Brian Kerr appointed Faroe Islands manager

[The Legend]

Kerr for Kazakhstan!!!

[stiffler]

Fair play Kerr.

[Pauro 76]

Well done Brian Kerr, delighted to see him doing well. Folk hero in the Faroes now.

[shakermaker1982]

Good on him. I bet he has a sore head this morning!

[Claret Murph]

I did smile when I saw the result last night , well done to Brian I am sure he had a good night .

[joe_barry80]

Good on him. I bet he has a sore head this morning!

He had a sore head in Graz at the weekend too every night in the pub.

[macdermesser]

The man has talent. I'm hoping that he can get step up to a Sweden/Denmark/Hungary type job and have some major success with them .. before becoming almost impossible to resist for the FAI. (One Pats-Ireland fan's fantasy)

[Duggie]

fair play brian, great to see him doing well. great result against a decent side.

[Stuttgart88]

yeah, well done Kerr.Great win. Lithuiania beat Romania 3-0 in Romania at the start of the campaign.

Is the Faroese equivalent of Joe Duffy or Marion Finucane calling him a "miracle worker" now?

[Lenny82]

I always thought Kerr was very unlucky to be turfed out when he was. His biggest mistake was going 4-5-1 when we went 2-0 up against Israel, but if we had held out for the 2-0 win he would have been a great man. Also, Israel's last minute equalizer against us didn't help either.

Delighted to hear when he got the Faroes job. If he picks up 4 points in a qualifying campaign plus a friendly win or 2 along the way they'll make him president. He is clearly using this as a stepping stone to further his managerial career and why not!! Fair play to him!!!

[eirebhoy]

His biggest mistake was going 4-5-1 when we went 2-0 up against Israel, but if we had held out for the 2-0 win he would have been a great man.
He stuck with the 4-4-2 when Keane went off. Just moved Duff up front. Maybe unnecessary changes but certainly not the reason we drew that game.

If Kerr had the physchological skills to get his teams playing without fear he'd be world class. We saw the team playing without fear in friendlies and I'd do anything for Ireland to be playing like that every week.

[Stuttgart88]

Spot on about 442 v 451 against Israel.

Kerr was very close to being a really good manager for us.

When it came to it the team was limp in crucial games which cost him my support at the time.

He lost the support of the media, the players and the FAI for other reasons and I'd love to hear some detailed analysis of exactly what went on. I understand that Kerr changed and became a bit caught up in his sense of importance. Was this arrogance or just the professionalism required for the job?

What exactly cost him the rapport he had with the press? Who was to blame? Were the press acting like juveniles when not getting their way?

I remember thinking at the time that the players were a bunch of arrogant tarts who lost the run of themselves.

Loss of support within FAI? How exactly did that come about and what were the issues? All I can really recall is that JD was under the microscope yet he still managed to strengthen his hold over his position with some convenient culls.

[shakermaker1982]

I'll never forgive that Israeli goalkeeper!!

Kerr made us a hard team to beat but we lacked a cutting edge. Didn't Dunne complain about the excessive use of video analysis under Kerr's regime? The press are a funny bunch and if not given enough 'access to the manager' they start sharpening knives.

[Duggie]

apart from a few results that went against him what happened with kerr was his lack of management before. if he had a long cv he would have lasted longer but when the results didnt go his way i reckon it was a case of does he know what hes doing or hes never really managed "properly" before, lets get rid of him. its a pity it didnt work out.

[Colbert Report]

Kerr lost my support when he subbed off Robbie Keane for Gary Doherty with half an hour to go in a must-win game against Switzerland in November 2005.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm about to go back to college in the evenings and I just got my course module for "Principles of Organisation & Management". Sounds unbearably boring, but I'd be curious if anything I learn can be applied to what I know of the FAI!

How accountable are those overseeing the youth dev programmes & how are they judged?
Why have underperforming managers kep their positions?
Surely change from time to time is essential to keep people on their toes?

The whole youth set up seems to have stagnated since Kerr took the senior job.

[macdermesser]

apart from a few results that went against him what happened with kerr was his lack of management before. if he had a long cv he would have lasted longer but when the results didnt go his way i reckon it was a case of does he know what hes doing or hes never really managed "properly" before, lets get rid of him. its a pity it didnt work out.

good point that ... the success at underage levels and at Pats was probably not a good enough back up for the rainy day Irish fans and media when it came to the crunch. Although, to be fair, he did lose the faith of many of the hardcore Irish fans too. Still, it goes without saying that what came after Kerr was a disaster and he would surely have done better in that campaign than Stan.

