The Big Question?

[Reality Bites]

If we fail to qualify should Kerr be sacked?

In my opinion yes he has achieved nothing, he has not got one result worth mentioning..

Sack Kerr ,bring in Martin O'Neill , a manager that can get the most out of average players

[zinedineontour]

0-0 in paris aint half bad ..... dont think he should be sacked no would like to give him another campaign and people shouldnt write us off yet ....

[Cosmo]

He deserves another campaign regardless of where we finish at the end of this one.

[dublinred]

He is working with donkeys thought we outplayed France last night and went down to a piece of magic from Henry poor finsihing has cost us yet again 3 great vhances in the first half and did not take them , Frnace had 2 chances one was a fantastic save from given and the other was a goal.

[Colm55]

If we do not qualify, I'd vote to keep him on as manager, He got a lot of tactics right (some not so) last night especially in curbing the french attack, defense and midfield were sound.. we created good chances but we need a john aldridge type to pounce on anything in 18 yrd box, I like him as a manager, keep him on...

[DruggyDrog]

Nobody else, not even Martin O'neill, could get any more from what we have. My only criticism is that he is very defensive, home and away. We only lost 1-0 last night, and drew with them 0-0 away, against a team loaded with world class players. We have none. Not one. An ageing, slow, cautious, shadow-of-former-self Roy Keane is still our best player. He still looks like he's capable at this level purely becuase of the average players around him. And we still had a few half chances, we restricted them to 2 half chances, one of which was taken by a world class player. If we had any of those players we could hope for some of those moments, but we don't. Leave Kerr where he is.

[Drumcondra Red]

Firstly YES!!! We only lost 1-0? We still lost! 0-0 in Paris should've been a win, Irish fans are far too understanding! France are a very ordinary team who are easily beatable and tbh, it doesn't look good for qualification!!!

[padzer]

I think he has to go if we dont qualify. His substitutions baffle me sometimes and who have we beaten in competitive games since he took over? Georgia, Albania, Faroes and Cyprus. Hardly heavyweights in world football. I still think we have a great chance of progressing, via the playoffs, because over two legs i think we could beat anyone.

[macdermesser]

Well .. I'd like to add my support to Kerr as well. The Israel results were two freak results .. hardly can be used as ammunition to kick him out of his job. Give the man a chance. What he did at pats .. in the 80's and 90's and the Irish youth teams probably makes him the greatest ever Irish manager. Martin O neill is not going to take the job ... and besides him, who else .. Kinnear, Troussier, Schaefer .. mouth watering prospects indeed.

[tonycuna]

I really don't know.
Maybe this team is better than the 2002WC one, so Kerr is doing less than McC side. And I don't want to see keep him, but sack him at the middle of new qualif campaign with less chances to qualify for euro08, as was for Mick-->Kerr during the euro04 qualif. :confused:
At the other hand, I like the passion of Brian, I think he deserves another campaign and I like the way he drives this team.
If we'll not go to germany, I want to see how we'll not go. If it'll be by goal difference and things like that, ok, keep him. But if we'll lose points between Cyprus and Switz, I will be really sorry in my heart when I'll think "we need a change" :(

[DruggyDrog]

Irish fans are not far too understanding, but they are seriously misguided about the ability of out squad. We have NO player who would got into the French team last night. We have a dirt poor squad, with dirt poor players. Our only half decent player is about 2 and a half years past it, and all the rest are hyped up beyond recognition. We are, as usual, achieving far more than we ought to, and that is not much. We won't qualify, we won't come close to it, and we should never really have expected to. Worst Irish side of last 20 years.

[monutdfc]

NO!
McCarthy failed to qualify at his first 2 attempts (admittedly, he was working with less) and was given the time. Kerr deserves the same chance.

In the end we qualified for Japan/Korea thanks largely to a win over Holland where we rode our luck. Last night's perfromance was, in my opinion (note: my opinion) better than the one against Holland.

