Kerr Must Go

**Fun_mac_Cool** · 13/10/2003, 9:33 AM

It;s been so long since Simple Minds had a hit that they will just have to get rid of Jim Kerr !

Seriously though - I was at the match and it's been a long time since I saw such a poor performance from an Irish Team.
We didn't even have the passion to start a fight !

It's easy be wise after the event and I thought, beforehand, that the team selected was the best available wexcept that I would have started Steve Finnan. David Connoly got into great positions but just isn't good enough.

We were poor all over the field and we were so predictable and gave the ball away very easily. Whatever about not being good enough - these are things that are fixable and shouldn't be happening.

So that's it for another year.

**macdermesser** · 13/10/2003, 10:33 AM

I agree with your points about lacking passion and the subsitutions etc .. but what good would it do to change the manager again? He hasn't been giving a proper chance yet ... if we don't make Germany 2006 again, then these calls might have a shred of credibility.

I was one of the privileged people to be at the match, and when Kerr came over at the end, he got a good reception. The man is a legend and he will get it right.

**lopez** · 13/10/2003, 11:11 AM

It's been about eighteen years since I saw such a ****e performance (Denmark 1985). And we got rid of McCarthy for this. Had his side came in from the park at half time with that cojones, he would have let rip so much that they wouldn't dare come back with an even worse 2nd half.

**Leinster Lim** · 13/10/2003, 1:56 PM

it is as if we never changed managers in the first place as far as i can see. just like under chairman mick the hole team seems to built around kevin kilbane, i have nothing against the man but how come he has been able to keep Duff from playing in his natural position on the left wing. it defies all logic, if any of the other candidates had been appointed instaed of Kerr surely the first thing they would have done would be to play our only remaining world class player in his best position and start building the team around that. if you can think back far enough to the last time Ireland looked anything like a great side it was, in my opinion, in the friendly against Russia in Landsdowne Road just prior to the last World Cup where Duff destroyed them down the left wing. the Russians were on the back foot all of the time while he was on the pitch trying to contain just one player. i think that was the last time i saw Duff playing as anything other than a utility player within the squad. it is a scandal. another thing, letting Dean Kiely retire from international squad was a very dumb thing. he has a much safer pair of hands than Givens and could inspire confidence in those around them not nervousness.

**Shed End John** · 13/10/2003, 2:32 PM

Originally posted by macdermesser
The man is a legend and he will get it right.

Totally agree with ya. Some of the other absolute s**t I'm reading here in relation to Kerr defies logic and lacks credibility of ANY sort. The easiest thing in the world is to vent your emotions after last Saturday, but let's get a sense of perspective.
After 10 games under Kerr, we've only lost once. How many other Irish managers started so well? We also have the nucleus of a good side- John O'Shea, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and, soon, Colin Healy and Liam Miller. All under 25, all great players. I wouldn't be too worried looking at the medium- to long-term.
Also, the Swiss beat us at Landsdowne Road. What right had we to expect to beat them in front of the most passionate fans in Swiss football?
We have the guts of a team for the future, so let's learn from the mistakes that were made, give Kerr the chance and time he so richly deserves, and look forward to the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

**Fun_mac_Cool** · 13/10/2003, 3:08 PM

I think we will only be able to judge Brian Kerr after the next campaign.

He now has the chance to build his team and instill in them his own ideas. The time is right now to throw in the younger players and I feel that Kerr will do the business.

It's amazing to hear people calling for Kerr to be fired - we were up against it after the poor start to the campaign. The reality is that this team isn't good enough and hasn't been for the whole of the qualifiers.

**Xlex** · 13/10/2003, 4:42 PM

what did people think of the right wing against Russia, this justifies Kerrs decision to balance the team. Duffer should have had an effort in the first half only Hely took the ball of his toe....

Might have been a different story and certainly a different game....

**Slash/ED** · 13/10/2003, 4:51 PM

The fact is Kerr is, yet again, moving our best player to a position where he's less effective to accomadate our worst.

Where's the feckin logic there?

McCarthy did it, and it was rubbish. Kerrs doing it and it is rubbish, he better get his act together soon on that front at the very least.

**pete** · 13/10/2003, 5:26 PM

Getting real tired of bar stooler type debate on here today...

Yes Duff is much better on the left wing but if you play him there who plays on the right?

Steven Reid - > beyond useless in against Russia & Turkey & not worth the gamble in such an important game!
Carsley - Didn't work against Russia & we needed a win.
Finnan - In hindsight maybe an option but we were looking for a win & fullbacks don't create much in midfield.

95% of people more or less choose that team selection last week.

**Slash/ED** · 13/10/2003, 9:47 PM

Reid and Finnan are both better going forward then Kilbane. They can both cross a ball for a start.

Duff is better on the left then the right, don't see much dispute there.

Franky I can't and couldn't see a single reason to actually do what he did. Move our best player out of position as Mick was, rightly, ridiculed for and do that in the hope of accomadating feckin Kevin Kilbane? If that makes sense I must be going mad.

Shove Kilbane out of position, he can't cross to save his life anyway so his headless chicken running will be just as (in)effective on his weaker side.

