Brian Kerr...

[BobbySands]

I think Brian Kerr deserves 100% support for the remainder of the World cup qualifiers and should be the man to lead us to the European qualifiers.

The man has dedicated a lifetime to Irish football and is one of those responsible for the youth system that has produced a series of excellent players and has raised expectations.

If the FAI are responsible for the whispering campaign that is going on in certain sections of the meeja the board should be sacked immediately.

[Cowboy]

I second

[paul_oshea]

fair play bobby i beleive we need to get 100% behind the team and kerr, lets just wait till after the qualifiers before we decide anymore though...

[tiktok]

I think Brian Kerr deserves 100% support for the remainder of the World cup qualifiers and should be the man to lead us to the European qualifiers.

I agree completely with the first part of the statement.

If we make the WC or playoffs I'll agree with the second part of it.

[paul_oshea]

that board should be sacked anyhow, but who sacks a board??? they cant and wont sack themselves....

[mjpcc]

Deja Vu ............

Totally agree that he should be supported 100% through the remainder of WC2006 qualifiers and playoffs if we reach them.

This smear campaign is absolutely disgraceful. The FAI should issue a strong statement supporting their manager and team and outlining when a decision will be made on renewing his contract.

The gutter press are just trying to stir things up in a most disgusting manner, seemingly with the connivance of FAI .

Thank God the boys are playing away this week so they can get away from rthis sh*te and concentrate on the game on Saturday.

Come on you boys in green.

[colster]

I completely agree. It's time to give the man the backing he and the team deserve.

[wallis]

Very simple. For those of you heading to Cyprus - give your tonsils four days of intensive gargling and massage , get your hands above your heads and applaud and cheer that man and his team until you can speak no more as they walk out onto that Cypriot pitch. Show them that as supporters of Ireland we dont care for media speculation and their attempts to run down our national team during their most important period in 18 months.

I cant make Cyprus and will have to be content with an afternoon in my local Irish club - I will do my bit at Lansdowne on the Wednesday.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I agree completely with the first part of the statement.

If we make the WC or playoffs I'll agree with the second part of it.

ditto

[Dodge]

Everyone involved with the FAI in an official or executive capacity is a complete me feiner and not one single one of them has the good of Irish football at heart.

Brian Kerr has done more for Irish football than anyone. I hope he resigns and goes back to his roots :)

[ccfcgirl]

Im going to Cyprus for the game ,and Im going to get behind the Irish team 100 percent .

[thejollyrodger]

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THIS MESSAGE OF SUPPORT !!

Delaney muppet watch out !!

[Cosmo]

I think Brian Kerr deserves 100% support for the remainder of the World cup qualifiers and should be the man to lead us to the European qualifiers.

The man has dedicated a lifetime to Irish football and is one of those responsible for the youth system that has produced a series of excellent players and has raised expectations.

If the FAI are responsible for the whispering campaign that is going on in certain sections of the meeja the board should be sacked immediately.

Top post

[Baker]

Great Post! :)

The week before such huge games all the talk should be about possible line ups and formations, not who the next manager should be.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Kerr as a manager he has been treated disgracefully recently. If this really is the result of a whispering campaign from the FAI then they are even lower than I had thought. It seems that there are people happy to sacrifice the World Cup in order to get a new man in. It would be naive to think that the players do not also feel the extra pressure that these stories create.

I would urge everyone going to the Cyprus and/or Swiss games to suppport the team like never before and let them know they have our full support.

I have no doubt Kerr and every other international team manager knows that his performance to date will be analysed, and future decided at the end of this World Cup campaign, be it tomorrow week, the play-offs or after the final in Berlin! :D

However until then the most important thing is trying get to Germany!

[OwlsFan]

Everyone involved with the FAI in an official or executive capacity is a complete me feiner and not one single one of them has the good of Irish football at heart.

Don't you just love these sweeping statements :mad: . Here is the make up of the FAI Board: The Board of Management will comprise of ten members, down from 23, and will be made up of the Honorary Secretary, President, Honorary Treasurer, Chief Executive, and the six chairpersons of the Development, International, Domestic, eircom League, Legal/Corporate and Underage committees. The Finance committee will be represented by the Honorary Treasurer rather than selecting a chairperson.

So they're all "me feiners", even those representing the Eircom League, Development and Underage committees and don't care about Irish football. I bet most of these people have devoted more unpaid time to Irish football in a week than you've given in a lifetime.

