[Article] Four point return will do for starters - Kerr

thejollyrodger

Four point return will do for starters - Kerr
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=94&si=1244066&issue_id=11373



BRIAN KERR has set his players a minimum target of four points from their opening two World Cup qualifying games.

The Republic of Ireland open their Group Four campaign at Lansdowne Road against Cyprus tomorrow before heading to Switzerland next week and Kerr would be satisfied with a home win and an away draw.

"I think four points would be a reasonable return," said Kerr last night. And he stressed that it is important that Ireland get off to a winning start tomorrow.

"Everybody has been talking about Switzerland but I think we have got to look at Saturday and get a start by trying to get a win. That's much more important because we have really got to be right for the Cyprus game," said Kerr.

Having lost four players through injury already, the Irish manager suffered another withdrawal yesterday when Rory Delap pulled out after failing to win his battle to overcome knee and calf injuries.

With Graham Barrett added to the group, Kerr now has 20 players at his disposal and is happy to head into the opening two games with those players.

"We have what we have. We could add other players but I am happy enough with what we have. They are the group that are here, who have the enthusiasm, have the desire and want to be involved. There are a few others out there but we can't pick everyone."

Now that the dust has settled, the formation of Kerr's team for tomorrow is beginning to take shape, especially as the doubts over Shay Given, John O'Shea and Clinton Morrison disappeared yesterday when all three took a full part in training.

Kerr is likely to pull a surprise at right-back by keeping faith with Liverpool's Steve Finnan ahead of Stephen Carr, Newcastle United's recent €2m purchase from Spurs.

In yesterday's defensive training exercises Finnan was handed the right-back role alongside Andy O'Brien, Kenny Cunningham and John O'Shea, suggesting that his performances over the summer have pushed him ahead of Carr in the pecking order.

Graham Kavanagh and Kevin Kilbane are certain to start in the centre of midfield with Andy Reid on the right and Damien Duff on the left, leaving Clinton Morrison to partner Robbie Keane up front.

Kavanagh's Cardiff City colleague Alan Lee believes that his club captain won't be found wanting if handed the Roy Keane role tomorrow afternoon.

"He'll revel in it," enthused Lee. "He covers an awful lot of ground and picks up a lot of second balls dropping down. I think his passing and his free-kicks are top notch. "He is a good captain and gets stuck in as well and I would have every confidence in Graham if he starts on Saturday."

The FAI have pulled out all the stops to ensure that the atmosphere at Lansdowne Road tomorrow afternoon is electric with a wide variety of novelty events planned to get fans into the mood.

These range from a 12-piece band that will march from O'Connell Street to the stadium before the game and play throughout the match, to the distribution of 10,000 boom sticks - akin to a noisy balloon - designed to increased the decibel levels.

"When the fans get behind the players it can really lift them and we want them to roar the team on for 90 minutes on Saturday," said FAI Chief Executive Fran Rooney.

All 36,000 tickets for the game have been sold and the match will mark the first appearance in some time at an Irish international of President Mary McAleese.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Football Federation (SFV) has been heavily criticised for its lack of urgency in dealing with striker Alexander Frei's spitting case at Euro 2004.

Ulrich Faessler, an independent Lucerne-based lawyer, concluded his investigation this week, and blamed the SFV for not being prepared to deal with the incident in Portugal in June.

Frei spat at England midfielder Steven Gerrard during a group match in Coimbra but publicly denied any wrongdoing, despite admitting to press spokesman Pierre Benoit that he spat.

Benoit withheld that information until after an investigation in which Frei was initially cleared by UEFA before new evidence came to light proving his guilt.

Feassler said he found it "hard to believe" senior members of the SFV had not spoken with Frei at the time.

The SFV said: "The SFV notes with satisfaction that the allegations, in which the official delegation are supposed to have manipulated Alex Frei, are invalid."

Frei misses next Wednesday's game against Ireland as he will be serving the last game of a three match suspension handed down by UEFA for the incident.

thejollyrodger

Kerr is likely to pull a surprise at right-back by keeping faith with Liverpool's Steve Finnan ahead of Stephen Carr, Newcastle United's recent €2m purchase from Spurs.

Sounds like Carr isnt over the moon with the new Irish set up. i defintely rate him over Finnan at left back.


Finnan_____Andy O'Brien_______Kenny Cunningham_______John O'Shea



:eek:

pogcica

I think you meant right back,

Finnan and Carr are both excellent in that position and its a bonus for us that Kerr has such a choice.