[thejollyrodger]

Firstly YES!!! We only lost 1-0? We still lost! 0-0 in Paris should've been a win, Irish fans are far too understanding! France are a very ordinary team who are easily beatable and tbh, it doesn't look good for qualification!!!


the same could be said about us. were a extremely average team

[pete]

Kerrs contract finishes after this qualifying campaign.

I have mixed opinions on his ability but I feel he got the tactics correct last night & was bold team selection. I really don't see what other options he could have taken last night as no attacking options on the bench. Its not as if hes omitting other players from the squad either.

Given the manner the FAI normally conduct their activities i think it may be difficult for them to renew his contract if we don't qualify.

[drinkfeckarse]

I'd give him another campaign but if they sacked him, I'd like to see Martin O'Neill get the job.

[redgav]

get rid - the sooner the better and take that gobsh!te Givens with him too

He built his reputation on youth and as soon as he gets in the hotseat he ignores it
His substitutions are terrible ...against isreal ....replacing keane with a defensive midfielder handing the ipmutous to isreal and then to compound matters he changes back to the original formation in the 2nd half
Last night was ridicules-we are chasing a game and the best he can conme up with is lump the ball up to Gary "free out" doherty and harte !!!!! hardly going to get creativity from keane and O'shea in the middle like

[DruggyDrog]

Well give us the alternatives, oh mighty one. A manager can only manage the players he has, and we don't have any!

[Bluebeard]

Well, if he does go, we do have the biggest personality in Irish football ready to take over.

Pat Dolan - manager of the Republic of Ireland. It has a kind of ring to it, doesn't it ;)

[youngirish]

Our current crop of players are better than what McCarthy took us to the world cup with so he should be given the bullet. We haven't had one good competitive result since he took over (the 0 - 0 in Paris was against a fairly weak French team).

[colster]

Our current crop of players are better than what McCarthy took us to the world cup with so he should be given the bullet. We haven't had one good competitive result since he took over (the 0 - 0 in Paris was against a fairly weak French team).

McCarthy had a better central midfield partnership (keane + Kinsella/holland), a tall striker to play the long ball game and a more experienced team overall.

Kerr hasn't done anything bad. It's the players. Kerr hasn't played them in funny formations or stupid positions ala McCarthy, 352, Keane as sweeper, Kennedy in a free role.
Kerr has played the strongest lineup in the strongest formation in most of the games.

The problem with this team is the centre of midfield. Kilbane was found out last night. He didn't pass the ball at all last night and was partly the reason why Duff never got into the game.
Keane is no longer the driving midfielder that he once was.

I don't see how replacing Kerr is going to get anymore out of the team.

[tonycuna]

Yes, Kilbane-Roy is not the best partnership, but in my opinion the huge lack is the absence of a tall forward like Niall Quinn :( (and this isn't a BK mistake..)

[Kevin77]

McCarthy had a better central midfield partnership (keane + Kinsella/holland), a tall striker to play the long ball game and a more experienced team overall.

Kerr hasn't done anything bad. It's the players. Kerr hasn't played them in funny formations or stupid positions ala McCarthy, 352, Keane as sweeper, Kennedy in a free role.
Kerr has played the strongest lineup in the strongest formation in most of the games.

The problem with this team is the centre of midfield. Kilbane was found out last night. He didn't pass the ball at all last night and was partly the reason why Duff never got into the game.
Keane is no longer the driving midfielder that he once was.

I don't see how replacing Kerr is going to get anymore out of the team.


Agree with you 100 %. Kilbane is fine against weakened sides (ala France in Paris) and weaker teams in general, but he's not even up to Premiership standard in terms of being a composed central midfielder. Keane (whilst fantastic defensively) can only do one part of his job and cant now bomb forward and drive the team on like he was able to do until a couple of years ago.