I agree that this "get Kerr" to fill up the pages of the newsrags should be ignored until this campaign is done and dusted. If we qualify be prepared to read stomach churning stuff exactly the other way by the same people.

[Tram_14]

Very simple. For those of you heading to Cyprus - give your tonsils four days of intensive gargling and massage , get your hands above your heads and applaud and cheer that man and his team until you can speak no more as they walk out onto that Cypriot pitch. Show them that as supporters of Ireland we dont care for media speculation and their attempts to run down our national team during their most important period in 18 months.

I believe as supporters this is the BEST & probably the only real way to support Brian Kerr, I'm sure the media will be watching how the fans will be reacting on Saturday too. Sing as loud as you can.

[mypost]

This smear campaign is absolutely disgraceful. The FAI should issue a strong statement supporting their manager and team and outlining when a decision will be made on renewing his contract.

The gutter press are just trying to stir things up in a most disgusting manner, seemingly with the connivance of FAI.

While not backing the FAI, you can understand why there are rumours of a "smear campaign". As Kerr has clearly shown that he is not up to the job in recent matches, it is no surprise that there is talk of a smear campaign.

Because of the "ah sure, we don't need to win" crap of the last few games, we now find ourselves in a "win or bust" situation in the remaining games. With 4 key players absent, and needing to win away from home to stay in the World Cup, something that we're not very good at, I feel the game will finish 1-1 in Cyprus.

We all know what that means.

[Tram_14]

While not backing the FAI, you can understand why there are rumours of a "smear campaign". As Kerr has clearly shown that he is not up to the job in recent matches, it is no surprise that there is talk of a smear campaign.

Because of the "ah sure, we don't need to win" crap of the last few games, we now find ourselves in a "win or bust" situation in the remaining games. With 4 key players absent, and needing to win away from home to stay in the World Cup, something that we're not very good at, I feel the game will finish 1-1 in Cyprus.

We all know what that means.


This thread is a support thread for Brian Kerr, how about something postitive?

[eirebhoy]

This thread is a support thread for Brian Kerr, how about something postitive?
Search his posts, he doesn't no the meaning of the word. :)

[mypost]

This thread is a support thread for Brian Kerr, how about something postitive?

Well, you can have two choices, either realistic assessment, or a load of rubbish. And a load of rubbish is not going to keep BK in a job beyond next week.

[beautifulrock]

BK has my full support, all i see in todays papers is Bryan Robsons name as a viable alternative.......that can only be considered a very bad joke

[Tram_14]

1-1 in Cyprus.

You are off the mark there, personally I don't think thats a realistic assessment. I'd prefer to be positive at least untill these games are over. There is NOTHING gained in knocking the manager now.

[mypost]

You are off the mark there, personally I don't think thats a realistic assessment. I'd prefer to be positive at least untill these games are over. There is NOTHING gained in knocking the manager now.

You know the usual story against Cyprus; BK spends the week drooling over the opposition's "qualities" :rolleyes: ...we have key players missing...they have nothing to lose...we score first...then defend...then throw the lead away. We can't score again...final whistle goes... we're out.

I haven't just started knocking BK, I've been doing it since he, (and it was he alone who), threw 4 points away against Israel, and I have seen nothing in the games since then, to suggest that that damage and the other advantages thrown away, will be repaired. That's what the FAI are probably thinking too.

The English Sun reported today, that Roy Keane could be our next coach for the Austria/Switzerland qualifiers, as player-boss. Unlikely, but a better prospect than Brian Robson.

[CollegeTillIDie]

You know the usual story against Cyprus; BK spends the week drooling over the opposition's "qualities" :rolleyes: ...we have key players missing...they have nothing to lose...we score first...then defend...then throw the lead away. We can't score again...final whistle goes... we're out.

I haven't just started knocking BK, I've been doing it since he, (and it was he alone who), threw 4 points away against Israel, and I have seen nothing in the games since then, to suggest that that damage and the other advantages thrown away, will be repaired. That's what the FAI are probably thinking too.

The English Sun reported today, that Roy Keane could be our next coach for the Austria/Switzerland qualifiers, as player-boss. Unlikely, but a better prospect than Brian Robson.

If people adopt the attitude of the Independent group of newspapers then their reports will become self-fulfilling prophesies. Support BK and the team especially when those of you with tickets for the Swiss game get to Lansdowne Road. Because failure to pick up 6 points in these games will see Ireland missing the play-off boat entirely.

