Former Republic of Ireland women's manager Sue Ronan said she'd be "surprised" if interim boss Eileen Gleeson didn't want the job on a permanent basis.
Appointed interim manager in the wake of Vera Pauw's departure, Gleeson has presided over a faultless start to the UEFA Nations League campaign, Ireland winning three games from three and bound for promotion to League A.
Gleeson, a former Glasgow City and Peamount United manager, was appointed the FAI's Head of Women and Girls' Football in January and was initially ruled out of the running for the permanent manager's position on assuming interim charge.
However, results and an apparently happy Ireland camp has increased speculation that Gleeson may wish to remain in the role, though the manager herself is staying coy on the matter.
Ronan, who managed Ireland between 2010 and 2016, suspects that Gleeson is keen on the job.
"Firstly, I'd be surprised if Eileen doesn't want the job," Ronan told RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
"Because Eileen has been a coach all her life. And I know from speaking to her in the past, she would definitely have had ambitions to coach the team.
"Now, whether that's changed or not, possibly it has...
"Maybe now she's in the new position, maybe she likes that role and wants to make a difference there.
"But personally, and it's only my personal opinion, I would be surprised if she didn't fancy that job."
Ronan didn't think that Gleeson's stint as an assistant to Pauw - who exited the manager's role after the World Cup amid reports of a deteriorating relationship with her senior players - would count against her.
"Eileen was always very popular in the league when she was with Peamount. She's a jovial character and she has the experience. I'd be surprised if that would go against her."
However, Ronan and fellow panellist Alan Cawley agreed that caution was necessary given the weak calibre of opposition that Gleeson had faced thus far.
"If she's the ideal candidate, give her the job," said Cawley. "But people suggesting after these three or four games that we're playing this amazing, attacking brand of football.
"It's nonsense, because these are three of the worst teams we ever could have played. So just rein that part of it in.
"We were 17th [in the rankings] so weren't in the top 16 in League A. Had we been in the top 16 and in with them, we wouldn't have been playing this football with Spain and Sweden and England.
"Katie [McCabe] would been playing in a more advanced role but we wouldn't dominating 90% of the ball."
