Post by Taxigirl on Oct 11, 2005 8:41:32 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4327490.stm
By Jim Stokes
It is not only make or break for the Republic of Ireland team when they take on Group Four leaders Switzerland at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday evening.
Manager Brian Kerr will also find his term in charge cranking to a close if his side fail in this must-win game.
Victory will see the Republic edge into the World Cup play-offs while if France fail to beat Cyprus, they will top the group and automatically qualify.
That is the scenario facing Kerr, whose craving for a new contract has apparently gone unnoticed by his employers.
Kerr has been anxious to get a new deal for the best part of nine months now, but Football Association of Ireland's chief executive John Delaney appears not to hear the knock on his door.
Kerr took over after the infamous Mick McCarthy-Roy Keane love-in during the 2002 World Cup in Saipan. Now his three-year contract expires at the end of Wednesday night's game.
Kerr has tried, but has been unsuccessful, in trying to open up negotiations with the FAI. He must feel like a leper.
Even the Irish press corps appear to be hostile towards him. They usually have a history of backing an Irish boss, no matter what sort of blarney they utter.
But the only friends Kerr appears to have is the players themselves and it could be them who could go a long way in presenting him with a new contract.
They did not do themselves any favours against Cyprus where the only good things were Stephen Elliot's well-executed winner and the excellence of Shay Given.
It was a performance well forgotten, something like the dearth of inspiration during England's game at Old Trafford.
The only difference is that Sven-Goran Eriksson and his team have qualified for Germany, thanks to outside sources.
Good managers, though, can inspire. In the past Kerr has been able to motivate his team, but he will need an extra spark to gee up his players for a winner-take-all game.
The Republic have not turned over the Swiss in four meetings, and the present feeling is that they are unlikely to succeed on Wednesday.
If that is the case, then the door at 80 Merrior Square in Dublin's heartland will finally be open for Kerr, only for him to be quickly shown the exit again.
Kerr is feeling the pressure, as is his team, despite winning against Cyprus on Saturday.
It was an untidy 1-0 win, and mirroring the hard-nose English press who are charging their laptops with an acid-based battery, the future of the manager is the news.
By Jim Stokes
It is not only make or break for the Republic of Ireland team when they take on Group Four leaders Switzerland at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday evening.
Manager Brian Kerr will also find his term in charge cranking to a close if his side fail in this must-win game.
Victory will see the Republic edge into the World Cup play-offs while if France fail to beat Cyprus, they will top the group and automatically qualify.
That is the scenario facing Kerr, whose craving for a new contract has apparently gone unnoticed by his employers.
Kerr has been anxious to get a new deal for the best part of nine months now, but Football Association of Ireland's chief executive John Delaney appears not to hear the knock on his door.
Kerr took over after the infamous Mick McCarthy-Roy Keane love-in during the 2002 World Cup in Saipan. Now his three-year contract expires at the end of Wednesday night's game.
Kerr has tried, but has been unsuccessful, in trying to open up negotiations with the FAI. He must feel like a leper.
Even the Irish press corps appear to be hostile towards him. They usually have a history of backing an Irish boss, no matter what sort of blarney they utter.
But the only friends Kerr appears to have is the players themselves and it could be them who could go a long way in presenting him with a new contract.
They did not do themselves any favours against Cyprus where the only good things were Stephen Elliot's well-executed winner and the excellence of Shay Given.
It was a performance well forgotten, something like the dearth of inspiration during England's game at Old Trafford.
The only difference is that Sven-Goran Eriksson and his team have qualified for Germany, thanks to outside sources.
Good managers, though, can inspire. In the past Kerr has been able to motivate his team, but he will need an extra spark to gee up his players for a winner-take-all game.
The Republic have not turned over the Swiss in four meetings, and the present feeling is that they are unlikely to succeed on Wednesday.
If that is the case, then the door at 80 Merrior Square in Dublin's heartland will finally be open for Kerr, only for him to be quickly shown the exit again.
Kerr is feeling the pressure, as is his team, despite winning against Cyprus on Saturday.
It was an untidy 1-0 win, and mirroring the hard-nose English press who are charging their laptops with an acid-based battery, the future of the manager is the news.