[TonyD]

It looks to me like John Delaney has decided he wants Kerr out, which to my mind is a disgrace in the middle of a qualifying campaign. Remember Delaney is the man who wanted to give the job to Bryan Robson:eek: . The journalists haven't been much better. Paul Hyland in the Herald is a particularly bad offender, everything that guy writes should come with a bul****t warning. Cathal Dervan is complete poison as well. He's never gotten over the fact that his "mate" Mick McCarthy walked the plank. Seemingly Kerr wouldn't talk to the media this evening, serves them right.

[tetsujin1979]

Acording to NewsTalk 106, he just stayed and answered a few questions, then Paddy Kenny and Kevin Doyle came out to answer questions. This did seem to cause dismay in the journalists, as the 2 lads would be considered fringe players, and not someone they wanted to ask questions of. I'd be shocked if any of the main players in the squad speak to the media before saturday.

[Qwerty]

I fully support BK and hope he gets us to the WC, as people have said he has worked tirelessly down the years for Irish football. My expectations of the print media is low, so nothing there surprises me. Funny old week what with Stevie Ireland saying he would never play under Kerr, you gotta laugh at the timing. :D

[dr_peepee]

The FAI's handling of the whole lot has been wrong.... That said I think they're right not to offer him a contract just yet. They were slated after giving McCarthy the contract before the Macedonia game.

Of course I support him, but he was hired to do a job and he hasn't done it yet.

[wallis]

Its good to see BK and the players treat the media with contempt. Why should they come out and give an open press conference when the people in front of them are stabbing them in the back.

As for those members of the FAI who are clearly sending out these 'rumours' to the press - the best support they could give is inside one of the concrete pillars of the new stadium !

[hoops1]

While everyone wants Ireland to win against Cyprus at this moment I
must agree with mypost that the game will finish 1-1.
In fairness the media have given Kerr a very easy ride so far.
Mainly because he is a decent football man with a long history
in the Irish game.
If it was M McCarthy or an Englishman managing at the moment
that had made as many errors as Kerr the media would have savaged him
by now.

[colster]

While everyone wants Ireland to win against Cyprus at this moment I
must agree with mypost that the game will finish 1-1.
In fairness the media have given Kerr a very easy ride so far.
Mainly because he is a decent football man with a long history
in the Irish game.
If it was M McCarthy or an Englishman managing at the moment
that had made as many errors as Kerr the media would have savaged him
by now.

What errors has he made exactly?

[hoops1]

Both Israel results while winning one nil over there
trying to hold on rather than take the game to them.
And while winning 2-0 at home bringing Kavanagh on for Keane
when Keane was injured trying to stitch the game up which backfired.
His general attitude has been dont worry we are doing ok sure havent we the French and
Swiss still to play at home, which is amazingly naieve for a man of his experience.And in general an over cautious/negative approach to every game.

[Macy]

Remember Delaney is the man who wanted to give the job to Bryan Robson
This is what should be remembered. The main man in the FAI never wanted Kerr in the first place and was out voted on the interview panel. What a shock he's spinning against Kerr now, and throwing his choice back in the arena... :rolleyes:

More's the pity there's so many muppets willing to lap it up, as obviously need someone with an English accent to be a good Ireland manager. :rolleyes:

[Donal81]

Whatever the result of these qualifiers, getting rid of Kerr now would be a bad idea. This is his first proper campaign, he's made his mistakes but should a manager be sacked from his job because of a few mistakes? McCarthy made mistakes, Charlton made mistakes, Hand made mistakes, Giles made mistakes, all were given time to grow into the job. McCarthy took over in 1996 and didn't qualify for ANY competition for a further six years. This team is lacking in a few areas, which is not necessarily Kerr's fault.

For the first time in my memory, we have a management that is schooled in Irish football and whereas we once had Maurice Setters or Ian Evans, we now have Noel O'Reilly and Chris Hughton.

This knee-jerk reaction to a few bad results is what sickens me about much football analysis. We win, the manager and the players are legends. We lose and they should be driven out out of the country like the snakes.

It's too early to tell if Kerr is the man to lead this Irish team to serious success. But it's certainly too early to tell that he's not up to it either. I'm in complete support of Kerr and his players.

