Brian Kerrs latest outburst sadly seems to reflect the bitterness that still lives with him after his dismissal, I think he should learn to keep his good counsel, as his comments about brady and player unrest - breaking curfews etc are neither helpful or required at this new juncture in Irish Football
He's been at that in all his recent columns in the IT.... it's like he thinks he's been very 'clever' because he appears to have an 'insider' in the the Irish camp...in fact all he's doing is confirming that he is nothing but a petty little man whom we all know blew it when he had his chance on the 'big stage', love the way Trap' responded to his comments and with style and gravitas swatted the annoying little pest that Kerr has turned into... as an aside I also find it very disappointing that the IT engages kerr then again they also employ Tom Humphries.
Funny, I was thinking the exact same while reading his article in the weekends Irish Times. He comes across as bitter, resentful & begrudging. His whole piece was a checklist of finger wagging at the various decisions & tactics adopted by the new team. Not to mention a fairly unabashed attack at the fans/crowd by saying they don't want a patient passing game & to just lump it up the field to the beanpoles (obviously he's still annoyed that people saw past his dour gameplan for what it was; thoughtless and go-nowhere). It's such a shame to read a man who I generally hold in high esteem lower himself to immature nitpicking.
as much as i like him i dont know what hes doing. hes making himself look bad and should just keep quiet, its not his business anymore.
He started this midway through Stan's reign, when criticism was deserved, but to do it before the first game, and continue all weekend is just spiteful.
Just as it comes out that he's completed his UEFA Pro license, and is looking to return to management, Kerr gets back in the public consciousness in the worst way possible.
Hate to rain on your parade pal, but he's spot on in this account. I'd say the majority of the fans at the game on Sat don't want us to control games or pass the ball around. There were plenty of idiots around me, 3 times we strung 5/6 passes together and fans were starting to get ancey looking for the hoof ball up to our midget forwards.Originally Posted by amaccann
We'll get what we deserve.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Does anyone have a link to the article?
Here's the link
Sad and bitter
Trapattoni facing into his greatest challenge
BRIAN KERR
ANALYSIS : The new Republic of Ireland manager must now realise the extent of the task awaiting him ahead of his first home match in charge.
After the long-drawn out process of his appointment, with inputs from Don Givens, Ray Houghton, Don Howe, Eamon Dunphy, John Giles, Liam Brady and maybe even FAI chief executive John Delaney, since Steve Staunton's departure last October, we finally have a match to watch with our new coach.
And what a coach he is. Giovanni Trapattoni, the most highly qualified Irish manager with an unrivalled record at club level, although the CV does contain notable blemishes on the international stage where, despite some extenuating circumstances, ultimately Italy failed under his tenure at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.
Without similar quality at his disposal Trap has already mentioned the need to work miracles for the Republic of Ireland. This undertaking may prove the greatest challenge of a long, distinguished career in the dugout.
The decision to go for a clean sweep in the backroom sounds fine but discarding efficient kit-man Malcolm Slattery, hugely popular master of all trades John Fallon and not to forget kisser-in-chief Mick Byrne may have caused a few initial rumbles of discontent. Not to mention obvious teething problems including a lack of goalkeeping jerseys and training bibs until just minutes before the recent friendly in Portugal.
It is usually the done thing for a new coach to bring in new personnel but the hiring and firing role of Liam Brady along with his surly, uncomprehending demeanour has not endeared him to seasoned squad members and the staff that have been retained. Also, with the ultra professional Italians on board, the team faces into a period where laughs may be as scarce as hen's teeth.
Brady, one of Irish football's true legends as a player, has ground to make up with those players still bristling from his columns and comments as a TV pundit during recent campaigns. This could conceivably include Lee Carsley, Kevin Kilbane, Robbie Keane, Aiden McGeady and John O'Shea.
Indeed, I understand his involvement with Trapattoni at the Stephen Ireland meeting did not go down so well - the Corkman being incensed by Brady's headmaster approach when seeking the Manchester City midfielder's return to the international fold.
