AS PART OF RTÉ’s Confederations Cup coverage, Brian Kerr joined a panel which also included Dietmar Hamann and Richie Sadlier last night.
After watching Germany’s 1-1 draw with Chile, the conversation turned to the state of Irish football and the agricultural style the current senior team plays under Martin O’Neill compared to the German’s “sophisticated brand”.
As a former underage and senior international manager, Kerr possesses a wealth of knowledge on the topic and gave his take.
“I wouldn’t agree completely that it would be unheard of for an Irish team to try play football through the middle and build up the play against good opposition who might come and press us,” Kerr said.
“There have been periods of Irish football, through various managers, where we have played excellent football — as recently as last year at the Euros. It’s one year since we beat Italy, there was nothing wrong that day when it was put up to us that we had to win the match.
“Players stood up and played with an Irishness. There was an aggressive attitude in their play, but also there was invention, technique and skill. That brilliant goal had build-up with Aiden McGeady and Wesley Hoolahan, a cross into the box and [Robbie] Brady gets up.
“There was stuff happening around the midfield area that day that gave me hope that we were coming back to eras that we’ve seen.”
After the highs of last summer, the Boys in Green have enjoyed a successful qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup and sit second in Group D after six matches — level on points with Serbia.
However, O’Neill’s side have received criticism for the lack of invention and creativity in their play — especially in the recent 1-1 draw at home to Austria.
While Irish teams have often played a limited brand of football down through the years, Kerr insists that there have been numerous occasions when they showed an ability to get the ball down and play too.
“Even in the 2002 World Cup, when we play Germany in that famous game and Robbie [Keane] scored the equalising goal,” he added. “What football were we playing then? We weren’t playing biff, bang, wallop stuff and getting it up to Niall Quinn and Tony Cascarino.
“There was a mix in the Irish game at that time that I think all of us liked the look of. The attitude was ‘let’s get the ball down and play’, and try to out-play Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal or France.
I don’t mind saying that, that was our attitude. We can play with our bit of passion, our mixture, our style… yeah, a bit of aggression and a bit of tackling, but also when we have the ball you find a green shirt and stick it into whoever the player is.
“It was about trying to outplay the opposition technically, tactically some days and, yeah, we had to battle and scrap.”
Kerr went to say that the inconsistency between the senior side and what is being coached at underage level is also an issue.
“I think we can do that but should we be playing our U17, U19 or U21 teams in one way and then our senior team is completely different,” he said. “That’s where we seem to be at the moment. There’s an idea that we should be developing players with technique and skill, try to build it up through midfield, but the senior team is detached from that.
“I understand that the senior manager has to do the job and try to win the matches anyway you can, that’s your brief. But there’s a lack of consistency about that.”
Watch the full discussion on the RTÉ player (2.11.00 in)
It’s a disgrace that the FAI do not have him onboard as part of their youth development. Clearly he’s not involved as Delaney is no doubt threatened by him. When Noel King’s tenure ends as U21 coach, this man should get the job. If the FAI and Roy Keane can work together again then they should do the same with Brian Kerr.
@Peter Nagle: How Noel King is still employed by the FAI is the biggest mystery of all! Must have something on Delaney or something
@Sean O’Shea: he a yes man plain and simple
@Nucky: I will have to agree with you on that one Nucky. Imagine going through life as a Yes Man. – No Way Jose! (Quoted from that priest talking about boilers in father Ted) -His name eludes me…..Anyone?
@Sean O’Shea: What’s your favourite humming noise?
@An_Beal_Bocht: haha, class… can you name the priest though ? :)
@Peter Nagle: Any dissenting voices in the FAI have long since been rooted out.
We need a stronger League of Ireland, England aren’t going to develop our players for us anymore. It should be seen as a golden opportunity for growth rather than a problem child.
@China Photo Daily: too much competition for spectators among other sports on our small island
@Jah: Judging from the Irish support for Celtic, Liverpool and Man Utd I wouldn’t agree. The sport is huge in working class urban areas where neither GAA nor Rugby is particularly prominent. There’s a large market here for soccer that has for a long time been exploited instead by the British leagues instead of our own, it’s madness the FAI has never been able to make any headway with it.
@Jah: yes
He is grumpy but he has a wealth of knowledge. He should be involved.
@austin flevin: He is not grumpy..if anything he is a quite cheerful and optimistic fellow.
Makes some fair points but as I recall while manager he regularly deployed centre half Gary Doherty as a striker and human long ball magnet….
@Johnny 5: Regularly? Bit harsh. Seem to remember them playing France off the pitch in Paris in a world cup qualifier tho
@An_Beal_Bocht: a nil nil classic. Playing them off the park? Rose tinted glasses there. Kerrs teams where brutal to watch.
I like Brian Kerr but listening to him speak os like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.I remember he was doing Champions League coverage on Tv3 this year and he said of some defender clearing the ball ‘he got his noggin to it’!Your not down the pub now Brian.Keep it smart on tv.And can Louis Copeland not tailor a suit that fits him?He’s swimming in every tin of fruit i’ve ever seen!
@mark kenny: oh Christ his accent coupled with the slow suffering tempo of it is just horrific. Is there anyone that doesn’t have a Dublin accent working on rte or TV3 for match analysis?
@mark kenny: You disgusting snobs. One of my professors in college was originally from the liberties and had a brilliant natural accent. The broadcasting airwaves are completely dominated and polluted by non-descript “mid-Atlantic” accents. You can listen to doses like Miriam O’Callaghan et al all you want. Give me Brian anyday
@An_Beal_Bocht:
Shut up.I’m a Dub with a strong Dublin accent and love the Dublin accent,but Kerr’s is downright annoying.A lot of Dubs can’t stand his bleedin accent.
@Pat Ryan:
It’s not the Dublin accent,it’s the way he talks does me head in.
@mark kenny: What’s the “Dublin” accent? There are about three different dub accents that I know of and I wouldn’t even consider the noise D4 Ross O’Carroll Kelly types make an actual accent – just an embarrassing imitation of a Californian.
@An_Beal_Bocht:
Your right.That southside accent is awful.Dublin accent is great.Well i would say that but Kerr has a voice i have never heard anywhere in the capital.And believe me,i’ve been around the block.He’s a great man but an awful accent.
@mark kenny: Come down off your pedestal pal.
@Paul Mc Nulty:
Lighten up fellow city slicker.Sure tis only a bit of banter.Have a good weekend pal.
@An_Beal_Bocht: well said,,,dome ppl must be ashamed of their wonderful regional accents ,why,?rte is scarce of local /regional accents,,, getting like the BBC
Hahahahahahahahahahah ……………..brilliant !!!
@An_Beal_Bocht: Reminds me of the time one of the Rubberbandits was on Joe Duffy and he asked him when he was going to speak properly. There are far thicker Limerick accents.
A fat clown Bill, a fat clown for all to see.
” Tin of fruit”? And Brian Kerr is criticised for his accent!
His teams played a brutal negative style of football. it was painful to watch.
@Jim Ivers: Now he’s the saviour. Sadly we don’t produce the type of player that can play technical football for 90 minutes like Barcelona. So we are better off playing long passes to the forward. RTE panel seems hang up on this myth that we used to play like the 82 Brazil team. Jack Charlton got us to the quarter final of the world cup we should focus on that style on football and not this tici tati crap.
Astute,calculating ,on the ball,no crap manager
Richie Sadliers talent is also wasted as a pundit-the made an appearance at under age level for crying out loud!