(new pro Irish side)Getting lost in transition

GeorgeBush

Getting lost in transition
The Irish Independent

IT should have been a perfect week for Brian Kerr. After the draw against Brazil last month, which not only gave confidence to an Irish team still struggling to understand the wreckage of Basel, but did so in front of a large audience enthralled by the majesty of the Brazilians, Ireland had now beaten one of the best sides in Europe.

The Czech Republic had brought something to Lansdowne Road on Wednesday that the Brazilians hadn't bothered with: their competitiveness and desire to continue their 20-match unbeaten record matched the eagerness which the Irish team habitually bring to a game, particularly in front of a packed home stadium.

So Kerr was entitled to feel pleased with the accomplishments, but as the week went on he would have to deal, not with questions about his results which, Basel, aside, are impressive, particularly for a coach in his first year in the job, but of rumours of squad unrest, of players still struggling to come to terms with the change brought about so seismically in November 2002, and the ordinary difficulties of transition.

The departure of Stephen Carr from the Irish squad on Tuesday evening following a training ground injury picked up in a tackle with Ian Harte gave the rumours, which have been hanging around for months, a new injection. Carr, it was said, was not injured at all (he started yesterday for Tottenham) but had left following a row with Kerr.

It is a claim aggressively denied by the manager, by Carr's club Tottenham Hotspur and by the player's agent, but the FAI were so concerned about the stories circulating that they made Ireland's captain, Kenny Cunningham, available yesterday morning to deny that there was any rift in the camp.

Cunningham did, however, acknowledge that there were frustrations among the squad last Tuesday, following a training session at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray which was swamped by kids.

This made it impossible for the players to hear the manager or the coaching staff. The mood was not lightened when the players' coach broke down on their return to the team hotel in Killiney.

Cunningham, outstanding on Wednesday night, admitted that he went to see Kerr on Tuesday and that Kerr immediately acknowledged the problems at training. Kerr, however, denied that any other player went to see him about this or any other problem concerning training or preparation. But he did tell the Sunday Independent, "I have discussions all the time with players about what we do and don't do."

Cunningham made a point of stressing the professionalism of the Irish players and their support for Kerr who took over at a difficult time, but the rumours of dissatisfaction remain. "The one thing players do better, even than playing football, is moan," said one observer close to the Irish squad.

When the Irish team travelled to Scotland for Brian Kerr's first match, Ireland had begun the process of change which was always going to be difficult after the Mick McCarthy era. While Roy Keane had exposed the training methods and preparation of McCarthy and his assistant Ian Evans as laughable in modern football, a majority of the players still felt warmly towards McCarthy.

Unlike Keane, many of them were struggling with their clubs. They were in and out of the first team, targeted by their supporters or trying to make their mark outside the Premiership. When they came to Dublin under McCarthy, they got a break, a shoulder to cry on and tea and sympathy.

IT distinguished the Irish weeks from the attritional, wealthy existence many of them had to endure at their clubs and when the international games came, the players felt that they played for their manager and the good results followed.

During the World Cup, in the wake of Roy Keane's departure, they certainly produced results, in the most difficult circumstances, for the manager. After that the affection was not enough.

If Ireland had produced the right results away to Russia and at home to Switzerland, Mick McCarthy would not have been in the position he was in.

He would not have tried to bail out for the Sunderland job before the Switzerland game and he would not have being forced to resign after that defeat. Victory in either of those games and, if McCarthy desired, he could still be manager. The Irish players were ultimately responsible for Mick McCarthy's departure. But for the majority of the squad - good journeyman pros - the rigours of self-analysis which Roy Keane and other great players put themselves through is beyond them.

More than anybody, they had the power to save Mick McCarthy's job and they failed.

Instead of acknowledging this, they spoke of outside forces and mysterious, difficult circumstances surrounding the Swiss game at Lansdowne Road, in particular. They took the road most travelled: they blamed the media.

When Brian Kerr was appointed manager last January, it was an appointment hailed by most people in the country and the majority of the media. He had achieved great success at underage level, but Kerr was aware that he would have to prove himself to a much tougher crowd.

Professional footballers scent weakness with a deadly playfulness and some would approach Kerr's appointment with two major reservations. Obviously, he had not played football at a high level, but this was a failing less significant since the success of Arsene Wenger, in particular. As significantly for the disaffected, Kerr was the choice of the media.