Part 2
I've mentioned before how imperative it is that Steve Finnan, Andy O'Brien and Ireland return given the paucity of international quality in the current squad. Their absence from these next two games indicates the wrong approach is being taken. This could lead to further alienation of the trio and other players nearing retirement age. Unfortunately, many of the present-day players often require constant encouragement and outlandish pampering to commit themselves to the green jersey.
From my own experience it was obvious the Portuguese training camp and matches were of little value to the new management team when it comes to working with the real Irish team. The fact that just four of the line-up against Brazil showed up tells its own story. At least the addition of Keane, Richard Dunne, O'Shea and McGeady makes the squad interaction more relevant this week.
Portugal merely served to confirm for Trapattoni the lack of true depth of our squad. No matter how much he dresses it up. Many of the new players given an opportunity will never make an impact in a successful Irish side. In attempting to combine on-field application with off-field discipline, Italian style, Trap would have been hugely disappointed with players breaking the 1am curfew by several hours. At least he knows the score now.
That said, there are many positive aspects to the new regime and potential remains evident with a full-strength Irish team on the pitch. We wish Trap well on his latest adventure.
Ireland's tactical Trap - will fans stomach catenaccio?
IRELAND'S NEW tactical approach? While there have been plenty of references to Giovanni Trapattoni's traditionally cautious approach, this has been clouded by some mixed messages from the man himself. Perhaps it's the shortfall in English lessons but his initial statement that, "It is dangerous to change a lot" conflicts with more recent utterings when he talked about introducing a more measured tempo for the Republic of Ireland: "All I say to them is to go quiet." Can this be interpreted as the gradual introduction of catenaccio to Irish football?
I agree completely with the initial sentiment that it is dangerous to completely overhaul our natural style and it will be intriguing to observe an attempted adoption of a more cautious, disciplined approach with players who have not been brought up on this type of football.
All attempts at change from 4-4-2 or the recent fashion of 4-2-2-1-1, with a fast and furious pressing style, has been frowned upon by both fans and media alike - even dating back to the John Giles midfield maestro era in the 1970s (Incidentally, I used to like the Giles way. He would demand the ball from the defenders and pass it. Demand it back and supply the forwards but the crowd always wanted it up the pitch quicker. Giles was brilliant but the terraces couldn't stand it).
Indeed, Trap is correct when he states "success is more important than to play well", but the education of the Irish international-going punter (not always the most genuine fan mind, rather the supporter who has access to tickets) and our media to a more modern, hybrid version of catenaccio should prove very interesting to observe.
The implementation of such tactics both home and away may lead to more consistent results, especially achieving the crucial sticky points on the road, that prove so crucial for qualification.
But trying to achieve this in the negative style of Greek manager Otto Rehhagel at Euro 2004, whom Trap has held up as an example for Ireland to follow, will hardly endear him to the children of the Jack Charlton army, reared on the "Put Them Under Pressure" mantra.
Tonight will tell us more.
* Catenaccio is a tactical system with an emphasis on defence. In Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt" and the system was made famous by Argentinian trainer Helenio Herrera at Inter Milan in the 1960s who used it to grind out 1-0 wins.
I see that as a very honest piece. Fair play to him.
As Irishmen we dilute our sense of nation by depending on the English to bring us our balls
I am not fan of Kerr but having now read the piece there is a fair bit of truth in it.
There are more little petty digs there than on College Road.
Ceci n'est pas une signature
Honest maybe but because its Kerr it tainted with Bitterness!
Trap would have been hugely disappointed with players breaking the 1am curfew by several hours. At least he knows the score now.
Seems fair enough to me - generally supportive of the manager, having a dig at senior players (as have many on here), which may be either bitterness or just honesty. I mean Trapattoni is only trying to do what Kerr tried to do - install abit of professionalism in the set up, which got the senior players backs up.
It was always obvious that there was a conflict between Brady being an analyst and part of the management team - surely he can't continue to do both? And players either broke their curfew or they didn't? The FAI either got the gear out to the training Camp or didn't? Highlighting that some things never change isn't really bitterness in my view, even if Delaney won't like it.
tbh Reality Bites, you come across as far more bitter than Kerr does?
