JOE KINNEAR is out of the race to succeed Jack Charlton as manager of the Republic of Ireland after being interviewed for a second time by FAI officials in London yesterday. Kinnear's withdrawal came at the end of another day of speculation which saw Kevin Moran reemerge as a possible member of the next management team.

News of the Wimbledon manager's surprising decision broke in London last night after a brief message, issued on behalf of the FAI, said that Kinnear no longer wished to be considered for the vacancy. A quote attributed to Kinnear in the FAI communique said "I feel this is not the right time for me to do the job and, accordingly, I am withdrawing my, application".

Whether that action was motivated by exasperation is not yet clear, but there is at least some evidence to substantiate the belief that he was less than enamoured by the way the FAI had gone about the business of replacing Charlton. He expressed his annoyance last week that the timing of his interview had been changed at short notice and he was not amused when he found the media assembled at what was supposed, to be a secret meeting place.

There is little doubt that Kinnear coveted the job from a long way back. He first expressed an interest in succeeding Charlton two years ago and when he renewed his contract with Wimbledon last season, he insisted on the insertion of a clause guaranteeing his release by the club if appointed to the Ireland post.

That ambition was re stated last week when, after appearing to waver in his commitment to go through with his candidature, he moved quickly to stress that he had been misquoted and wished to proceed with his application.

Mick McCarthy, who attended a game in Southampton last evening, refused to either on Kinnear's withdrawal or on his own bid to succeed Charlton. He remains the favourite to get the post.

Charlton, who has made a point in distancing himself from the great debate, is thought to favour McCarthy, his most trusted lieutenant during the heady days of the 1988 European Championship finals in Germany and the World Cup in Italy two years later.

McCarthy is now in his third season as Millwall's manager and if appointed by the FAI, he would probably seek permission to be allowed to stay on at the New Den until the appointment of a replacement.

Kinnear's decision apart, the other big shock yesterday was the disclosure that Moran is now apparently in contention to be part of the new management structure, a development which saw the odds against his appointment cut from 6 to 1 to 3 to 1 by a Dublin bookmaker.

Moran has no managerial experience at any level and was not among those interviewed when McCarthy and Kinnear, together with Liam Brady, Mike Walker, and Dave Bassett, met with the FAI's selection sub committee last week.

Three days ago, an FAI spokesman denied categorically that Moran's name had since surfaced as a contender. The effect of that, ironically, was to heighten speculation that another "springer" would be introduced.

The six man, selection sub committee board is expected to bring back a recommendation to the FAI's Executive Committee next week and the appointment is likely to be made, on schedule in the third week of February.