Some of the changes which the players lament pre-date Brian Kerr. Mick Byrne, assistant physio and chief agony aunt, was not part of the squad for the game in Greece which took place two months before Kerr was appointed.

Some of the players missed him; much of the distinguishing features of playing for Ireland, the eccentricities and the laughs were, the players felt, caught up in the exasperating personality of Mick Byrne.

Instead, Ireland have adopted a new professionalism with Kerr open at all times, according to Cunningham, to the suggestions of his players.

Others, sometimes feel it goes too far. After each game, the players receive a DVD of their own performance, an innovation which has been roundly welcomed by the players but there are complaints that too much time is spent on the opposition.

Before the Canadian match in November, players watched a 20-minute video of the opposition, something many senior players felt was unnecessary. "I was just staring into space," one said as he left the room.

Kerr, however, has proved his adaptability and while there is still more video work than there was under McCarthy, it is not believed to be as intensive anymore.

For Kerr too is in transition and has his own mistakes to make. It took Mick McCarthy six games before he won a match - against Bolivia - and he committed errors far more fundamental such as playing Roy Keane at the back and leaving John Aldridge on the bench in a scoreless home draw against Iceland.

Kerr has made mistakes, perhaps most critically in his selection of John O'Shea, who was struggling for form, ahead of Andy O'Brien, for the Swiss game, but again the disaffected point to a lack of spirit in the Irish camp before that game as the reason for the defeat. Taking responsibility seems to be a step too far for their professionalism. Instead, some complain about the manager and their perception of him as a media-friendly coach more concerned with the press than the players (it comes, ironically, at a time when Kerr has been working on his media relations which have deteriorated significantly with certain sections of the press since his appointment).

GeorgeBush

THE unhappy players also complain about certain aspects of the training. They point out that training sessions for top professional players should be sharper and quicker, but others acknowledge that things have improved.

Some also point out that if you had a problem with McCarthy, he would deal with it in his straightforward way. Kerr, they claim, is harder to pin down. It may also be significant that most of the complaints mirror those made by Keane of McCarthy.

But Kerr and the players should take satisfaction from recent performances, particularly Wednesday's where there was no sign of the dissatisfaction in the camp.

There will always be casualties in transition. Over a period of time, McCarthy lost Paul McGrath, John Aldridge and, much later, Denis Irwin, who all had problems of some kind with the manager or his methods. Kerr has lost Gary Kelly and Dean Kiely and there are suggestions that a couple of other fringe players may soon follow them into retirement.

The manager will not be bothered by that, but he will be more concerned with the group of Irish-born players who are expressing dissatisfaction.

Some may be suffering from a type of post-colonialism where they respond better to the harsh bollockings of a North of England accent, like African players who notoriously respond to the urgings of a Frenchman or a German, but mutiny if there is an African appointed.

To win those people over, Kerr would be better off with the air of mystery that comes with a continental accent. They would prefer a manager of whom they know nothing rather than one whom they think they know too well.

Kerr will struggle to win over some who openly admit where not prepared to take to him, while others may go into dissatisfied retirement. "Brian doesn't expect all the players to love everything he does, but he does need their respect," a source close to the management said.

On Thursday, Brian Kerr spoke to the Irish players and he thanked them for the week's work and the satisfying result.

The Irish players may not feel as affectionately for Kerr as they did for McCarthy, but if the manager can keep coaxing performances as powerful as those on Wednesday night, the respect will be earned and the grumbles will become nothing more than the minor consequences of transition.

Dion Fanning

GeorgeBush

I think kerr is doinga brilliant job, he is bringing in professionalism into the job and if some of those players done like it well they know where they can go...

GeorgeBush

what the FAI needs to do is push for that training ground (and head quaters) out in abbotstown..

Id love to know those players who were giving out about having to watch the 20mins about the opposition,,, it wouldnt be o shea and his two left feet by any chance??

As Roy said, fail to prepare, prepare to fail...

No wonder Ireland were crap under Mc CArthy, The way he was treating the players, all setimental and all..

I cant belive Carr ran away like that, cos he got into an arguement with Kerr.... just as well Kerr told him where 2 go and we have a bit of competition on the back 4...

Matty holland better start shaping up as well, a few more performances like that and its adios amigo, go back to division 4 cos ur not good enough to wear the green, looser