hey brennser.......

[Frank Gallagher]

....sorry about the whole world cup thing.  

[brennser]

thanks mank - yeah, its a bummer but in the end Kerr just wasn't up to the task of getting the best out of the senior side, despite his success at other levels
 
 when you let Israel back into both your home and away games after leading both you don't deserve to qualify
 
 4th place is pretty embarassing though - worst performance since 1986
 
 the media must be having a field day at home today - Martin O'Neil is the main person I've heard as a replacement - are there any others?

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by brennser:
  - Martin O'Neil is the main person I've heard as a replacement - are there any others?

Keano! Although I think that's peoples emotions kicking into high-gear.
 
 This is not a put-down because I really have always supported Ireland after England...as do most English..pity the Irish can't return the favour but that's for another discussion......
 
 .....anyhooooo. Ireland, I fear are heading into a decade of a lousy national soccer team. Of the current squad there's only three players that would even have been considered during Jack Charlton's regime......Shay Given, Roy Keane and Damien Duff. The truth is, Ireland just don't have quality players, or any seemingly coming through the ranks. John O'Shea had one great season, Liam Miller has disappeared after his transfer from Celtic to United, Reid needs another season away from Notts Forest and playing in the premiership and Robbie Keane is one of the most overrated strikers in Europe. Add to that a manager who has no game plan.....Jack Charlton had the much hated long-ball, but at least it was a game plan for crying out loud, which worked very well for them. It's 0-0 so Kerr brings off two strikers and replaces them with two strikers....a draw or a loss means the same thing....seeeeeeeeeeeee ya! So you put on all four strikers and go for it for the last 20 minutes or so. Besides, you've got Given who's playing so well he doesn't even need a back line in front of him, so go for it you heartless Dub!
 
 I don't know anything about Kerr's career but I do know he's way out of his league at the national level.
 
 Whoever replaces him will have a hard, if not impossible task of living up to expectations...not unlike Gordon Strachan at Celtic.....he just doesn't have the players to produce the results demanded. At least Strachan can go out and buy a couple....a national manager has to wait for them to be born, or at least find out their grandad was born in Ennis or somewhere.
 
 The other thing I found rather funny was after the Cyprus match. Ireland didn't play well but pulled out a win. The fans and the media are all over them for playing badly....THEY FUCKING WON! It seems the Irish would rather their team play well and lose than to play poorly and win.
 
 Finally, how many of the current Irish squad actually have Irish accents, other than Keano (Cork) Given (Donegal) and O'Shea (Waterford)....all I could hear during interviews was various English accents.

[Guiny]

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
 

Add to that a manager who has no game plan [/b]

GAME PLAN: Kick the little white ball in the ridiculously large net.

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
   

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
 

Add to that a manager who has no game plan [/b]

GAME PLAN: Kick the little white ball in the ridiculously large net. [/b]

You should apply for the job of manager for the Irish national team, seeing as you know absolutely NOTHING about the beautiful game.

[Guiny]

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
 

You should apply for the job of manager for the Irish national team, seeing as you know absolutely NOTHING about the beautiful game. [/b]

What does beautiful mean where you are? I've never heard that word used towards any game before, even your football.

[Frank Gallagher]

Again, you show your ignorance regarding this sport. I was going to give you a link but there's so many, so just google "The beautiful game" and you will see for yourself.

[brennser]

good comments - responses below
 
   

 Keano! Although I think that's peoples emotions kicking into high-gear.

Definitely - he doesn't want the job and there was a great guardian article a few weeks ago on the reasons why Keane WON'T be a good manager
 
 http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1582919,00.html
 
 

 This is not a put-down because I really have always supported Ireland after England...as do most English..pity the Irish can't return the favour but that's for another discussion......

actually I think you'll be surprised - I fully intend to root for engerland next year and I also recall people in Ireland getting very into Englands Euro 96 run when Gazza was at his magical best
 
 
 

 .....anyhooooo. Ireland, I fear are heading into a decade of a lousy national soccer team. Of the current squad there's only three players that would even have been considered during Jack Charlton's regime......Shay Given, Roy Keane and Damien Duff. The truth is, Ireland just don't have quality players, or any seemingly coming through the ranks. John O'Shea had one great season, Liam Miller has disappeared after his transfer from Celtic to United, Reid needs another season away from Notts Forest and playing in the premiership and Robbie Keane is one of the most overrated strikers in Europe. Add to that a manager who has no game plan.....Jack Charlton had the much hated long-ball, but at least it was a game plan for crying out loud, which worked very well for them. It's 0-0 so Kerr brings off two strikers and replaces them with two strikers....a draw or a loss means the same thing....seeeeeeeeeeeee ya! So you put on all four strikers and go for it for the last 20 minutes or so. Besides, you've got Given who's playing so well he doesn't even need a back line in front of him, so go for it you heartless Dub!