[geysir]

Like most people here I am deeply suspicious about the unrestrained contrived need to report / speculate on Kerr's future. I wouldn´t agree that Kerr´s days are numbered just yet. I would say that the political ground is being prepared by these lackeys in the event of us not qualifying for the play offs.
I bought Dessie Farrell's book "Tangled up in Blue", all for the price of 14 indos :) at Dublin airport, (a very good 6 hour read) particularly good for the chapters offering insight into the cynical politics surrounding the shafting of the Dublin managers. If you can only browse, then select page 241, a reprint of a letter to a newspaper from 1908.

[colster]

Both Israel results while winning one nil over there
trying to hold on rather than take the game to them.

That was more to do with the players than him. He was trying to get them to push on and attack more. He said after as much after the game. Anyway Israel have proved a decent side. Witness their results against France and Switzerland.


And while winning 2-0 at home bringing Kavanagh on for Keane when Keane was injured trying to stitch the game up which backfired.

If he'd brought on an attacker and got the same result he'd be damned for not trying to close the game up.


His general attitude has been dont worry we are doing ok sure havent we the French and
Swiss still to play at home, which is amazingly naieve for a man of his experience.

Is that not the job of the manager. To remain positive. What was he supposed to do/say?


And in general an over cautious/negative approach to every game.

How so? He plays 2 attacking wingers Duff+Reid & 2 strikers. Seems pretty attacking to me. I think the problem with Ireland is that they don't have as good a team as McCarthy had. He had Keane in his prime. We have to play an ageing player on his last legs and a converted winger who can't pass the ball in central midfield. I can't see how a change of Manager is going to solve that.
McCarthy also had the long ball option with Quinn coming off the bench.

[hoops1]

Reports that came out after the game suggested that Kerr only got excited about winning the game when they got back to 1-1
In the game in Dublin he should have remained with the formation
he started with it got us to 2-0 up leave it alone if it was working!
To be honest Israel are **** poor and to be trying to stitch a game
up at home when 2-0 up has negativity all over it.
A manger should be trying to get his team to try and win all games
if you draw while trying to win so be it but Kerr has had a pick a point up on
the road win the home games(with a partizan crowd behind us) mentality. Which is great in theory until you get done at home as in the French
match.Then the whole thing falls apart.

[razor]

Why not name & shame the detractors

Who is pro and who is anti ?

Irish Times : Emmett Malone
Irish Independent : Gerry McDermott
Irish Examiner : Liam Mackey
Sunday Times : Dave Hannigan
Evening Herald : Paul Hyland
Sunday Independent : Dion Fanning
The Star : Paul Lennon
The Turd : Cathal Dervan

[eirebhoy]

Reports that came out after the game suggested that Kerr only got excited about winning the game when they got back to 1-1

What reports? The quotes from the playing and coaching staff suggest that the main objective was to keep possession but they felt they should have created more.


In the game in Dublin he should have remained with the formation
he started with it got us to 2-0 up leave it alone if it was working!
I don't think it was a good idea to put Duff up front and Kilbane on the left but at the end of the day, the formation didn't change. He just didn't want to risk a player who hadn't played a game in couple of months.

[pete]

Irish Independent : Gerry McDermott


Anti everything as fr as i can tell.

:rolleyes:

btw Kerr is on his last legs. Delaney doesn't want him & is in situation where won't have toi actually sack - just not renew contract. The media must be starting these rumours from somewhere...

[mjpcc]

Do anyone know where I can send an e-mail or fax of support to the team n Cyprus.?

[colster]

Reports that came out after the game suggested that Kerr only got excited about winning the game when they got back to 1-1
In the game in Dublin he should have remained with the formation
he started with it got us to 2-0 up leave it alone if it was working!
To be honest Israel are **** poor and to be trying to stitch a game
up at home when 2-0 up has negativity all over it.
A manger should be trying to get his team to try and win all games
if you draw while trying to win so be it but Kerr has had a pick a point up on
the road win the home games(with a partizan crowd behind us) mentality. Which is great in theory until you get done at home as in the French
match.Then the whole thing falls apart.

It's great having hindsight isn't it? Kerr has used the right formation and tactics in all of the games. He's been unlucky in some and players has played badly in others.
AFAIK he went to 433 against Israel when Keane came off. How is that negative. If anything that's more attacking.
You're going on as if these were unforgiveable school boy errors. They are not.
McCarthy made some unbelievable decisions (bigger mistakes than Kerr is making now) when he started off but was given the time.
3-5-2, Keane as a sweeper, Mark Kennedy in a free role against Belgium, Shafting Denis Irwin, Replacing Kennedy with Holland against Macedonia. 451 against Yugoslavia + Croatia away. You could go on and on.
Why isn't Kerr given the chance that McCarthy was.

