Irish, b) available and c) has plenty of experience in the managerial minefield. He has not worked since leaving Villa Park by mutual consent in July last year and would relish a return.

Curiously, O’Leary, after a spell away from the spotlight, reappeared doing media work at the weekend, when it became apparent that Staunton’s position was untenable. He fits the “big-name” bill that Irish fans are crying out for - after the low-profile appointments of Staunton and, before him, Brian Kerr – and would command respect among most of the Irish players.

However, it is believed that O’Leary’s aloof manner does not sit easily with many of the FAI’s ten-man executive committee, who have also questioned why the former Ireland central defender has failed to interest other Barclays Premier League clubs since he left Villa. “There appears no hunger to appoint him,” a source in Dublin said. That leaves a list of the usual suspects – Kevin Moran, John Aldridge, Paul Jewell, Terry Venables – to lead Ireland into the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. Jewell and Venables could be ruled out because they are English and the FAI, having flirted with the idea of a “foreign” coach before opting for Staunton, may look to Europe for a replacement.

It is a fiasco of the FAI’s own making. It judged that Staunton – a manager with no experience at any level – was the best candidate to succeed Kerr in January 2006 and announced its grand design for a “four-year plan” that would take in two qualifying campaigns.

Staunton – Ireland’s most-capped player with 102 appearances – started well with a 3-0 victory over Sweden in a friendly. Yet four successive defeats, including the debacle of a 5-2 defeat in Cyprus, quickly turned the Irish media and some sections of supporters against him.

Ireland regrouped, producing a nine-match unbeaten run, and rekindled their hopes of qualifying for the European championship finals. Those hopes disappeared last week when, in a pitiful display, they needed a stoppage-time equaliser from Steve Finnan to draw at home to Cyprus. Staunton was jeered at Croke Park – a rare reaction from Ireland fans – and his future seemed grim.

It seemed worse when, in a television interview, John Delaney, the FAI chief executive and Staunton’s staunchest ally, distanced himself from the appointment. A board meeting was not due to be held until next month but it was upgraded to “emergency” status and brought forward to last night.

Staunton, 37, is not expected to go quietly and, with the help of Michael Kennedy, his solicitor and one of the toughest negotiators in football, will

I push for full payment of the remaining two years of his contract. He earned €400,000 (about £280,000) a year, though the FAI might offer a compromise settlement of about €500,000.

With no apparent successor, Don Givens, the long-serving Ireland Under-21 manager, is likely to act as caretaker for the final European qualifying match, the meaningless group D game against Wales in Cardiff on November 17. Givens performed the same role for the 0-0 friendly draw against Greece in Athens five years ago before Kerr took over from Mick McCarthy.

McCarthy, who resigned in November 2002, expressed sympathy for Staunton, who won six of his 17 matches – two of them against San Marino – in charge. “Steve is a really good pal of mine,” McCarthy said yesterday. “I felt for him, watching him on the side of the pitch against Cyprus. I’ve been there when it’s not going right and it’s tough. I hope he’s all right. I spoke to him and he still wants to do it.”

The FAI would hope to have a new manager in place by the new year at the latest. With a friendly against Brazil all but confirmed for Croke Park in February – and the possibility of facing Italy at the same venue in March – it would be surprising to go into such prestige matches without a firm hand on the tiller.