agree with most of this - Kerr has been out of his depth as a senior manager (he was a great youths and u-21 manager) and his tactics have been abysmal and can be blamed for us not qualifying - we might be headed into a decade of futility bu we might not, and I also think we've always faced the situation where we only have 3-5 world class players at any given time - was the same in Charltons era - difference was Charlton and even McCarthy could make average players feel like they were world beaters when they pulled on an Irish jersey
 
   

Whoever replaces him will have a hard, if not impossible task of living up to expectations...

except that expectations are quite low now because quite frankly, we suck
 
   

It seems the Irish would rather their team play well and lose than to play poorly and win.  

not true - the reaction to the Cyprus game is just an accumulation of frustrations at seeing a team that played France off the park in France struggle against Cyprus
 
   

 Finally, how many of the current Irish squad actually have Irish accents, other than Keano (Cork) Given (Donegal) and O'Shea (Waterford)....all I could hear during interviews was various English accents.

Yawn, yawn, yawn - big fuckin deal if we use the granny rule every so often, and quite frankly its a little inaccurate...in addition to Keaon, Given and O'Shea other native Irish on the team include Carr, the Other Keane, Elliot, Doyle, Duff, Miller, Kavanagh, Harte, Quinn, Maybury, and Dunne are all Irish born - McPhail is US born but grew up in Ireland

[Guiny]

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
  Again, you show your ignorance regarding this sport. I was going to give you a link but there's so many, so just google "The beautiful game" and you will see for yourself.

It's a sport? Oh I thought after seeing the "beautiful" comment it was some kind of modeling pageant or something.

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
   

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
  Again, you show your ignorance regarding this sport. I was going to give you a link but there's so many, so just google "The beautiful game" and you will see for yourself.

It's a sport? Oh I thought after seeing the "beautiful" comment it was some kind of modeling pageant or something. [/b]

The way it's played in some countries....you're not that far off.  

[Guiny]

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
 

The way it's played in some countries....you're not that far off.    [/b]

Just ask Beckham?

[vansmack]

I too was disappointed in Ireland.  Keano can't take the job yet, but he's right: they don't go in with a workman like attitude and that starts at the top.  He may be an asshole, but he's effective and has a track record to back it up.  And you'd love to have him on your team.
 
 I disagree though Mank - I think they will continue to improve as they are still a young squad.  That being said, they will have the same problem that United may be facing - replacing Roy Keane in the middle to dictate the game.

[brennser]

I don't know anything about Kerr's career but I do know he's way out of his league at the national level.  

in many ways Kerrs failures at the senior level can be seen in the same light as the inability of most successful college coaches in the States to coach pros
 
 from the fai website....
 
 "Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr is no stranger to success with a remarkable record in charge of national under-age teams between 1997 and 2003.
 
 The highlights were the 2-1 victory over Italy in the European Under 16 Championship final in Perth, Scotland in 1998 and then, the same year, his Under 18 team won another European title when beating Germany in the final in Cyprus, 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after the teams had finished level at 1-1 after extra time.
 
 Kerr was also a winner when his side triumphed in the Portuguese Under 16 tournament in April 1998, then Nordic Cup winners in the Under 18 tournament in Iceland the same year. That was followed by victory in the Youth Olympics in Spain in 2001 and last week his Under 20 side won the four nation tournament in Abu Dhabi against host nation United Arab Emirates, South Korea and France.
 
 At Under 20 level, he has twice led Ireland sides to the World Youth Championships, with Ireland finishing third in 1997 and then reaching the last 16 in 1999.
 
 Kerr's team had to be satisfied with third place in the European Under 18 finals in Sweden later in 1999 when defeating Greece 1-0 in the third-place play-off."

Originally posted by Roadbike Mankie:
  just google "The beautiful game" and you will see for yourself.

<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1840239433.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt=" - " />

[Frank Gallagher]

Three more names in the rumour mill for the next boss...
 
 David O'Leary
 Sir Alex Ferguson
 Bobby Robson