The Big Question?

[Qwerty]

So now our players are crap? Keane sucks? They're donkeys? We have players that are as good as the Swiss and Israelis - better really I'm sure you'll admit, finishing less than second in this group is a firing offence. We have a team made up of premiership players which is one of the strongest leagues in the world, what more do you want?

The last campaign ended with key games against Russia and the Swiss, we all know what happened. This time it is Cyprus and the Swiss, an easier challenge to be sure - if Kerr cannot get 6 points there is no way he can stay, somebody needs to carry the can.

Also you can't compare Kerr and McCarthy - the FAI decided to install a managerial rookie in McCarthy, who began with a very very weak squad. Kerr has been in management for 25 years before he took on the Ireland job. Anyway I'm a Charlton man, I know the football wasn't always great but he has still to be bettered and that is a fact. Euro 88 and Italia 90 were great events which will live long in the memory.

[lopez]

Some good points from all here but two things swing it for me.

...People say that McCarthy was given three campaigns to get it right - which is correct. But on each of the occassions that we failed to qualify for a Championship under McCarthy, we at least made the play-offs...

So now our players are crap? Keane sucks? They're donkeys? We have players that are as good as the Swiss and Israelis - better really I'm sure you'll admit...We have a team made up of premiership players which is one of the strongest leagues in the world, what more do you want?...if Kerr cannot get 6 points there is no way he can stay, somebody needs to carry the can.

If there is no play-off spot at least, he has to go (go back to what he was doing brilliantly which is the under-age section). He seems totally out of his depth here with a team that is hardly in the period of 'reconstruction.' The FAI handed the poison chalice of Charlton to McCarthy ten years ago. Nobody wanted it then (Remember Joe Kinnear hoping that McCarthy would fail in two to four years and he'd walk in for a Golden pension?)

Keane aside, the side that was left by McCarthy was just flaky from the inevitability of a manager that has stayed too long with the team (Please God cue same for the rampant Swede of Soho). A decent manager with good back up (Kerr and Hughton at the front here) should have been employed. Instead the FAI went for a manager who has had no dealings with senior players at such a high level, perhaps because it left enough behind in the Merrion Mansions buiscuit tin for the Xmas pub crawl. Hope I'm wrong, but it's three years wasted IMO.

[Stuttgart88]

Very simple but yet absolutely right article in the Guardian today (not from our friend paul Doyle!). Jon Brodkin - I presume he's English so is less emotionally attached than us:

The Republic of Ireland's home defeat by France was met with defiance. "It is not over yet, definitely not," said the goalkeeper Shay Given. "We are looking to get six points from the last two games and that will give us a chance." This is true but nothing achieved under Brian Kerr suggests it will happen.
For all the positive results in friendlies, including victories over the Czech Republic, Portugal and Holland, Kerr's Ireland have yet to beat one of Europe's middle- or upper-ranked sides in a competitive match. To stand a hope of going to the World Cup, realistically via a play-off, that will have to change at home to Switzerland next month.

Assuming Ireland first win in Cyprus - and nothing can be taken for granted, especially with Roy Keane, Clinton Morrison and Andy Reid suspended -what of Switzerland's visit?
Kerr's record in seven qualifiers against the Swiss, Russia, Israel and France reads five draws and two defeats. Ireland possess the talent to beat an unexceptional Swiss team but the same was true against Israel. Four points dropped against them from winning positions must haunt the manager.

Kerr may not be under the same pressure as Sven-Goran Eriksson but in some ways his situation is more precarious. His contract runs only to the end of this campaign and is unlikely to be renewed without a World Cup place. He could not rescue a Euro 2004 campaign that began awfully under Mick McCarthy.

Losing to France was no disgrace and aspects of the display were good but at best Ireland are treading water. France's coach Raymond Domenech called them "predictable" and they certainly lack ingenuity to complement their undoubted energy.

With Damien Duff double-marked and Robbie Keane quiet, they made few chances. Keane's peripheral role at Tottenham can hardly be helping.

[Tram_14]

I've just heard on Newstalk that the FAI have announced that if Brian Kerr doesn't qualify ireland for the World Cup they will approach Martin O' Neill. I am livid about this. Just when we have the two most important games coming up, the FAI show that they have no confidence in Kerr. I can't believe the stupidity of this move, if there is a wrong thing to do the FAI will do it......Let me see.... how can we make an already difficult situation even more difficult........Mmmm...I know!!. What do they think this will achieve? I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, there's nothing on the FAI wesbsite.

It's one thing if they have made this known to Kerr privately (I doubted, as this would be a form of communication), its another making it known publicly.

BTW: I have the faith that Brian Kerr will qualify us for WC & totally agree with Stuttgart88's article below "Losing to France was no disgrace".

[Lim till i die]

Brian Kerr has to go if we don't qualify for the World Cup. In fact I wouldn't mind if he did the decent thing and resigned now. On wednesday night the man once again made his complete tactical ineptitude apparent for all to see. Just what exactly was the gameplan, pray tell

Also with regards to Martin O'Neill I don't thimk he'd touch the Ireland job with a barge pole, the man has far too much ambition and should hold out for a top premiership side

[Tram_14]

[QUOTE ]Brian Kerr has to go if we don't qualify for the World Cup. In fact I wouldn't mind if he did the decent thing and resigned now. On wednesday night the man once again made his complete tactical ineptitude apparent for all to see. Just what exactly was the gameplan, pray tell[/QUOTE]

What would be the point of Brian Kerr leaving now? With only two games to go & still a possibility of qualifying? Give the man his full term. If we don't qualify there is something to discuss then.

Did you have a better gameplan for the France game?

(sorry about the double thread mod)

[tetsujin1979]

Also with regards to Martin O'Neill I don't thimk he'd touch the Ireland job with a barge pole, the man has far too much ambition and should hold out for a top premiership side

He won't go back into club football until his wife is healthy enough that he can be away from her for the amount of time a job like that would entail, which is why international football could be a happy medium (tournaments aside) he would be able to spend the majority of every month with her.

For the FAI to even mention another manager by name is pretty insulting, they should be coming out and backing their man to the last. If he fails to qualify then fine, he doesn't deserve a new contract, otherwise he's the man in the job and should be supported.

[Donal81]

I've never liked calling for heads after one game. All this talk of our donkeys of players and our amateurish manager will simply disappear if we qualify for the World Cup. Have some patience and perspective, he's had one real campaign and hasn't had a whole load of luck. Where will it get us if we go sacking managers each time we fail to qualify for a tournament?

Yes, the games against Israel and away to Switzerland were disappointing in the extreme and those games, especially the Israeli games, have cost us very dearly. But against France, what did he do wrong? A friend of mine texted me after the game saying that Kerr had been exposed as an Eircom League manager who's out of his depth. His evidence was that Docherty and Harte was the plan B. Fair enough but we hadn't done a thing between Andy Reid, Duff, Keane, Keane and Morrison so what option did he have? Another friend said he should have had Elliot on from the 60th minute. Would that really have made a difference?

Kerr has made his mistakes but let's not put all the blame on his shoulders: some of the players just aren't international class and that's not his fault. He has to take some responsibility for the standard of free-kicks but if players decide to hoof the ball into the crowd instead of placing it in the box, he can't do much about that.

Nor is it his fault that the FAI won't invest properly in youth players and we don't have a rich generation of players coming through although there is a lot of talent there.

Give him another campaign, definitely.