Maybe he should have started with the Faroes or another country before applying for the Ireland job.

But perhaps success, with the Faroes will lead him back to the Irish job via another national job. Still relatively young in a managerial sense. Wishing him the best of luck too

[Straightstory]

I'm happy for Kerr. He came out of the Ireland job a changed man - bitter and paranoid after his experiences with the press, which was a shame to see. I, for one, wisf him well.

[amaccann]

What I hope against hope is that this role allows him to eventually find his way back into the Ireland set-up, ideally at underage. It's a sporting crime that Kerr is surplus to requirements in Ireland; perhaps the Faroes job might remind him that not all top international positions are hellish grinds.

[Wolfie]

Great result for Brian Kerr and I'm happy the Faroes job appears to be going well for him.

The Irish press had the knives out for Kerr - but some of the players helped plunge the knife in.

They leaked the stories to the media about their dissatisfaction about his methods. There were multiple references by the press to the players being "bored" with Kerrs pre-match analysis and attention to detail.

So much Playstation to get through, so little time.

There were no players certainly willing to go on the Late Late Show on his behalf and defend him.

I have never seen an Irish team with so little fight as the team that played Switzerland at home. Kerr (who I felt sorry for) was literally jumping on the spot on the touchline with frustration as we slept walked to elimination.

[Scram]

Great result for Brian Kerr and I'm happy the Faroes job appears to be going well for him.

The Irish press had the knives out for Kerr - but some of the players helped plunge the knife in.

They leaked the stories to the media about their dissatisfaction about his methods. There were multiple references by the press to the players being "bored" with Kerrs pre-match analysis and attention to detail.

So much Playstation to get through, so little time.

There were no players certainly willing to go on the Late Late Show on his behalf and defend him.

I have never seen an Irish team with so little fight as the team that played Switzerland at home. Kerr (who I felt sorry for) was literally jumping on the spot on the touchline with frustration as we slept walked to elimination.


Faroes best ever result? Well done BK

[seanfhear]

I'll never forgive that Israeli goalkeeper!!

Kerr made us a hard team to beat but we lacked a cutting edge. Didn't Dunne complain about the excessive use of video analysis under Kerr's regime? The press are a funny bunch and if not given enough 'access to the manager' they start sharpening knives. After that goalkeepers performance I was of the opinion that all substitute goalkeepers should be situated close to the goal and if the goalkeeper starting having "injury problems" especially in the last ten minutes he should be replaced immediately with the sub.

If the sub was injured he could be replaced by the first goalkeeper.

I know its a bit crazy but it would put a stop to all the time wasting tactics of goalkeepers late in the game.

[geysir]

Also, Israel's last minute equalizer against us didn't help either.
True enough, last minute equalizers are a bit of a nuisance unless it's us who manage to get them.

[Drumcondra 69er]

He stuck with the 4-4-2 when Keane went off. Just moved Duff up front. Maybe unnecessary changes but certainly not the reason we drew that game.

If Kerr had the physchological skills to get his teams playing without fear he'd be world class. We saw the team playing without fear in friendlies and I'd do anything for Ireland to be playing like that every week.

On the contrary I think it was precisely why we drew that game. It meant changing the positions of 3 players ratrher then just one as he could have had he brought on Elliot. We lost our way while that went on and gave them the chance to get back into it.

I was gutted it didn't work out for him and am delighted he seems to be doing well with the Faroes but he made some serious tactical blunders during his reign with us and after a 3rd (I know he got us to that position from a terrible start under MM first campaign) and a 4th place finish from very qualifiable positions he had to go when he did.

