Former Republic of Ireland internationals John Aldridge and Frank Stapleton looked to be amongst the most prominent casualties as the FAI settled on its shortlist of candidates for the job of successor to Mick McCarthy in the early hours of yesterday morning.

While none of those involved in drawing up the list of people to be given final interviews would discuss either the number settled on or the names of those involved, the indications yesterday were that six of the applicants made it through the first round cut and that neither of the former international strikers had survived the initial cull of just over a dozen.

First to get the second stage over with was Brian Kerr, who, having made the shortlist, talked with Bryan Hamilton and the three FAI officers - Kevin Fahy, John Delaney and Milo Corcoran - yesterday morning as he is due to leave today for an invitation tournament in the United Arab Emirates with an under-20 international squad.

Kevin Moran, Bryan Robson and Kenny Dalglish also appear to be on the list, which, it is believed, is completed by former Sunderland manager Peter Reid and Frenchman Philippe Troussier.

Reid was one of those who had not, up to last night, received any word of his inclusion on the shortlist. Similarly Aldridge and Stapleton remained in the dark regarding their prospects.

However, Hamilton, who spent most of yesterday in Dublin before returning home to England, said he would be getting in touch with all of those he had had initial discussions with as soon as possible in order to inform them of what had taken place on Tuesday night.

"There were one or two that needed to be talked to sooner than others for specific reasons that I will explain in due course, but there are still some that need to be contacted," said the former Northern Ireland manager.

"I will be talking to everyone in the proper manner in the next day or so. There are some people that are going to be a little disappointed not to have made the list and a few others who will need to be told they are on it, but it's my job to work through the process in a proper way which is what I think we have managed to do up to this point."

Hamilton declined to give any indication of who was on either list but Kerr confirmed he had been interviewed and remarked: "I'm happy enough to have made the shortlist. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to talk with them. It's not for me to say how it went. I'll just leave things to run their course now."

Robson, meanwhile, is reported to have told a radio station in the north east of England that he was still in the hunt for the job while there were strong indications from those close to Dalglish and Moran that they, too, had received positive news.

Reid's position was less certain but after what appears to have been a very positive initial meeting with Hamilton, he looks almost certain to have been given one of the two remaining places on the six-strong list, with Troussier expected to fill the last slot ahead of former Ipswich Town boss George Burley.

No firm decisions have been taken yet regarding locations and venues for the remaining five interviews but it seems almost certain they will take place in Britain during the middle or latter part of next week.

Packie Bonner, meanwhile, looks set to succeed Kerr as the association's technical director after emerging as the organisation's preferred candidate in the wake of interviews for that post on Tuesday.

Two of the FAI's regional development officers, as well as Noel King, were amongst the candidates for the post, but Bonner is now in the early stages of negotiating a contract for the job, a process that may, given the priority attached to filling the senior manager's post, go on for several weeks.

Having done his interview, meanwhile, Kerr immediately had to turn his attention yesterday to the ongoing difficulties he is having assembling his squad for today's trip to the UAE.

The latest blow to the manager's plans came in the unexpected form of Seán Thornton's outstanding performance for Sunderland in their FA Cup win over Bolton on Tuesday night.

Howard Wilkinson was enthusiastic about the Irishman's performance after the game, observing: "If that's a measure of what that young boy can do, then I will be very pleased." He then phoned Kerr to tell him that he was withdrawing him from the Republic of Ireland squad.

"He rang me this morning to tell me that he was brilliant last night and that he needs him now for the first team," sighed Kerr. "A week ago they were going to loan him out to Burnley. It's unbelievable."

Thornton wasn't the only loss yesterday as Hull City declined to release goalkeeper Saul Deeney and Kerr has now added David Moran of Athlone Town, Sean Dillon of Longford and St Patrick's Athletic's Kevin Doyle.

The squad will travel to the Middle East today and over the next week the Irish will take on South Korea, France and their hosts, the UAE, in a tournament which is a rehearsal for the World Youth Cup finals, also to be staged in the Emirates in March.