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Think he is spot on about the Irish crowd. Other points are irrelevant really. They broke curfew. So what. Stephen Ireand didnt like Brady talking down to him. So what. I think Bradys thoughts on playing for his country are well known. He was never going to be too happy with Stephen Irelands carry on. There is a great qoute from Trapp about the Brady thing. Something along the lines if you are more worried about pundits than getting to the World Cup then stay at home. Amen to that.
btw he seems to have the measure of the Irish hacks.
I have to say I thought Kerr was not that bad as a coach: better than Staunton and possibly better than McCarthy too. The players let him down against Israel twice and if we had got the extra four points off them that we should have done, then we'd have qualified and he would not have been let go. However, rightly or wrongly, that is what happened and he really does need to move on now.
It is very sad when he criticises things in this way - a lot of it unnecessary and contradictory: "...the Corkman being incensed by Brady's headmaster approach when seeking the Manchester City midfielder's return to the international fold" and then "Unfortunately, many of the present-day players often require constant encouragement and outlandish pampering to commit themselves to the green jersey".
The overall tone is negative and critical: nit-picking particular obscure details that may or may not be true and glorifying them in completely disproportionate detail and then ending with "That said, there are many positive aspects to the new regime and potential remains evident with a full-strength Irish team on the pitch." What are those positive aspects? Where is this potential? Why does Kerr not expand and elaborate on the positives? I get the feeling that final sentence was lazily bolted on the end of that piece as an after-thought. Does Kerr want Ireland to succeed or to fail? Which would give him the most pleasure? Reading that I am not altogether sure.
Kerr does betrays a deal of negativity. He is still absorbed by the fallout to his time as manager.
Why bother with small minded negativity?
Backroom staff cleanout ??? who give a féck - Kerr looking for a bit of dirt on an issue that is not that relevant.
Player's Curfew - Kerr is saying 'the players let me down' - 'not my tactics, not my style'.
On Brady - old chips smell the foulest, surmising on players reaction to Brady that they will dislike him just as much as Kerr does.
But
"Giles was brilliant but the terraces couldn't stand it"
Kerr is spot on here.
Giles was about 20 years ahead of his time in the way he wanted Ireland to play.
Anybody could appreciate our tightness with Keane in that home game against France. It's just that everybody else knew we needed a goal at some stage before we repeatedly fell back surrendering 30 40 meters of space in an instant.
We haven't looked as solid since.
Overall Trap will need time and he might buy that time with 3 or 4 away points in the first 2 games.
A few small events can make all the difference to his tenure as Kerr well knows.
Not bitter, I just think Kerr of all people sure keep his powder dry till he has suffcient ammunition to add a critique, I thinking the timing and printing of article is pre-mature, give trappetoni his honeymoon period and critiques are welcome when there is a body of work there to analysis subjectively, but to start nit-picking at carte blanche stage is unhelpful, god knows we have had enough ****e to contend with in Irish football in the last few years..A little bit of optimism would not go astray, judge trappetoni and Brady after the campaign
Despite losing for just 20 minutes in the WC'06 qualifiers, Ireland ultimately failed to qualify for the tournament, despite beating the postmen and binmen of Cyprus and Faroe Islands on the way.
All the pro-Venables camp were at it yesterday, whingeing and whining over the apparant breach of discipline, which the boss was fully aware of. Nice try.
Agree with all that Emmet. I'm a Kerr fan and think he was harshly judged, both by fans and media during his time. His team was miles better than Stauntons, in fact if you look back it's only towards the end of Kerrs reign that things started to go pear shaped. It must particularly annoy him now to see the whole of his time in charge lumped in together with Staunton as five years of disaster. However, as you say he's doing himself no favours now. Any criticism he makes ( and a lot of the article seemed fair enough to me) is bound to be viewed as sour grapes. Really, he should steer clear of comment completely.
Out for a spell, got neglected, lay on the bench unselected.
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