[Razors left peg]

In the Israel game at home, Duff was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for the first 25. Every time he got the ball he was tormenting the Israel defence, but then when Robbie went off and Duff was put up front we lost our main supplier to the attack and Duff got starved of ball, that was massive mistake on Kerrs part and I will never forget screaming about it in Lansdowne when the change was made. To me it was obvious that u leave the player that was creating the most damage where he was

[bennocelt]

Ah I like Kerr but he had two chances with ireland and blown it, and no one else to blame only himself
people go on about the forward line V isreal but it was the midfield line that worried me in that game, that changed it for me

and why did he have to ban the rebel songs before games...thats just silly

[eirebhoy]

On the contrary I think it was precisely why we drew that game. It meant changing the positions of 3 players ratrher then just one as he could have had he brought on Elliot. We lost our way while that went on and gave them the chance to get back into it.
Israel started to get a lot of possession before Keane went off. We had a good start but I've recalled a good few times now Johnny Giles in commentary saying the Israeli's have crept into the game since the 2nd goal. And that was a few minutes before Keane went off. In fact the best chance they created in the whole game was in that period before Keane went off with their left winger. The only reason I remember is because I've had this debate so many times. :)

[Drumcondra 69er]

Israel started to get a lot of possession before Keane went off. We had a good start but I've recalled a good few times now Johnny Giles in commentary saying the Israeli's have crept into the game since the 2nd goal. And that was a few minutes before Keane went off. In fact the best chance they created in the whole game was in that period before Keane went off with their left winger. The only reason I remember is because I've had this debate so many times. :)

Precisely why changing 3 key positions on the pitch was folly when Keane got injured. Elliot for Keane was the obvious change with the damage Duff was doing.

[MariborKev]

I hear the are renaming them the Kerroe Islands after last night's result.

[geysir]

I have seen one attendance figure of 8,000,
can't be true, can it?

[tetsujin1979]

WRT to the Israel 2-2 game, the substitutions are not the reason we conceded 2 goal, but they are the reason we didn't go on to score again IMO

[geysir]

There was a crowd of 2,000

A picture from the post match conference

http://www.portal.fo/myndir/myndatema/2009/00d9e69057db230c47b842660acc3dc0.jpg

Post match

http://www.portal.fo/myndir/myndatema/2009/84f118c588f1d32d1ff5c2d9d07e0ef8.jpg

[tetsujin1979]

is it just me, or does that photo of Brian Kerr make him look a little like the Joker in Arkham Asylum?
http://xbox360media.gamespy.com/xbox360/image/article/899/899178/batman-arkham-asylum-20080815104654684_640w.jpg

[elroy]

Met Brian in Kehoes on Friday night, not for the first time either. Genuninely nice man any time ive met him and was good to see plenty of congrats going his way. Deserves huge respect for what he did at underage level for us.

Although I think he had lost the dressing room by the time he left, he also played a very negative style of football. Too many times we lost leads that ultimately wouldve got us qualified. The two Israel results and the Swiss away game the best examples.

[amaccann]

We need him back though more than ever; as I said it's a total farce that our best underage / local manager is plying his trade in the Faroes. Someone in the FAI needs to go cap in hand to Kerr and get him back in our system. Pronto.

[eirebhoy]

Although I think he had lost the dressing room by the time he left, he also played a very negative style of football. Too many times we lost leads that ultimately wouldve got us qualified. The two Israel results and the Swiss away game the best examples.
I don't think we sat back to protect leads in the likes of Switzerland for tactical reasons. Just instinctively and Kerr couldn't get his players to beat the phsychological side of the game (telling players to push up will only work until they give away possession). I don't think his tactics would have been more negative than someone like Mourinho.

[Stuttgart88]

Under Trap we lost leads against Bulgaria twice in not dissimilar circumstances.

Away to Switzerland I think we scored early against a better team (though we didn't accept it at the time) and the better team deservedly equalised with a well worked goal. It was actually a good point in my opinion.

Away to Israel was different. I don't think we sat back as such, more that we lacked the composure & ability to keep the ball and make something of it. I think when you're 1 up you'll always be a bit more cautious and as eirebhoy said at the time, psychology rather than tactics take over.

It's a fine line: if that Israeli Arab chap hadn't hit the best shot of his life it'd have gone down as a famous away win, won by scoring early & closing shop like a top team would have done.

As for Israel at home, what a freak game. OK, we stupidly gave the back the initiative but we absolutely mullered them in the second half. Doherty, O'Shea & Duff all missed when it was easier to score. If we'd won like we should have there'd have been some correct querying of Kerr's tactics / substitutions, but when you win the tactics are correct.

[MariborKev]

It's a fine line: if that Israeli Arab chap hadn't hit the best shot of his life it'd have gone down as a famous away win, won by scoring early & closing shop like a top team would have done.