We have been spoilt for as long as I've been alive for central midfielders (Brady, Mc Grath, Lawrenson, Whelan, Townsend, Keane to name a few), but we are now at the stage where our realistic options are:

Keane - still good, but this will be his last campaign\
Kilbane - plays out wide for Everton - nothing more than a workhorse
Holland - an average Premiership central midfielder
Kavanagh - a journeyman professional that has reached the Permiership too late

If we had another central midfielder like those listed above (from the past, ie. Whelan) to play alongside Keane we would be in a better position.

As for last night, Given was world class. The defense were fine (not sure how we'll deal with the loss of Cunningham). Dunne was fantastic and definitely gives us hope. Duff was quiet compared to what we expect from him. Andy Reid did enough without being great. Kilbane was very poor. Keane was great, but had too much to do. Morrison did a reasonable job, but you cant help but feel that a top class finisher might have put away the half chance he clipped just wide. Robbie Keane looked very far off the pace...(was it a result of a Friday night on the beer or an extended break for Spurs?).

My biggest concern was Kerr's substitution and in particular bringing on Gary Doherty. Why? He couldn't get a game upfront for Norwich last season, even off the bench. It was a cop out and an admission that we'd run out of ideas.

In my opinion, Robbie Keane should have been withdrawn around 60 - 65 mins as he was having a negative impact (ie. every time we passed to him he lost the ball or his marker beat him to it, hence we had less options) and Elliot should have been introduced. At least he would have been lively and may have poached something.

Gary Doherty is an extrememly poor imitation of what used to work (at times) for Ireland. Just because he is reasonable in the air and has nicked goals against terrible opposition, does not mean that he's a tactical solution in such a big match.

I can't really argue with bringing on Harte as we needed to get Kilbane off. Maybe Stephen Reid might have been more dynamic than O'Shea...plus he is now playing regularly for his club in central midfield.

In fairness to Kerr though, his options are very limited at best. Outside of the starting XI, he doesn't have a player who can come on and pull a trick.

I really don't know whether he is the right man for the job. We were unlucky yesterday. But I think throwing away the points in Israel and again at home to Israel (where he went negative after Robbie Keane came off) is probably where the real damage was done

[NeilMcD]

I was a big supporter of kerr before he got the job and I still think he can do the job but here is a few points. I think the type of game that he wants us to play is very tactical and I am not too sure if that plays to our virtues. There are only a few players on our team thjat can play like that, Finna, Keane, Reid, Cunningham, Duff. I think the bottom line is if we finish outside the top 2, he should go and I think he will. If we qualify he will stay on and if we go out in a play of thats where it becomes a fifty fifty call in my view.

I think Martin O Neill would be a great move if Kerr went after but my preference is that we qualify via the playoffs with a good away performance and a great night in Lansdowne. and Kerrs leads us to the World Cup.

[colster]

Agree with you 100 %. Kilbane is fine against weakened sides (ala France in Paris) and weaker teams in general, but he's not even up to Premiership standard in terms of being a composed central midfielder. Keane (whilst fantastic defensively) can only do one part of his job and cant now bomb forward and drive the team on like he was able to do until a couple of years ago.

We have been spoilt for as long as I've been alive for central midfielders (Brady, Mc Grath, Lawrenson, Whelan, Townsend, Keane to name a few), but we are now at the stage where our realistic options are:

Keane - still good, but this will be his last campaign\
Kilbane - plays out wide for Everton - nothing more than a workhorse
Holland - an average Premiership central midfielder
Kavanagh - a journeyman professional that has reached the Permiership too late

If we had another central midfielder like those listed above (from the past, ie. Whelan) to play alongside Keane we would be in a better position.


I agree we've nearly always had one great CM to hand the baton onto the other.
I think if we had a Ronnie Whelan now we'd be in a great position.

[Stuttgart88]

Our central midfield creates little & is merely a vehicle to get the ball wide, which is where our strengths are. It's a major deficiency in our game which we couldn't overcome last night. We get too few goals from outside the box.

If only Liam Miller could have maintained his Lyon & Anderlecht form from 2 years ago. That's what's really missing.