[eirebhoy]

Do anyone know where I can send an e-mail or fax of support to the team n Cyprus.?
http://home.eircom.net/javascript/Ewishes/cyprus/home.html

[hoops1]

If you are just keeping possession and not creating chances you are hardly
trying to win the game you are playing for a draw
That is player speak for we were told to keep the ball and hold what we have
In the Israel game instead of changing like for like he moved 3 players into
differnet positions.Giving them the couple of minutes needed to get back into the match

[CollegeTillIDie]

It's great having hindsight isn't it? Kerr has used the right formation and tactics in all of the games. He's been unlucky in some and players has played badly in others.....
Why isn't Kerr given the chance that McCarthy was.

Agree with your analysis of tactical errors made by previous management.
Answer to your question is... if we fail to qualify for Germany,... the FAI will have to borrow money for it's share of the Lansdowne Road redevelopment portion which both the FAI and IRFU have to stump up in order to get grant aid from the government. That is the Why like it or lump it! I would be prepared to give Kerr another chance if it was up to me, but it isn't. It seems to me he is being blamed for not getting us to the Euro 2004 when he wasn't in charge for a lot of that campaign.

[eirebhoy]

If you are just keeping possession and not creating chances you are hardly
trying to win the game you are playing for a draw
That is player speak for we were told to keep the ball and hold what we have
In the Israel game instead of changing like for like he moved 3 players into
differnet positions.Giving them the couple of minutes needed to get back into the match
I'm talking about the away game. Kavanagh said it was a concious effort by the players to sit back. Kerr said they should have been more incisive going forward and he told them that at half time. Roy Keane felt they should have created more. Israel's game plan was to catch us on the break, keeping possession ruined that game plan until we lost it in the last minute through an Irish shot (afaik).

[mjpcc]

http://home.eircom.net/javascript/Ewishes/cyprus/home.html

Thanks Eirebhoy .

[mjpcc]

Posters defending the attacks on Kerr are completely missing the point.

IT is absolutely disgraceful and underhand to attack him, and undermine him and the team while we still have everything to play for in this group.

The papers/FAI conspirators (I'm not suggesting all of them are) do not seem to care if they damage our chances of getting to the playoffs.

No matter whay anyone's problem is with the manager or players he picks surely everyone press, FAI, & fans should be totally behind them until the qualifiers are over.

Then and only then should BK's merits or lack thereof be discussed.

I'm sure the Cypriots and Swiss are delighted. And the rest of the football world must be highly amused by our self destructive antics.

"The Irish are a fair people; they never speak well of one another." —Samuel Johnson 1709-1784

[Qwerty]

btw Kerr is on his last legs. Delaney doesn't want him & is in situation where won't have toi actually sack - just not renew contract. The media must be starting these rumours from somewhere...

No, I think any reasonable person would say that BK's fate lies in the next two games, those results will make or break him. If he fails he will have had two qualifying campaigns and he will have finished 3rd twice - that is not acceptable given the groups we were in.

If we get to a play-off and we lose, then it's a more difficult decision but I would definitely like to see him stay on.

If we get to the WC he deserves an improved contract.

I think the print media can work things out for itself.

[mypost]

He just didn't want to risk.

That's Kerr in a nutshell. He NEVER wants to risk anything. He didn't want to risk losing his leads to Switzerland and Israel, and lost them, he didn't want to risk losing the French game, and lost it, so he can't say he's got a hard time from the press. Most of the media were/still are pro-Kerr, but he has done himself no favours after playing poor tactics, making bad subs, getting bad results, and ignoring the media.

If Kerr feels hard done by, then how does Sven Eriksson feel with England? He has the players, he's got the results, he has probably qualified them for the World Cup, he has secured a play-off spot at least, and yet the media are openly annihilating him. He still gives press conferences.

Brian Kerr has the best ever facilities available to an Irish coach, he has had RK available for most of the campaign, he got his way with the group fixtures, yet still hasn't delivered. And then he wonders why the knives are out. :confused: Next week, he will be out of a job, and it's not the media or the FAI's fault why, it's his fault, and his only.