As for Israel at home, what a freak game. OK, we stupidly gave the back the initiative but we absolutely mullered them in the second half. Doherty, O'Shea & Duff all missed when it was easier to score. If we'd won like we should have there'd have been some correct querying of Kerr's tactics / substitutions, but when you win the tactics are correct.


Spot on.

[amaccann]

Well according to the latest rankings Edgar kindly provided, Kerr's team have jumped 44 places to ... 119 :D

[OwlsFan]

Met Brian in Kehoes on Friday night, not for the first time either..

At a barstool in Kehoes
I met one of our heroes.
I said "will you have a pint"
he said "I don't want to disappoint"
but I have a plane to catch to the Faroes.

Nice picture of the celebrations. Brian is using this as a stepping stone for greater things. Don't think he'd be interested in coming back to underage football unless another offer doesn't come in.

[jbyrne]

Away to Israel was different. I don't think we sat back as such, more that we lacked the composure & ability to keep the ball and make something of it.


i think people also forget that duff hit the crossbar in the last seconds away to Israel. fine line as you say

[youngirish]

i think people also forget that duff hit the crossbar in the last seconds away to Israel. fine line as you say

Kerr had just as much good fortune as bad luck in the group. Who can forget Shay Given's performance away in Cyprus that managed to salvage 3 points from a game we should have been comfortably beaten in? In both Swiss games we were lucky to grab a point as they were the better team on both occasions.

Most of his bad luck was self inflicted anyway due to the negative approach to the game he seemed to have particularly evidenced through his substitutions.

Good luck to him in the Faroes though he seems to be doing a good job.

[gustavo]

Kerr had just as much good fortune as bad luck in the group. Who can forget Shay Given's performance away in Cyprus that managed to salvage 3 points from a game we should have been comfortably beaten in?

Having a great goalkeeper in your team isn't luck

[Real ale Madrid]

Faroe Islands due to be FIFA ranking highest movers this month - up 41 places in total.

I wonder if there's an award for that.

[blobbyblob]

Well done to him. Great fella and good manager.

Probably in the wrong place at the wrong time as regards the senior international team. After WC2002 and Keane/McCarthy dispute the structure and team was in free fall and he did stepped into an unwinnable situation.

My feelings at the time said the players attitudes let him down more than anything - especially the now senior players. The FAI/JD didnt do him any favours and I wouldnt expect him back in any FAI position for at least another 10 years if ever.

He deserves bigger and better than the Faroes but I get the sense from him that he likes being the big fish in a small pond. The big underdog tag seems to motivate him greatly too.

[Leeside Swagger]

Fair play Brian, it wont be long before he moves onwards and upwards.

[blobbyblob]

Keane/McCarthy dispute

.

As it happens, has this dispute continued on in Limerick with the aid of the Dundon family

[Emmet7]

I think he was out of his depth at top level senior international management.

It's ok to get an odd good result, but consistancy is the key at that level.

I do remember Ireland playing very well though in Paris against France.

Had he more experience at senior management I have no doubt he'd do a fine job for some team.

I doubt he will make it back to the senior Irish setup, he fell out with too many people.

I'd say he'd be ideal for our u-21 side, but I doubt it will happen any time soon.

[foureyes]

I think he was out of his depth at top level senior international management.

It's ok to get an odd good result, but consistancy is the key at that level.

I do remember Ireland playing very well though in Paris against France.

Had he more experience at senior management I have no doubt he'd do a fine job for some team.

I doubt he will make it back to the senior Irish setup, he fell out with too many people.

I'd say he'd be ideal for our u-21 side, but I doubt it will happen any time soon.

he should get a job handily enough i would think, either in the danish league or maybe with someone like iceland or finland. finland might be a good one for him. it's likely he'll do two more years with the faroes though.

we'll probably get them in the euro 2012 draw now.

[SuperDave]

Faroe Islands due to be FIFA ranking highest movers this month - up 41 places in total.

I wonder if there's an award for that.

No, there's not. There used to be one for top annual mover but they got rid of it a few years back.

Faroes are still going to be bottom seeds.... though this campaign has been good for them, previous campaigns cost them.

Their last campaign (0/0/12/4/43) is what is dragging them down. This campaign (1/1/8/5/20) has been much better and was good enough that if rankings were done based on these qualifiers alone they would be fifth seeds not sixth seeds.