Brian Kerr appointed Faroe Islands manager

[EalingGreen]

well done to the British manager.

I assume you are referring to NW's description of BK as being "British".

I saw that reported in one or two papers, yet one paper I read quite clearly quoted NW as having said Kerr is a "British-style manager".

I suspect the explanation is that NW clearly meant "British-style", but said "British" and only one or two reporters corrected his slip of the tongue.

In any case, Kerr clearly harbours no grudges (or NW), since Kerr and his (Irish) Assistant both hitched a ride on the IFA charter flight back to Belfast after the game!

Apparently they were very appreciative for a two hour flight direct to Ireland and an hour and a bit by road to Dublin, since their normal schedule involves a flight to Copenhagen, followed by a five hour layover before a connecting flight to Dublin.

[paul_oshea]

Just watched the highlights on SKY. NI missed a hatful of decent chances. Hard to tell how well they played in general play but even if it wasn't good there were enough clear chances to win. Football's mad. I don't like it much at the moment. Ballet or art sound like much more appealing interests. I don't think you ever go to a gallery and come home not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Ireland, Arsenal, Shamrock Rovers. What a rubbish month. Why wasn't I born in Argentina? Good at footy and rugby, hot birds, cool colours and you don't get riduculed for having long hair (which I had once).

until you had none stutts :P

[ifk101]

I must say, I admire your ability to keep so up-to-date with both the NI and Faroes teams, in order to be able to make a statement like that (bold).

Let's see. I follow the fortunes of my near neighbours in NI and I'm interested to know how former Irish manager Brian Kerr and his assistant Johnny McDonnell are getting on. Both Kerr and McDonnell are two high profile names in LOI football so perhaps you might be able to fathom where my interest in the Faroes is coming from.

You see, I have only been watching the NI team live

We'll disregard your comments about the Faroes then.

even prejudiced standpoint?

Explain.

You see, NI did not adopt an "ultra-defensive mentality" versus Italy.

NI had 5 centre halves by trade on the field against Italy. Both central midfielders (Davis and Baird) played extremely deep. Feeney played more as a midfielder than a striker. Ultra defensive tactics for a team playing at home in other words.

As for the Faroes debacle, the reason we only drew was absolutely nothing to do with respective playing styles. Rather, if looked at from a "narrow" perspective, a neutral might argue that NI were very unlucky.

On the contrary, I thought the Faroes were unlucky not to win.

whom we are expected to beat easily.

The result wasn't a surprise to anyone who had watched the Faroes and NI play in recent times.

[geysir]

until you had none stutts :P

He has plenty of hair pulling reasons - hard to say what comes first, his golf, following Ireland or watching Rovers do their Devon Loch ... again?

[Stuttgart88]

I assume you are referring to NW's description of BK as being "British".

I was, and point taken about the rest though it's barely a big deal either way.

[EalingGreen]

Let's see. I follow the fortunes of my near neighbours in NI and I'm interested to know how former Irish manager Brian Kerr and his assistant Johnny McDonnell are getting on. Both Kerr and McDonnell are two high profile names in LOI football so perhaps you might be able to fathom where my interest in the Faroes is coming from.

I possibly watch at least as much football as you, both live and on TV etc. I have taken more of an interest in the Faroes than usual since we drew them.

Yet whilst I eg saw Slovakia live twice in the last couple of years, and took an interest in their WC progress in SA, I wouldn't presume to be an expert on their tactics etc, nor would I presume to comment on them here re their games against you, other than in the most general of terms (eg don't underestimate them etc).

Of course, it may be that you have a superior understanding of such matters than the average poster like myself, but I personally don't see much evidence of it - at least when appraising teams with whom I am very familiar, such as NI.

We'll disregard your comments about the Faroes then.

My comment about having watched NI play live, home and away, for nearly 40 years was actually comparing your (self-assumed) knowledge of the NI team versus mine.

I'd like to think I know a bit about the Faroes, too, but I don't come on here bumming about it like you do. (Like the "we" btw - speak for everyone do you? Or is that the "Royal We"?)

Explain.

Simple. It is clear from your frequent posts on anything to do with the NI team that you are rather less well-disposed towards them than eg the average foot.ie poster who, in my experience, is normally fairly reasonable*. I have concluded, therefore, that you are prejudiced towards the team.