[Roverstillidie]

If only Liam Miller could have maintained his Lyon & Anderlecht form from 2 years ago. That's what's really missing.

is that code for him moving to manure for a few extra quid being a disaster?

[Stuttgart88]

is that code for him moving to manure for a few extra quid being a disaster?

It's not code for anything other than I wish Liam Miller turned out to be the player I hoped he'd be 2 years ago! I've never needed to disguise my belief that the MUFC move was a terrible decision.

[monutdfc]

Great post Kevin77, I'd agree with pretty much all of that.
Except that I am 100% in favour of Kerr. Yes, he has made mistakes, as outlined in this thread. McCarthy made mistakes in his first and second campaigns too. He learned on the job and that experience helped him later on. Kerr is surely learning too and will not make the same mistakes again one would hope.

[colster]

Yes, and after Keane retires, things may look even grimer in that department. I don't fancy a Kilbane-Holland partnership. What a pity about Miller, Healy, etc.

Holland might retire too!!

I think we have a few central midfielders coming up

Glenn Whelan at Sheff Wed
Darren Potter at Liverpool
Joey O'Brien at Bolton.
Garvan at Ipswich.

We should look at getting them involved in some friendlies.
A few that could be tried there

O'Shea,
C. Healy
Miller
S.Reid
A.Quinn

I think we should look at how to getting Andy Reid in a more central role. I think he has good vision and range of passing and also is capable of scoring from outside the box.

After this WC regardless of whether we get through or not we should give the manager the licence to build for the next one. If that means we don't do much in the EC Qualification then so be it.

[Stuttgart88]

Except that I am 100% in favour of Kerr. Yes, he has made mistakes, as outlined in this thread. McCarthy made mistakes in his first and second campaigns too. He learned on the job and that experience helped him later on. Kerr is surely learning too and will not make the same mistakes again one would hope.
I've tried to draw a response on this question in the past but nobody has offered an opinion: surely it's not all about Kerr? In Chris Hughton he has an extremely highly qualified deputy (one of only a handful of UEFA Super Licensed coaches working in the UK), with experience of playing at this level. Hughton also works for Jol who seems to be a pretty progressive coach.

(a) why can't Hughton share some of the flak and (b) does he have any infuence in tactics / selections / substitutions?

I'd only get rid of Kerr if an obviously better candidate was available. Martin O'Neill probably fits the bill but it's hard to think of anyone else. I'd have Kerr over the Peter Reids and Bryan Robsons of this world any day. I'd like to think he'll recover from his errors too but one thing is against him in my view - I don't think he's very lucky! Domenech did exactly what we'd have slated Kerr for doing last night by subbing Zizou and Henry straight after the goal.

[Reality Bites]

Kerr is like McCarthy was for the WC 98 campaign, a trainee manger learning the ropes.. why can't we just get the right man for the right job at the right time, forget this trail period, its costing us places in major championships for ****sake.

[Kingdom]

I'd like to think he'll recover from his errors too but one thing is against him in my view - I don't think he's very lucky! Domenech did exactly what we'd have slated Kerr for doing last night by subbing Zizou and Henry straight after the goal.


Excellent point and one that not many have responded too either.

[superfrank]

Poll, poll, poll!!

Should he stay or go??

I think the only realistic replacement is David Leary. But I think he deserves more time.

[Kingdom]

I was thinking about this all the way home last night. Should he stay/go? Will he have his contract renewed etc?

The thing about last nights match was that no other manager would have got a different result with the players available. What could have been done differently? Not a lot in my opinion.

For this reason I would like to see him have another campaign. As others have pointed out there aren't many people around who we'd be happy with, especially if the last bunch of applicants are anything to go by. It's not our way to go sacking managers when we don't qualify for Championships either.

In my opinion there is a big need for rebuilding (both in terms of tactics and personnel) after this campaign. Centre midfield will need to be looked at as RMK won't be there, Holland may not be around and Kav would not be the way forward in terms of the future.