**pete** · 14/10/2003, 9:23 AM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
Reid and Finnan are both better going forward then Kilbane. They can both cross a ball for a start.

For our midget forwards...?

**Xlex** · 14/10/2003, 9:34 AM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
The fact is Kerr is, yet again, moving our best player to a position where he's less effective to accomadate our worst.

When can you say Kilbane was our worst player???

**Slash/ED** · 14/10/2003, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by pete
For our midget forwards...?

And what kind of service do you expect Kilbane to provide? A good cross can get a goal off any forward, look at the one Keane nearly got in from Duff when he hit it along the ground.

As for Kilbane, aside from Harte, who I wouldn't have started either, I can't really see anyone whos clearly worse then he is. Might have been an exagerated comment, but the point is still valid.

**Shed End John** · 14/10/2003, 12:51 PM

Originally posted by Xlex
When can you say Kilbane was our worst player???

Couldn't disagree with you there. Anytime Harte and Connolly play in the side, it's a flip of a coin between those two. They're so s***e, they're their own competition. Kilbane is a relative star in comparison.
The lack of spirit was awful, and it was very disappointing to be knocked out, but, let's roll with the punches. Forget about Euro 2004, we have an absolutely fantastic chance to rebuild the team for the 2006 qualifiers.

**Plastic Paddy** · 14/10/2003, 2:19 PM

Originally posted by Shed End John
The lack of spirit was awful, and it was very disappointing to be knocked out, but, let's roll with the punches. Forget about Euro 2004, we have an absolutely fantastic chance to rebuild the team for the 2006 qualifiers.

Well said John. We have to look forward, starting now. It's time to blood the likes of Liam Miller, Andy Reid and Sean Thornton. It's also time to look at the tactics. Brian has to and will experiment with both players and tactics in the friendlies we'll now be involved in. Twelve months down the line, we will be all the stronger for this. And that can only benefit our attempts to qualify for the World Cup in 2006.

Interesting times lie ahead...

PP

**Bring Back Mick** · 19/10/2003, 4:45 PM

Passion think the lads thought it was some sort of perfume to bring home to the missus, how I laugh now at all those eejits who were pro Roy and anti Mick up until Oct 2002 and some even now. As prevoiusly mentioned there is no way those players would have gone out for the 2nd half and performed as bad as the 1st.................if Mick was still in charge, and we would be now planning our trips to Portugal

Who is geeing the team up before the big games now, having spoken to Brian Kerr, and Noel O'Reilly after the Swiss game - dont think they have it in them (great with the under age teams but jury is out) Chris Hughton, Packie Bonner ???

Intresting thing half way during 2nd half of Swiss game, Packie, approached Brian Kerr and Chris Hughton, and during a heated discussion for about 2 mins was arguing the case for the Doc to come on, and change things up front maybe play 3, obviously BK/ CH disagreed and Packie stormed off to the other end of dugout without another word been said for the rest of the game, and who did phone Noel O'Reilly, with about 10 mins to go ???

At least with Mick and Jack before, we had managers who had played and managed at the top level and know what it is all about.............

**niamh** · 19/10/2003, 4:57 PM

Mick had lost most people's respect by the time he left.
The lads might not have played particularly well in any of the
games so far, but if you were to get rid of Kerr, who would
take his place besides the bunch of washed up unemployed
managers who applied in the first place?
Kerr is the only man for the job at the minute - top
level experience or none.
He has excellant managerial experience with Irish football
and he has the players to do something.

**Beavis** · 19/10/2003, 5:59 PM

I like Kerr and believe judgements should be made after our next WC qualifying but a worry is that while Ireland were 1-0 and 2-0 down Kerr just sat in the dugout looking sad (or so i'm told,didn't see the match on TV).Mick would have been up in their ear urging them on.It helps to be able to look to the bench and see that someone trying to get things going.Say what you want about Mick but at no time could Ireland ever have been accused of lacking fight as last weekend and even the Russia game.But give Kerr a chance.

**Plastic Paddy** · 20/10/2003, 8:27 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
Nonsense, they had the rather good "Cry" last year and they're on a European Tour at the moment and his vocals are still very much up to scratch.

Think everyone else has gone a bit off topic on this one though...

Conor, meself and (I'm sure it was) yourself had a chat about Simple Minds way, way back on the old ihadamacedonia board... so I'll say what I said at the time again. Kerr's mob haven't done anything good since their days on Virgin over 20 years ago. With the possible exception of "New Gold Dream" in 1982...

And anyway, I'm still waiting for him to back up his oft-aired public support and sink some of his lovely lolly into Celtic to help us buy Larsson's replacement. (But I digress, and I don't want to open that can of worms here!) Until he does, I'll not spend another cent on his music.

PP

**Plastic Paddy** · 20/10/2003, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
Still think Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call double lp is the best ever. Lent it out and never got it back, so bought it again last weekend. Theme for Great Cities, Wonderful in Young LIfe, Sweat in Bullet, In Trance as Mission, Earth that You Walk Upon etc. etc. etc. Genius.

Seconded. "Theme for Great Cities" is the daddy of them all. I've yet to hear a better piece of modern music, and this over twenty years later.

PP