To those who think Kerr should stay

[Donadoni]

In a post match interview Kerr implied that the team was developing in the right direction. IMO since the Paris game the team has been playing progressively worse and worse. Worryingly only our goal-keeper is improving.

Yes we need to develop new talent. Yes Kerr has a proven record for developing young players but surely that task is the under-21 coach's job! Kerr hasn't been able to transfer his youth experience and success to the management of the senior team.

He has shown far too much loyalty to certain players. You can't blame Keane for being picked but you can blame Kerr for picking him despite the fact that his current form is pretty dire.

There is less margin for error as an international coach. There are more do or die games and 70% of your performance has to be based on these games. In last night's do or die game Kerr failed. We needed goals, the off-form players he picked were not performing we had no shots-on-goal in the first half, at home against Switzerland!!! Not one shot on goal! Yet Kerr changes nothing! Incredible. Then he waits almost half-an-hour in the second half before swapping a striker for a striker. Then with 5 minutes to go another striker for a taller striker.

Developing young players yes, Kerr gets the thumbs up. How to use these young players? No a huge thumbs down. Embarrassingly so.

I understand Kerr's paid around 400.000 a year. His management of last night's game was abysmal. He has to be judged on the management of these key games. But even if we're more generous and judge him over the entire campaign we see overly cautious tactics lose us four points against Israel and almost two points against Cyprus!

I like Kerr, but I honestly don't think he's up to the job. I don't think he should be given time just because McCarthy and Charlton were given time. I don't think he should be given time just because the easy answer is to fire the coach and we don't want to be like the English or Italians.

The Irish job is one of the most generous in the world game. There have been only three coaches in the last 19 years. You have to make a real hash of it not to be given a second chance or third chance. I think Kerr has made a real hash of it. And unlike McCarthy, he shows no sign of learning from mistakes.

When Charlton left I felt the time was right and I felt he'd deserved a shot at Euro 96, I wouldn't have pushed him sooner.
When McCarthy left I felt the time was right and that he too had deserved his second chances. Again I wouldn't have pushed him sooner.
Now I think the time is right for Kerr. He hasn't earned the right to a second chance.

I think I'd like Aldridge to take the job.

[Fergie's Son]

Good post but you lost me at the end. What does John Aldridge bring to the table? We should go for broke and try and attract a top-class manager rather than a medicore English manager.

Hell, why not Ronnie Whelan or Kevin Moran?

[thejollyrodger]

The team has been playing worse becuase the players were sick to death of reading all the muck printed in the newspaper. Just ask S.Reid or C.Morrsion. It did the team no good whatsoever and looking back on it now it was childish.

Mick got far more time than KErr and had far better players, Same with Jacko. Your either blind as a bat or just ignoring one major point. Apart from Duff (who is only a winger) Given (who is only a keeper) everyone else is a journey man. That includes Robbie keane, A.Ried, Josh, the whole lot.

Back in his day Roy Keane pushed the whole team forward. Now we are missing that are finding our natural level. Time for a reality check... i dont really like or hate kerr but firing him doesnt really square a circle.

[superfrank]

I think I'd like Aldridge to take the job.
Aldridge?? After all that you want Aldridge??

He's hardly a proven manager.

[Metrostars]

I agree, the thing is that we one could argue that McCarthy was given time while his team failed to qualify for a Euro or World Cup before 2002, his teams did finish 2nd and got to the playoffs. Under Kerr, the team has regressed, first finishing 3rd in the Euro 2004 quallies and now 4th. Plus, the two groups were not exactly world beaters, the euros with Russia and Switzerland and we saw how good they were at the Euro 2004 finals. And then France, not so much a great "team", more a "collection" of individually gifted players.

[Colie]

There are no other proven managers bar Mick & Jack. I want Mick back to be honest but I doubt he'd leave The Black Cats at the mo. All the other Irish that are available aren't up to the job I don't think.

[pineapple stu]

The team has been playing worse becuase the players were sick to death of reading all the muck printed in the newspaper. Just ask S.Reid or C.Morrsion. It did the team no good whatsoever and looking back on it now it was childish.

Mick got far more time than KErr and had far better players, Same with Jacko. Your either blind as a bat or just ignoring one major point. Apart from Duff (who is only a winger) Given (who is only a keeper) everyone else is a journey man. That includes Robbie keane, A.Ried, Josh, the whole lot.

Back in his day Roy Keane pushed the whole team forward. Now we are missing that are finding our natural level. Time for a reality check... i dont really like or hate kerr but firing him doesnt really square a circle.
Don't be silly.

If players are influenced by what's in the papers, they're idiots. I can ignore the tabloids, surely they can too?