Something that is annoying me is the unbalanced look to our team. We simply do not get the ball wide enough further up the right hand side of the field. This is not a criticism of Andy Reid, he did ok last night(his set-pieces were atrocious but thats another matter), but he is not the solution to our problems on the right- it only adds to them.

I think some big decisions need to be made. If we stick to 4-4-2, then its a case of picking the best players for those positions, which would mean that someone like Reid or John O'Shea would lose out, rather than picking our best 11 players and making them play out of position.
The other option is to pick the best 11 players and formulate a formation which suits those players and the teams interests best.
For example, last night we picked Andy Reid on the right hand side which I don't believe is a solution. Do we sacrifice a striker in allowing Andy Reid/Damien Duff to have a floating attacking role??
Keane and Morrison were brutal up front last night. Absolutely muck. But where are the alternatives? When Doherty came on the French back looked under even less pressure. The only reason I can see for having Morrison up front is for the long ball option. Surely Elliot is just as good in link up play or in the box as Clinton.

Going back to centre midfield. It is inevitable that RMK will quit.
Here are the options: Kilbane, Holland, Kav, O'Shea, Miller, Alan Quinn, Steven Reid, Andy Reid.
Then there are the youngsters, Glenn Whelan and Potter , perhaps even Joey O'Brien.
If we fail to qualify then the friendlies that we would play would have to be used to test out pur options in midfield. I have liked Alan Quinn when he has played for us and he has done nothing wrong. I don't think Kav is the way forward for us and tbh neither is Holland. KK was poor last night and perhaps will signal the end of his midfield days as his ball retention was disgraceful for a EPL player. He has done well for us in the past and I like him, but perhaps we could try him at left back.

Early days but a combination of Alan Quinn, Steven Reid or Andy Reid for the Summer friendlies wouldn't be too much to ask for would it?

Also why are we so poor around set pieces? Corners, free kicks, even throw ins, we show little invention. It really grates.

[brine3]

Kavanagh is great at taking corners and set pieces. I would have picked him ahead of Kilbane last night.

[Closed Account 2]

^ me too, but he's a bit short of match practice at the moment.

Im big fan of Kav though and think he's a very underrated player aggressive, committed, never gives up and never afraid to mix it up a bit. As you say he's got a good pass on him and a crisp shot, pity he's so old. But I think he can do the job for Euro 2008 qualification.

[diogoSanchez05]

ya he has to go if we don't qualify.
he's too cautious as a manager. Its ok playing cautiously with u 18 teams but
when it comes to senior international standard, you have to set the team up right with a balance between defence/attack

[Tony Montana]

I think if we had a Ronnie Whelan now we'd be in a great position.

Don't know about that...saw him on the box the other night,he's a bit rough around the edges! :D

[harps1954]

If we don't qualify, I agree it's time for Kerr to go. I have always felt that he has been out of his depth at this level. I am not taking away from what he has done with under-age teams over the years, he has worked miracles considering the size of our country.

But in every one of the big games under his guidance at senior level we have failed to deliver. We led against Russia at Lansdowne in the Euro qualifiers only to concede an equaliser. A victory in this game would have seen us guaranteed a play-off spot. We then went to Switzerland, and the least said about that game the better. In these World Cup qualifers, we have led against Switzerland (away) and Israel twice, and still didn't pick up the full three points once. Against the French away we got what we would all have been happy with before the game and no-one can doubt that this was certainly a point gained. Last night, we were unlucky, but last night isn't the game that will cost us qualification - it'll be the games against Switzerland and Israel.

Time for Kerr to go if we don't qualify - I think so.

People say that McCarthy was given three campaigns to get it right - which is correct. But on each of the occassions that we failed to qualify for a Championship under McCarthy, we at least made the play-offs. Under Kerr, in two campaigns, that might not even happen. McCarthy remember had to build a team during his stint as Manager, Kerr has bascially only added Andy Reid (and to some extent Clinton Morrision) to the team which he inheriated from McCarthy. Finally, people also say that this is Kerr's 'first real campaign' as our failure to qualify for the last Euro Championships was down to McCarthy. As I said above, a victory over Russia at Lansdowne (under Kerr) would have qualified us for the play-offs. We threw away a one-nil lead that day - that wasn't McCarthy's fault now, was it.

