Kerr needs to be cautious
The public clamour for a swashbuckling approach climbed to near hysterical levels each day this week as French problems and withdrawals piled one upon another, weighing down the shoulders of France’s new manager, Raymond Domenech.
Kerr repeatedly counselled caution in the build-up, stressing the quality of the French attacking players who most certainly are available - Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Djibril Cisse and Sidney Govou.
When the press representatives countered by emphasising Ireland’s ‘good luck’ at the absence of the French superstars, Kerr desperately reached back into history and said: “But we have never won a competitive match in France.”
Under pressure, he conceded that things could be a great deal worse for Ireland but still sought to emphasise the threat posed by France.
“I think the new players can be every bit as effective as the players they’ve had in the past, but they’re going to need time. I’m sure they were disappointed at losing so many of their big players together.”
Let us not forget that Kerr is only a little more experienced at this level than his opposite number, Raymond Domenech.
He acceded to the job as senior team manager in February 2003 and much of the optimism currently washing around the Irish camp is down to the fact that they have lost only two matches in that time - in the European Championship to Switzerland and in a tournament against Nigeria.
There was evidence that Kerr himself had become a little excited by Ireland’s promising run under his management when, after the flamboyant football of their 3-0 win over Cyprus, he put his faith in an ambitious game plan against Switzerland in Basle. Included were attacking players Andy Reid, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Clinton Morrison and Kevin Kilbane.
Kerr’s positive approach and sense of adventure were commendable, but he was almost badly burned. It needed an inspired performance by goalkeeper Shay Given and a much more defensive and conservative second-half performance to salvage a point.
Now he does not have the stylish football of the Cyprus game to exert an immediate influence on his planning, but to compound his thoughts on a game plan further, there was a virtual flood of information from the French yesterday in praise of Ireland.
Said Mikael Silvestre of Roy Keane: “It would be a big thrill to play against him. He is an incredible player.”
And he should know; they both play for Manchester United.
Said Domenech: “Ireland’s players are performing at the highest level. They’ve beaten the Czech Republic and drawn with Brazil ... we face a very difficult task.”
Said William Gallas of Damien Duff: “He’s a player with lots of qualities, you never know what he’s going to do with the ball. You have to be clever when you come up against him.”
He should know; they both play for Chelsea.
Said Robert Pires: “They will steam straight into us. Mentally you have to be very tough to play British teams. They will not give you anything.”
Presumably his geographic inaccuracy can be put down to the fact that he faces all of these Irish players in England’s Premiership.
Were Kerr to allow himself be seduced by fanciful notions fostered by conniving Frenchmen, he would ignore the flawed performance in Basle and act on the evidence of Ireland’s win over Cyprus.
If that were the case then we can expect to see Carr, O’Brien, Cunningham and O’Shea protecting Shay Given. In midfield he would again have Andy Reid and Duff on the flanks, Roy Keane and one of three - Kilbane, Graham Kavanagh, Matt Holland - in central midfield and Robbie Keane and Clinton Morrison up front. To do so would be folly in my view.
It is critical to Ireland’s prospects in this World Cup that they take a point in Paris. To lose here might well be catastrophic, in spite of the fact that all of the teams in the group are so well matched that points will be lost everywhere.
The truth is France are vulnerable.
Any team losing as many top-class players must be experiencing some element of confusion. Thierry Henry has scored only twice in his last 10 games with France but he is a formidable force all on his own.
His lack of return can be put down to the lack of a quality service and to a lack of appreciation of the type of player he needs as partner - France have nobody of Dennis Bergkamp’s sophistication.
Still, one flash of Henry genius could unhinge all of Ireland’s planning. Ireland would do well to concentrate first on preventing France from playing. They can do that by playing conservatively, by crowding and hustling their attacking players, by pressing so consistently that possession becomes an embarrassment to France.
If Ireland succeed in this, then it will be time to look for a winning goal.
It will take a mature and hard-working performance by Ireland if they are to achieve something here. It will take a performance better than anything they produced against Cyprus or Switzerland to succeed and to that end I would prefer to see Kerr initially challenge France with a tight defensive unit of nine players in this selection:
: Given; Carr, O’Brien, Cunningham, O’Shea; Finnan, Roy Keane, Kavanagh, Kilbane; Robbie Keane and Duff.
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