Mick got more time because he got into the play-offs. He did not have far better players. Look at the 2002 WC team which knocked out a European Championship semi-finallist and missed out on winning the group on goal difference to another -

Given
Kelly
Cunninghan
Breen
Harte
Keane
McAteer
Kinsella
Kilbane
Duff
Keane

Kerr had all those players bar Kelly, McAteer and Kinsella. We've got Finnan/Carr, Andy Reid and Kavanagh/Holland to replace them. I'd say the two squads are roughly equal. The big difference is that the players played at the next level up under McCarthy. We have missed Roy Keane though.

[Donadoni]

I think I'd like Aldridge. I'm not sure. It's a gut choice more than a reasoned one to be honest. I'm upset. I can see players responding positively to him certainly more so than they did to Kerr. I'm assuming O'Neill is out of the picture. And yes not going for an English-style manager would be nice for a change but language could prove a problem. A top-class coach with good working English.

[pete]

I can't take any comments seriously when Aldridge is suggested as a replacement. What next...Ray Houghton as his assistant? :eek:

Kerr gets criticised for his lack of experience but people suggest complete manager novises as alternatives. :rolleyes:

[Conor H]

There are no other proven managers bar Mick & Jack. I want Mick back to be honest but I doubt he'd leave The Black Cats at the mo. All the other Irish that are available aren't up to the job I don't think.
Martin O Neill is a non runner so.:confused:

[pineapple stu]

Aldridge isn't a complete managerial novice. He had a good spell at Tranmere, I think taking them to the FA Cup semi or the League Cup Final and mid-table safety - he was responsible for one of their Cup runs anyway. He eventually got sacked when Tranmere were bottom of Division One with absolutely no money. He showed a good knack for being able to get his players to play well above themselves on the big days (Cup days). If you consider that Ireland will play 12 games in the next qualifiers, six of which will be against fairly poor teams we'd be expected to beat and six against teams better than or equal to us, there's a good parallel there.

I don't know if he'd be right for the job, but he certainly has some credentials.

[thejollyrodger]

mick got into the play offs because he had Roy keane. who had kerr got ? Josh, Kavanagh and Holland ? Hardly a likely comparison

[pineapple stu]

Who had Kerr got? Roy Keane, last time I looked.

[Peadar]

mick got into the play offs because he had Roy keane.

Mick jumped ship when he could see the team in decline.
Kerr took on the job and did his best with what he had.

[onenilgameover]

Don't be silly.

If players are influenced by what's in the papers, they're idiots. I can ignore the tabloids, surely they can too?

Mick got more time because he got into the play-offs. He did not have far better players. Look at the 2002 WC team which knocked out a European Championship semi-finallist and missed out on winning the group on goal difference to another -

Given
Kelly
Cunninghan
Breen
Harte
Keane
McAteer
Kinsella
Kilbane
Duff
Keane

Kerr had all those players bar Kelly, McAteer and Kinsella. We've got Finnan/Carr, Andy Reid and Kavanagh/Holland to replace them. I'd say the two squads are roughly equal. The big difference is that the players played at the next level up under McCarthy. We have missed Roy Keane though.

Nice one..that sums up the point against those who have been saying kerr has not had the same players...

[thejollyrodger]

Who had Kerr got? Roy Keane, last time I looked.

come on lads, all of us know kerr got an old man who needs a walking stick on the pitch. Roy is well past it. Cant see him kicking another ball again.

[pineapple stu]

And you were watching what game when the rest of us were watching Ireland-France?

[thejollyrodger]

And you were watching what game when the rest of us were watching Ireland-France?

That wasnt the Roy.Keane performance of 3-4 years ago. It was a more measured performance and france did have a weak midfield.

[Schumi]

Aldridge isn't a complete managerial novice. He had a good spell at Tranmere, I think taking them to... mid-table safety
Mid-table in divison 1 (or was it still divsion 2 at the time?), hardly a stellar performance. Aldridge is exactly the kind of no-mark we'll end up with though. :(

[thejollyrodger]

i would rather have kerr than Alridge. Alridge will never qualify for a major championship

[Bomb Landsdowne]

If Aldridge takes over the job he will be getting an average squad. Itll take 2 or 3 years to build up the squad but by then we will be back here discussing who will be taking over from Aldridge as he certainly wouldnt be able to guide us to Euro 08. If kerr couldnt do it with them i cant see anyone else capable..

[youngirish]

The highest ranked team Kerr has beaten in three years in charge in a competitive match was Albania. He's had his time and made an absolute balls of it. This is the worst qualification campaign from an Irish team in living memory - fourth in a group of no hopers with the exception of France. At least Mc Carthy always got us into a play-off place with far worse players than Kerr had at his disposal on many an occasion.

Kerr needs to go as soon as possible. Looking back he should never have been given the job in the first place. What relevant managerial experience did he have? You are not pitting your wits against the top managers in the world at youth level or in the Irish league. Hopefully the FAI will learn from their mistakes and pay the money to get someone decent to replace him.

