AN announcement on the vacant managerial positions at assistant senior, Under 21 and Under 18 level, is not now expected to be made by the FAI until the end of the week.

Formal talks between Mick McCarthy and officers of the association in Dublin yesterday produced only a brief reference to the vacancies, all of which carry a degree of urgency.

Confirming that most of yesterday's talks had been devoted to tidying up the loose ends of McCarthy's contract, a spokesman said it was hoped to reach agreement on the other matters within the next 72 hours.

He declined to specify the names of those involved, but there was renewed speculation in London yesterday that Ian Evans may be about to follow McCarthy to Dublin and assume responsibility for the assistant's post.

The two are friends since their playing days at Barnsley and, more recently, have worked tandem at Mill wall. Jimmy Nicholl's decision to appoint Martin Harvey as his assistant at the New Den means in effect that Evans is redundant.

The appointment by the Fat of an Under 21 manager, to be based in England, will be hastened to take account of next month's Under 21 game against Russia. It will be played in Waterford on the eve of the senior fixture between the countries at Lansdowne Road on March ht.

As yet, it is still not clear if Ireland will participate in the US Cup tournament in June. After voicing their disapproval of a revised match schedule last week the FYI expected to have the matter clarified yesterday.

Instead there was no further communication with the organisers of the tournament, so there must be real doubt whether they will agree to a programme which includes a game against Mexico in Los Angeles on June 12th.

McCarthy is understood to favour the tour but only if the organisers revert to the original idea of staging Ireland's three games against the US, Mexico and Bolivia on the eastern seaboard.