Kerr - Irish Premier League "Lacking Ambition"

**Scram** · 13/07/2009, 12:15 PM

Did anyone hear Brian Kerr being interviewed on radio yesterday 10:30am or so (91.3 FM, whatever that is), live and exclusive from the Faroes!?

He said he didn't enjoy his 15 month stint at St. Pats and found the "lack of ambition" of League of Ireland clubs towards Europe very frustrating. Kerr went on to say that the Irish Premier League appears to have accepted that there will be no progress in Europe for their teams and they are not concerned.

I don't really know where he is coming from? Clubs buy the best they can to win games primarily!, to win leagues and win cups, what would/could they do differently to show ambition in Europe? You can only buy what you buy.

What does he expect? UEFA Cups coming to Tallaght or Inchicore? Even a massive club like Celtic can hardly reach the last 16 of the CL. So how can Kerr expect LOI to compete with the big European clubs and all the Sky revenue? What's his angle?

**Greenforever** · 13/07/2009, 3:38 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Did anyone hear Brian Kerr being interviewed on radio yesterday 10:30am or so (91.3 FM, whatever that is), live and exclusive from the Faroes!?

He said he didn't enjoy his 15 month stint at St. Pats and found the "lack of ambition" of League of Ireland clubs towards Europe very frustrating. Kerr went on to say that the Irish Premier League appears to have accepted that there will be no progress in Europe for their teams and they are not concerned.

I don't really know where he is coming from? Clubs buy the best they can to win games primarily!, to win leagues and win cups, what would/could they do differently to show ambition in Europe? You can only buy what you buy.

What does he expect? UEFA Cups coming to Tallaght or Inchicore? Even a massive club like Celtic can hardly reach the last 16 of the CL. So how can Kerr expect LOI to compete with the big European clubs and all the Sky revenue? What's his angle?

He's living in Noddy land, look at all the EL clubs that have almost put themselves out of business due to thier European ambitions.

**prince20** · 13/07/2009, 6:07 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Did anyone hear Brian Kerr being interviewed on radio yesterday 10:30am or so (91.3 FM, whatever that is), live and exclusive from the Faroes!?

He said he didn't enjoy his 15 month stint at St. Pats and found the "lack of ambition" of League of Ireland clubs towards Europe very frustrating. Kerr went on to say that the Irish Premier League appears to have accepted that there will be no progress in Europe for their teams and they are not concerned.

I don't really know where he is coming from? Clubs buy the best they can to win games primarily!, to win leagues and win cups, what would/could they do differently to show ambition in Europe? You can only buy what you buy.

What does he expect? UEFA Cups coming to Tallaght or Inchicore? Even a massive club like Celtic can hardly reach the last 16 of the CL. So how can Kerr expect LOI to compete with the big European clubs and all the Sky revenue? What's his angle?

His angle is he is a bitter and twisted man who has turned anti irish football since his stint as Irish manager.

**Infadel** · 13/07/2009, 8:38 PM

Its people like him and retarded owners of Irish Clubs that have put the league on the brink of financial ruin. If he wants to look at a lack of ambition then he can look no futher than the backwater league that his own team is comprised of. A very bitter man indeed...

**MariborKev** · 13/07/2009, 9:13 PM

We are ambitious, but when the financial backers are still gazing across the Irish Sea we are going nowhere.

http://foot.ie/blog/drumavillewest-b...lubs-for-sale/

**Colbert Report** · 14/07/2009, 2:12 AM

He's right though. Far too many teams for such a small island. There should only be six or eight Premier teams on the whole island of Ireland. Too many clubs splitting the pie into far too small pieces.

**macdermesser** · 14/07/2009, 7:53 AM

stating the obvious .. but he won European Championships with U/16 and U/18 and third in the U/20 World Cup .. resurrected Pats in the 80s .. all with minimal resources. I think he is probably talking about a mentality rather than bankrupting a club to live the European dream.

**Gareth** · 14/07/2009, 7:54 AM

News article on the radio the other day about the need for investors in the clubs here and the potential if there was a European break through and then as if completely unrelated, they move to Charlie Chalk and Newcastle and the hope he can drum up millions for businessmen in Ireland interested in soccer. Surely he'd have a better chance of making a return on putting a couple million into a LOI side, over hundreds of millions into a Championship side who have to compete against Man City and Chelsea's purses?