[fergalr]

That wasnt the Roy.Keane performance of 3-4 years ago. It was a more measured performance and france did have a weak midfield.
A weak midield with Zidane, Makelele, Viera !? RMK deservedly won MoM - pity its likely to have been his last game for us.

[pineapple stu]

Mid-table in divison 1 (or was it still divsion 2 at the time?), hardly a stellar performance.
Tranmere are a very small team - they were only then trying to emerge from the shadows of Everton and Liverpool (they've grown their fanbase since then). Mid-table Division One and an FA Cup semi is very good for them. Look at them now!

I'm not saying he's brilliant. I'm saying he's not a "complete manager (sic) novise (sic)"

[Marked Man]

i would rather have kerr than Alridge. Alridge will never qualify for a major championship

And you've seen something to suggest that Kerr would?

[Marked Man]

Mick jumped ship when he could see the team in decline.
Kerr took on the job and did his best with what he had.

As I recall, it wasn't so much he jumped as he was pushed.

[Marked Man]

[QUOTE=thejollyrodger]

Mick got far more time than KErr and had far better players, Same with Jacko. Your either blind as a bat or just ignoring one major point.

Won't bother adding any more to those posts that have pointed out why McCarthy got longer and Kerr didn't. But Charlton? More time? First run out under him we qualified, no? Maybe I'm just blind as a bat though.

[thejollyrodger]

well I still think Kerr should be given more time. I dont think another manger will work miracles

[ccfcgirl]

well I still think Kerr should be given more time. I dont think another manger will work miraclesI agree with you ,people are too quick to blame the manager ,I know our last few performances werent up to scratch ,But it wasnt just the managers faulth

[gustavo]

agree with ye the group was very tight and the difference between 1st and 4th was just the result of one game . i would give brian one more campaign and see how it is then

[Superhoops]

well I still think Kerr should be given more time. I dont think another manger will work miracles
Not with the current crop of players anyway!

One thing we should remember is that the Irish job has been 'downgraded' now we are a fourth seed for the 2008 Euro Champs and there is hardly likely to be a queue of top managers looking to take it on.

Bryan Robson and Peter Reid cannot get club jobs in England and are not what you would call successful managers. Giving either of those the job would show a complete lack of ambition.

Talk of Bobby Robson and Ron Atkinson is laughable, both has-beens and not likely to bring anything new to the party or are hardly likely to command the respect of the players.

If Martin O'Neill was to take an international job, is it not likely to be England rather than us.

The notion of Ferguson and Keane as a 'dream team' is something I find repulsive after Keane's Saipan antics and Ferguson spending years trying to discourage Keane and others from playing for Ireland. One maniac and one egotistical a**hole is hardly the ideal solution.

David O'Leary, who would probably do a good job for us, has said he is not interested at this stage. Who else is available? George Graham would be a good choice but is hardly likely to want it.

Qualifying for Euro 2008 will be difficult, can't see a queue wanting to take it on. Personally, I would stick with Kerr. I am sure he knows he made mistakes and will learn from it, particularly the player loyalty aspect.

[Tram_14]

I think I'd like Aldridge. I'm not sure. It's a gut choice more than a reasoned one to be honest. I'm upset.

I'm upset too & its because you are suggesting Aldridge... Seriously Aldridge?....Aldridge?

[gustavo]

i find it hard to take any1 who suggests Aldridge seriously

[thejollyrodger]

The media are saying that the FAI (they must have leaked it) arent too keen on O Leary and if MON wont take the job as it now seems he wont who will the FAI get ??

I think everyone in ireland has an inflated opinion of how good ireland really is. The RMK factor inflated the teams results for years.

Kerr has a proven record with irish players at underage level. He was one goal away from the play offs and even if we dont qualify for the EURO 2008 i think he will leave irish soccer in brilliant health

[Reddladd]

I had faith in Kerr and was prepared to overlook what happened against Israel at home(Israel away was the killer) because we laid siege to the israeli goal and just couldn't score. Any other day it could easily have been 5-2. He deserved the benefit of the doubt on those games and there was only a kick of a ball in it against the French.

However last Wednesday when everyone in Lansdowne road could see that Jos and Carr were having a nightmare he did not make changes at half time when they should have been made. Finan in for Carr and S Reid on for Jos with Kilbane going into the middle of the park with Holland. Andy on the left and S Reid on the right.
We all know what he did do with substitutions so I won't even bother going into that.
I am no expert but to me those changes were obvious. We could have gone straight at the Swiss from the off and brought Elliot on with about 15 minutes to go.
Tactically he made a nuts off it and I would like to see him replaced but like Mark Lawrenson says, only with someone who can offer more than he can.

[thejollyrodger]

that is a good point... only replace kerr with someone who is definitely better. If they can find someone who is better and can afford him then defintely get rid of KErr.