* - That is where they have a view at all - many don't particularly.

NI had 5 centre halves by trade on the field against Italy.

Disingenuous - only two of them were playing at CB (Hughes and Craigan), with two more playing as orthodox Full Backs in a conventional 4-4-2. The fifth player, Chris Baird has not played regularly at CB for at least three seasons, since Sanchez/NI and Hodgson/Fulham converted him to Midfield, where he played at least 40 of his 52 appearances for Fulham last season (most of the rest were at Full Back). In fact, I'm pretty sure he didn't play CB more than 4 or 5 times the whole of the season and then only in emergency.
Nor has he played CB for NI since NW took over.

Both central midfielders (Davis and Baird) played extremely deep.

Disingenuous again, since this ignores the other two midfielder in NI's 4-4-2, Brunt and McCann, both of whom were under clear instructions to try to get at Italy down the flanks, with crosses etc, rather than "tuck in" to defend the middle of the field. Had NW been defensive, he might easily have replaced one of them with eg Sammy Clingan. Alternatively, when making substitutions in the period when Italy were most on top (i.e. mid 2nd half), NW chose to bring on a striker (Lafferty) and a wee flying winger (McGinn) - hardly "ultra defensive".
And in any case, Davis got forward as often as he could, including a splendid 1-2 with McGinn, where had he gone down in the penalty area a la Robbie Keane, when nudged by his opponent, he might well have got a penalty. Instead he tried a shot, which forced a decent save from the keeper.
That was in the 90th minute, btw - hardly evidence of clinging on to a draw, is it?

Feeney played more as a midfielder than a striker.

Not so. After the first 20-25 minutes, when Pirlo was beginning to shine, Feeney was instructed to drop deeper, both to try to disrupt him, but also to prevent our strikers from becoming too isolated from their midfield. (Both of them being short i.e. not target men, they were never going to win long balls out of defence when up against a giant Italian back four. Therefore NI were under clear instructions to try to pass their way up the field).
So 4-4-1-1 is hardly "ultra defensive", as you claimed. And in any case, when NW brought on two subs, NI wrested back a bit more territory and possession, allowing Feeney to play more forward again, alongside Lafferty.

Ultra defensive tactics for a team playing at home in other words.

No, just in your words.
Playing eg 4-5-1, may sometimes be thought "defensive". Playing 4-6-0, as eg Craig Levein did in Prague, is "ultra defensive". Playing 4-4-2, as NW set out in Belfast, with the personnel employed to fill those places and the substitutions made, is most definitely NOT "ultra defensive".
Which is why eg, Prandelli made no mention of it, why La Gazetta (quoted earlier) made no mention of it, and why eg UEFA's official report, written by an Italian btw, made no mention of it:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro2012/mat...ort/index.html

Quite simply, NI set out to try and attack Italy, they created a number of chances, but were forced on the defensive for periods of the game by the superior play of the Italians, especially the outstanding Pirlo. It is, quite frankly, bull s h i t to claim that NI were "ultra defensive"; I know, because I was there.
You, of course, were not. Therefore I can only conclude that your continuing effort to maintain this claim, in the face of all the facts, is yet more evidence of the prejudice by you towards NI, to which I alluded earlier.

On the contrary, I thought the Faroes were unlucky not to win.

Really? That is hardly reflected in the official UEFA report on the match:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro2012/mat...rthern+ireland
How do you account for the above, then?
For myself, whilst I do not begrudge the Faroes their well-earned point, it is, quite frankly, ludicrous to claim they ought to have won.
Or would you like to tell me how you managed to miss the 22 chances created by NI (12 on target btw), to the FI five? How do you explain NI getting 8 corners to FI one? Or the 3 FI bookings, to NI's one? The 17 to 12 foul count by FI? Unfortunately I don't have the stats for possession and territory, but I would be astonished if NI's count was less than 60% for both.
Therefore, I can only conclude that you were watching the game with the jaundiced eye that you reserve for all things NI.

The result wasn't a surprise to anyone who had watched the Faroes and NI play in recent times.

May we take it that you "caned" the bookies then, who were offering very attractive odds on a Draw?