[jbyrne]

theres no getting away from the fact that we just dont have the players at the moment and thats not kerrs fault. i shudder to think at who the fai would appoint instead of him....... wasnt brian robson the preffered canditate for some the last time... enough said!

[Qwerty]

So now our players are crap? Keane sucks? They're donkeys? We have players that are as good as the Swiss and Israelis - better really I'm sure you'll admit, finishing less than second in this group is a firing offence. We have a team made up of premiership players which is one of the strongest leagues in the world, what more do you want?

The last campaign ended with key games against Russia and the Swiss, we all know what happened. This time it is Cyprus and the Swiss, an easier challenge to be sure - if Kerr cannot get 6 points there is no way he can stay, somebody needs to carry the can.

Also you can't compare Kerr and McCarthy - the FAI decided to install a managerial rookie in McCarthy, who began with a very very weak squad. Kerr has been in management for 25 years before he took on the Ireland job. Anyway I'm a Charlton man, I know the football wasn't always great but he has still to be bettered and that is a fact. Euro 88 and Italia 90 were great events which will live long in the memory.

[lopez]

Some good points from all here but two things swing it for me.


...People say that McCarthy was given three campaigns to get it right - which is correct. But on each of the occassions that we failed to qualify for a Championship under McCarthy, we at least made the play-offs...


So now our players are crap? Keane sucks? They're donkeys? We have players that are as good as the Swiss and Israelis - better really I'm sure you'll admit...We have a team made up of premiership players which is one of the strongest leagues in the world, what more do you want?...if Kerr cannot get 6 points there is no way he can stay, somebody needs to carry the can.

If there is no play-off spot at least, he has to go (go back to what he was doing brilliantly which is the under-age section). He seems totally out of his depth here with a team that is hardly in the period of 'reconstruction.' The FAI handed the poison chalice of Charlton to McCarthy ten years ago. Nobody wanted it then (Remember Joe Kinnear hoping that McCarthy would fail in two to four years and he'd walk in for a Golden pension?)

Keane aside, the side that was left by McCarthy was just flaky from the inevitability of a manager that has stayed too long with the team (Please God cue same for the rampant Swede of Soho). A decent manager with good back up (Kerr and Hughton at the front here) should have been employed. Instead the FAI went for a manager who has had no dealings with senior players at such a high level, perhaps because it left enough behind in the Merrion Mansions buiscuit tin for the Xmas pub crawl. Hope I'm wrong, but it's three years wasted IMO.

[Stuttgart88]

Very simple but yet absolutely right article in the Guardian today (not from our friend paul Doyle!). Jon Brodkin - I presume he's English so is less emotionally attached than us:

The Republic of Ireland's home defeat by France was met with defiance. "It is not over yet, definitely not," said the goalkeeper Shay Given. "We are looking to get six points from the last two games and that will give us a chance." This is true but nothing achieved under Brian Kerr suggests it will happen.
For all the positive results in friendlies, including victories over the Czech Republic, Portugal and Holland, Kerr's Ireland have yet to beat one of Europe's middle- or upper-ranked sides in a competitive match. To stand a hope of going to the World Cup, realistically via a play-off, that will have to change at home to Switzerland next month.

Assuming Ireland first win in Cyprus - and nothing can be taken for granted, especially with Roy Keane, Clinton Morrison and Andy Reid suspended -what of Switzerland's visit?
Kerr's record in seven qualifiers against the Swiss, Russia, Israel and France reads five draws and two defeats. Ireland possess the talent to beat an unexceptional Swiss team but the same was true against Israel. Four points dropped against them from winning positions must haunt the manager.

