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Football

10th Sep 2018

Brian Kerr speaks nothing but sense about the problems in the Ireland camp

Nail on the head

SportsJOE

Brian Kerr

Brian Kerr has hit the nail on the head again.

All you have to do is look on the pitch to see that there are issues with the Republic of Ireland national team. Then when you look at what’s been happening off the pitch, this argument only gets strengthened.

Former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr was in the Virgin Media studio for the Uefa Nations League match between Portugal and Italy on Monday night. Kerr pretty much hit the nail on the head with his assessment of the dire Irish situation.

He posed simple questions such as ‘Is the best Irish team being fielded for every game?,’ ‘Is the team being sent out with the correct tactics?’ and more importantly, ‘Why?’

“I think the real issue here is, are we getting the best possible team on the pitch to play for Ireland in every match we play? Looking at this situation, I would say no because Harry Arter isn’t here for reasons that seem to be of the making of some of his staff.”

“Are the team when they go out on the pitch prepared tactically in the best way possible for the challenges ahead of them? The evidence from lots of games, not just the two recent games, in the group games (too), the style of football was awful. The team and their staff have lost their connect with the Irish soccer public, in my view.”

Therein lies the answer.