February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
So much so that three days after Wednesday’s impressive victory — which came not so long after a draw with world champions Brazil — team captain Kenny Cunningham was asked by the FAI to dispel rumors of unrest among the Ireland players.
“There’s no tension in the camp, and I think that was shown by our performance against the Czechs,” Cunningham said. “In Brian, everyone sees a huge determination to succeed. He’s very professional, which is why he’s so respected.”
However, if there was no disharmony, and no problem, there’s a school of thought that the FAI and Cunningham may be protesting too much. A denial of nothing?
The feeling that all was not well first emerged when the team bus broke down on the way to training the day before the match against the Czech Republic. None too enamored of the situation, the players? mood deteriorated further when approximately 1,500 people were allowed to watch the squad train.
Cunningham admitted that it had been hard to concentrate because of the noise coming from the spectators, and the captain sought a meeting with Kerr to make the players? dissatisfaction known. However, the manager was apparently as frustrated as his charges. “He didn’t need to be told,” Cunningham said.
The withdrawal of Stephen Carr due to a knee injury — Carr played for his club Tottenham just three days later — and the discontent over both the bus and the organization of the training session fuelled the rumors that all was not well. With Carr leaving, it wasn’t too difficult, as Cunningham articulated it, to “put one and one together and get 58.”
During Kerr’s stewardship, both Gary Kelly and goalkeeper Dean Kiely have quit the squad, and among some players there appears to be a feeling that the manager is too obsessive and meticulous. When Colin Healy broke his leg last year, Kerr texted every member of the squad to remind them to send Healy a message wishing him a speedy recovery. “Who does he think he is, Mother Teresa?” one player was heard to remark.
What could be at the heart of the perceived unease is the difficulty of the transition from Mick McCarthy’s more player-friendly regime, during which a more relaxed attitude was taken to preparation to Kerr’s academic approach.
Perversely, much of what Roy Keane complained was missing from the set-up in McCarthy’s time has been introduced by Kerr. However, one source close to the Ireland squad said, “The one thing players do better even than playing soccer is moan.”
If there is some dissatisfaction, it certainly wasn’t in evidence last week during the impressive performance against the Czechs. With Robbie Keane and Damien Duff causing their usual mayhem in the opponents’ defense, the Irish were soon in front thanks to perfect Ian Harte free kick.
A 1-0 victory looked to be on the cards when the Liverpool striker, Milan Baros, equalized for the visitors. However, Keane was on hand to score a late goal after some good approach work by substitute Alan Lee.
Whatever about off the pitch, there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with Kerr and his players on it.