Kerr may not be under the same pressure as Sven-Goran Eriksson but in some ways his situation is more precarious. His contract runs only to the end of this campaign and is unlikely to be renewed without a World Cup place. He could not rescue a Euro 2004 campaign that began awfully under Mick McCarthy.

Losing to France was no disgrace and aspects of the display were good but at best Ireland are treading water. France's coach Raymond Domenech called them "predictable" and they certainly lack ingenuity to complement their undoubted energy.

With Damien Duff double-marked and Robbie Keane quiet, they made few chances. Keane's peripheral role at Tottenham can hardly be helping.

[Tram_14]

I've just heard on Newstalk that the FAI have announced that if Brian Kerr doesn't qualify ireland for the World Cup they will approach Martin O' Neill. I am livid about this. Just when we have the two most important games coming up, the FAI show that they have no confidence in Kerr. I can't believe the stupidity of this move, if there is a wrong thing to do the FAI will do it......Let me see.... how can we make an already difficult situation even more difficult........Mmmm...I know!!. What do they think this will achieve? I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, there's nothing on the FAI wesbsite.

It's one thing if they have made this known to Kerr privately (I doubted, as this would be a form of communication), its another making it known publicly.

BTW: I have the faith that Brian Kerr will qualify us for WC & totally agree with Stuttgart88's article below "Losing to France was no disgrace".

[Lim till i die]

Brian Kerr has to go if we don't qualify for the World Cup. In fact I wouldn't mind if he did the decent thing and resigned now. On wednesday night the man once again made his complete tactical ineptitude apparent for all to see. Just what exactly was the gameplan, pray tell :confused:

Also with regards to Martin O'Neill I don't thimk he'd touch the Ireland job with a barge pole, the man has far too much ambition and should hold out for a top premiership side

[Tram_14]

Brian Kerr has to go if we don't qualify for the World Cup. In fact I wouldn't mind if he did the decent thing and resigned now. On wednesday night the man once again made his complete tactical ineptitude apparent for all to see. Just what exactly was the gameplan, pray tell

What would be the point of Brian Kerr leaving now? With only two games to go & still a possibility of qualifying? Give the man his full term. If we don't qualify there is something to discuss then.

Did you have a better gameplan for the France game?

(sorry about the double thread mod)

[tetsujin1979]

Also with regards to Martin O'Neill I don't thimk he'd touch the Ireland job with a barge pole, the man has far too much ambition and should hold out for a top premiership side
He won't go back into club football until his wife is healthy enough that he can be away from her for the amount of time a job like that would entail, which is why international football could be a happy medium (tournaments aside) he would be able to spend the majority of every month with her.

For the FAI to even mention another manager by name is pretty insulting, they should be coming out and backing their man to the last. If he fails to qualify then fine, he doesn't deserve a new contract, otherwise he's the man in the job and should be supported.

[Donal81]

I've never liked calling for heads after one game. All this talk of our donkeys of players and our amateurish manager will simply disappear if we qualify for the World Cup. Have some patience and perspective, he's had one real campaign and hasn't had a whole load of luck. Where will it get us if we go sacking managers each time we fail to qualify for a tournament?

Yes, the games against Israel and away to Switzerland were disappointing in the extreme and those games, especially the Israeli games, have cost us very dearly. But against France, what did he do wrong? A friend of mine texted me after the game saying that Kerr had been exposed as an Eircom League manager who's out of his depth. His evidence was that Docherty and Harte was the plan B. Fair enough but we hadn't done a thing between Andy Reid, Duff, Keane, Keane and Morrison so what option did he have? Another friend said he should have had Elliot on from the 60th minute. Would that really have made a difference?

Kerr has made his mistakes but let's not put all the blame on his shoulders: some of the players just aren't international class and that's not his fault. He has to take some responsibility for the standard of free-kicks but if players decide to hoof the ball into the crowd instead of placing it in the box, he can't do much about that.

Nor is it his fault that the FAI won't invest properly in youth players and we don't have a rich generation of players coming through although there is a lot of talent there.

Give him another campaign, definitely.