Although maybe you weren't expecting such generosity from them, seeing as they will have drawn up the odds in the light of having "watched the Faroes and NI play in recent times[sic]".

You know, the Faroe Islands team which had lost their recent two games 5-1 to Slovenia and 5-0 to Italy, as opposed to the NI team which had won 1-0 in Slovenia and drawn 0-0 with Italy.

No "surprise" there, then...

[EalingGreen]

I was, and point taken about the rest though it's barely a big deal either way.

Absolutely.

In fact, the obvious respect between the two opposing managers is much more noteworthy (sorry) than some slip of the tongue by one of them in a Press Conference in the run-up to the game.

[The Fly]

In NI's case, we frequently "fall between two stools"

How true.

[EalingGreen]

How true.

Yep, most frequently we fall between these two stools:

England:


ROI:


P.S. The above is a joke, btw, in case anyone starts feeling offended...

[The Fly]

P.S. The above is a joke, btw, in case anyone starts feeling offended...

[SwanVsDalton]

P.S. The above is a joke, btw, in case anyone starts feeling offended...

I am offended, was just trying to eat a ham and cheese bap there...

[geysir]

How true.

Now, that's perception.
Very good.

[The Fly]

Now, that's pearsheption.
Very good.

Fixed!

[seanfhear]

Brian Kerr for England. It should make Nigel Worthington happy.

[ifk101]

Simple. It is clear from your frequent posts on anything to do with the NI team that you are rather less well-disposed towards them than eg the average foot.ie poster who, in my experience, is normally fairly reasonable*. I have concluded, therefore, that you are prejudiced towards the team.

* - That is where they have a view at all - many don't particularly.

I don't have the time or energy to wade through the entirety of your waffle. But it's quite clear from the frequent of your posts on the NI team that you are OTT sensitive about any comment you perceive as putting a negative light on NI. I simply stated that in my opinion the North and Faroe Islands play a similar brand of ultra negative football. And I stand by that. Anybody that interested can simply watch the NI-Italy and NI-Faroes games and form their own opinions.

[IsMiseSean]

May we take it that you "caned" the bookies then, who were offering very attractive odds on a Draw?

I did...

[EalingGreen]

I don't have the time or energy to wade through the entirety of your waffle.

Really? Or might it just be that your previous "evidence" having been exposed as nonsense, you don't have anything left, no matter how measly, to come back with?

But it's quite clear from the frequent of your posts on the NI team that you are OTT sensitive about any comment you perceive as putting a negative light on NI.

I'm an NI fan, so I post on that topic. And when I see the team I support being unfairly criticised (imo), I defend them. That's how football mb's work.
If you (and one or two others) weren't so quick to "sink the boot in", I wouldn't feel inclined to reply so frequently.

I simply stated that in my opinion the North and Faroe Islands play a similar brand of ultra negative football. And I stand by that.

Expressing an opinion is one thing. But when you insist on maintaining it, even in the face of (overwhelming) hard facts to the contrary, then you cease to hold an "opinion" and cross the line into prejudice. Again.

Anybody that interested can simply watch the NI-Italy and NI-Faroes games and form their own opinions.

That would certainly suit me. Then again, it suits you, since you know that no-one is going to bother, don't you?
So for those who are disinclined to spend 180 minutes reviewing the video, I suggest they spend 10 minutes reading your posts and mine on the topic of NI's alleged "ultra defensive" tactics - I'd be quite happy for them to form their own opinions from that.

[EalingGreen]

Anyhow, to lighten the mood and bring the thread back on topic, apparently Kerr took a wee stroll downtown after the match and ended up in a bar full of NI fans, where he made a great impression:



He even participated in the Kareoke, where he sang "Moi Way":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5YZjFAp-Fw


Anyhow, he seems to have gone up greatly in the estimation of the fans who were there (and mine, too, btw).

[SwanVsDalton]

Where is that EG? Is it Cafe Natur in Torshavn by any chance? Have great memories of that place from our own trip there years back...

[third policeman]

Great post EG. Love the Kerr footage. With respect to your exchange with IFK it ill behoves any ROI fan to criticise NI for negativity. Watched the Italy game after our horror show with Russia and there is no doubt that NI played more football on the ground and completed more passes than we did.