**osborne** · 14/07/2009, 8:19 AM

Kerr's attitude since he lost the Ireland job has been pathetic. Now it seems that he is starting to believe his own hype and genuinely thinks he is up there with Roddy!

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2009, 8:39 AM

Originally Posted by Gareth

Surely he'd have a better chance of making a return on putting a couple million into a LOI side, over hundreds of millions into a Championship side who have to compete against Man City and Chelsea's purses?

Would have thought a Shels fan would have known the answer to that one, to be honest. If Newcastle get promoted, he'd double his investment, I'd say. A couple of mill would maybe get a LoI side one big day out in Europe.

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

He's right though. Far too many teams for such a small island. There should only be six or eight Premier teams on the whole island of Ireland. Too many clubs splitting the pie into far too small pieces.

How can you have a six club Premier, FFS?

**CMcC** · 14/07/2009, 8:46 AM

Kerr showed massive ambition taking his current gig didn't he.

**Macy** · 14/07/2009, 8:50 AM

I didn't hear the interview - Did he actually say spend more money?

It's funny seeing heads come in here from the Ireland forum to have a pop at Kerr, and yet he's apparently the bitter one.

**Scram** · 14/07/2009, 9:10 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

I didn't hear the interview - Did he actually say spend more money?

It's funny seeing heads come in here from the Ireland forum to have a pop at Kerr, and yet he's apparently the bitter one.

He didn't give any specifics.

My question was "what is his angle?" i.e. what is he suggesting?

Because he didn't make any suggestions on air.

Is he talking "owner mindset", "money", "player quality" "player mindset" "manager mindset" ?

.....over to anyone from Pats?!

**Colbert Report** · 14/07/2009, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

How can you have a six club Premier, FFS?

They do it here in Canada. An eight club American football league called the CFL. Very successful.

**DeNiro** · 14/07/2009, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Did anyone hear Brian Kerr being interviewed on radio yesterday 10:30am or so (91.3 FM, whatever that is), live and exclusive from the Faroes!?

He said he didn't enjoy his 15 month stint at St. Pats and found the "lack of ambition" of League of Ireland clubs towards Europe very frustrating. Kerr went on to say that the Irish Premier League appears to have accepted that there will be no progress in Europe for their teams and they are not concerned.
I don't really know where he is coming from? Clubs buy the best they can to win games primarily!, to win leagues and win cups, what would/could they do differently to show ambition in Europe? You can only buy what you buy.

What does he expect? UEFA Cups coming to Tallaght or Inchicore? Even a massive club like Celtic can hardly reach the last 16 of the CL. So how can Kerr expect LOI to compete with the big European clubs and all the Sky revenue? What's his angle?

Great. Let's sit back and watch the Faroe Islands leading the way so. An utter clown. Can't get more Mickey Mouse than the Faroe Islands, unless Disneyland have a team? Anyone?

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2009, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

They do it here in Canada. An eight club American football league called the CFL. Very successful.

The Canadian League is a mickey mouse league - five months, ten teams split into two sections, with the best team not even playing in it (Toronto FC) and all bar one of the clubs from the one province. That's not the way for the LoI to go.

**Dodge** · 14/07/2009, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

He didn't give any specifics.

My question was "what is his angle?" i.e. what is he suggesting?

Because he didn't make any suggestions on air.

He was interviewed. If anyone has an angle, its the interviewer.

Kerr is right. A lot of clubs here don't high ambitions, and are happy to be one step above Junior clubs (my words, not his)

At no stage did he say that clubs should "speculate" or anything similiar. At no stage did he suggest that we be competing "with the big European clubs" as you suggest either

TBH it was a completely nothing interview with kerr stating that most Irish clubs don't prioritise European football the way they should. Something that others like Richardson have said too

Obviously I'm completely biased but IMO there was no angle, and certainly no bitterness. Anyone who claimed Kerr is anti-Irish football is, frankly, talking out of their ring...

**Schumi** · 14/07/2009, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

The Canadian League is a mickey mouse league - five months, ten teams split into two sections, with the best team not even playing in it (Toronto FC) and all bar one of the clubs from the one province. That's not the way for the LoI to go.

I think he's talking about the CFL, an American Football league. They only play 18 games in a season though so hardly a viable structure to copy.