Kerr the man?

Bookies close book on McCarthy's successor
From the IT by Paul O'Hehir.
Last updated: 24-01-03, 21:22

Leading bookmakers in Ireland and across the channel have suspended betting on the race to succeed Mick McCarthy as Republic of Ireland manager, indicating that the FAI have indeed chosen their man.

The FAI selection committee of treasurer John Delaney, president Milo Corcoran and acting general secretary Kevin Fahy returned to Dublin this morning after interviewing candidates in England during the week.

The association confirmed that seven people were interviewed to succeed McCarthy. They are Brian Kerr, John Aldrige, Kevin Moran, Bryan Robson, Peter Reid, Philippe Troussier and Frank Stapleton.

Ireland youth team boss Brian Kerr received significant support in the betting shops earlier today. Kerr, currently in the United Arab Emirates with the under-20 team, saw his odds harden to 2/5 favourite with Irish bookmakers Paddy Power.

Former Tranmere manager John Aldrigde also attracted heavy support and was backed from 11/2 into 2/1 second favourite.

It is expected that the new manager will be named next Tuesday or Wednesday.

There's an interesting thread on the Liverpool site Koptalk which suggests that Kerr indeed will get the job but also reveals details of behind-the-scenes FAI squabbling. Here's the URL:
http://www.koptalk.org.uk/ubbcgi/ult...=055631#000013

Could you paste some of that here? I can't read it without logging in, and they're not accepting any new registrations.

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Originally posted by Heighway
There's an interesting thread on the Liverpool site Koptalk ...................... reveals details of behind-the-scenes FAI squabbling.

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Well the squabbling is ostensibly about the money paid to McCarthy, but is probably really about a power struggle between John Delaney, who wants to plow ahead with the Genesis report and appointment of a CEO asap, and the likes of Milo Corcoran who wants to take things much slower and really hopes that Genesis just goes away and is forgotten about.

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Originally posted by brine2
Could you paste some of that here? I can't read it without logging in, and they're not accepting any new registrations.

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Here's an update from today:

"The latest latest story is that the conservative-minded faction are preparing a climb-down of Eiger proportions.

They thought by seeing to have been the ones to have delivered Kerr (Corcoran himself was responsible for the leak to the Irish Independent), they would have garnered the extra support they needed on the BoM to push their putsch through and clear the decks. Adding the appointment to the 'coincidental' initiation of the investigation into Delaney's alleged €100K bonus and they thought they could push the reformers into the shadows.

However it hasn't worked - moderate board members are incensed with the Ides of March style ambush on Delaney, who after all has been the de facto leader of the Association since the Eircom Park fiasco. The floating vote has been seen to drift toward Delaney - even before he has had the chance to explain himself, and the assasins have lost their bottle. Behind the scenes talks will ensure there will be no open revolt at the EGM at the Citywest in a fortnight.

Nobody can quite believe how the notoriously tight-fisted Delaney could bring himself to offer up so much of the Association's money. It still seems to have been borne out of general discussions on how the FAI could be seen to lend their full supoprt to McCarthy after Keane-gate. Ultimately though, this is just a smokescreen for the real batle over the implementation of Genesis.

Where this leaves things is unclear - I expect that Delaney will rebut the accusations for the record; his reputation has been tarnished among the public. I think if he does it well and the press report it accurately he will consolidate and enhance his position (especially on the board).

The most important thing, however, is that they rubber stamp the Kerr appointment. The public seem to be largely well pleased - a rare piece of astute policy from the FAI!

Having Kerr as manager might put a few on-field ghosts to bed. Kilbane, Breen and McAteer will most likely no longer be first XI players."

Brilliant News if its True.

I don't think Ireland will ever have a more popular or better supported manager than Kerr.

The FAI have finally made a decent decision.