Boro

Well its pretty much the team that most people were picking

wouldnt mind one of those boom sticks though!

thejollyrodger

sorry, i mean right back. I defintely have Carr there, he's good going forward, and crosses well. Defensively he is pretty solid too. I wonder what kind of noise those boom sticks will make

Kone

thejollyrodger wrote:

sorry, i mean right back. I defintely have Carr there, he's good going forward, and crosses well. Defensively he is pretty solid too.

I agree, Carr would get my vote ahead of Finnan, he hasn't impressed me at all for Liverpool this season, however there are rumours Carr isn't too happy with Kerr's setup........

Villain

Carr and Kerr don't get along at all!!

Big Nelly

thejollyrodger wrote:

I wonder what kind of noise those boom sticks will make

Listen to the games in Russia......give you a headache after about 10 mins!!

Boro

Just wonder will they be giving out Pineapples as well as Boomsticks?

woosaysdan

Big Nelly wrote:

Listen to the games in Russia......give you a headache after about 10 mins!!

yeah but us folks who will be watching from home can turn down the volume!!!

Pigman II

Four points WON'T do for starters!

I think we have to catch the Swiss now whilst they are still punch-drunk from their Euro2004 escapades.

After all they did the same to us in 2002 and it pretty much made the difference to their qualifying campaign.

thejollyrodger

yeah but us folks who will be watching from home can turn down the volume!!!

No you wont have to. did you forget its on RTE ? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Big Ears

Pigman II wrote:

Four points WON'T do for starters!

I think we have to catch the Swiss now whilst they are still punch-drunk from their Euro2004 escapades.

After all they did the same to us in 2002 and it pretty much made the difference to their qualifying campaign.

English media were saying 4 points would be ok for them from the Austria and Poland games , which is a similer scenario .

Although I think we should get 6 points from the games , but 4 points would still leave us in a decent position .

Although by 4 points im sure he means a win against Cyprus and a draw against the Switz , and to be honest we should defenetly beat Switzerland judgin on they're Euro 2004 performance .

To be honest we are capable of getting 30 points in the qualifying campaign ,although it is unlikely .

I would be disapointed if we drop points in any games other than Israel away and France away .

Maybe a draw we France at home would be ok but the point is , we are the best team in the group , and should top it .

I don't like the way I used the word should that much , when we should do things we often don't .

Pigman II

English media were saying 4 points would be ok for them from the Austria and Poland games , which is a similer scenario .

Difference is England don't have a habit of running out of steam 2/3rds thru a campaign after starting well. We do.

They can canter thru groups assured that they have the wherewithall to win the big game if it comes down to the crunch. We can't. We need to 'get the sneak' on teams in the first 3 games in order to still be in the running at the end.

To see the difference could you honestly have seen England not pulling off 'a great escape' in Basle last year if they had REALLY to win a one off game like that?

Although by 4 points im sure he means a win against Cyprus and a draw against the Switz , and to be honest we should defenetly beat Switzerland judgin on they're Euro 2004 performance .

We definetly should have beaten Russia based on their Wc2002 peformance too. Famous last words.

I'm basing my demand for a win v Swiss on their woeful performance v NornIron a couple of weeks ago. However I'll watch them again today v Faeroes and if they look like a more polished outfit then I might change my view on the issue.

To be honest we are capable of getting 30 points
+
we are the best team in the group , and should top it .

I'm sorry but that is just the typical self-delued crap that is going to be like one big come-down pill for the Irish soccer public a year from now.

thejollyrodger

You shouldnt mix up Ireland and England. We have a few good players and a lot of average ones. A few more injuries or bookings and were in serious trouble. England have loads of players and a decent FA that can organise things.

We should win this afternoon but whether we actually do remains to be seen. Then there is away to the Swiss, bar further injuries we have a good chance of getting a draw or wining. But they could well beat us.

Big Ears

Pigman are we not capable of beating any of the teams in our group ?

Pigman II

Of course. But Home and Away for 10 games in a row?

NO!

Big Ears

Pigman II wrote:

Of course. But Home and Away for 10 games in a row?

NO!

Its extremely unlikely , but looking at our opposition , it is not the impossible .
France drew 0-0 with Israel at home , by the way , and the Switz are looking very dodgy .

andyman

I dont think they can win all 10 but they can go unbeaten and top the group they did it last time against the likes of the Dutch and the Portugese so they can do it this time.I feel they will beat the swiss by 2-0

knobbles

andyman wrote:

I dont think they can win all 10 but they can go unbeaten and top the group they did it last time against the likes of the Dutch and the Portugese so they can do it this time.

pipped on goal difference actually but worthy of that group winners tag