Kerr's young troops come of age

THINGS are falling into place. Saturday night in Amsterdam was about much more than the result, more than temporary compensation for missing out on the Portuguese party.

This result brought Brian Kerr's gestation period as Irish coach to an end in the best way possible.

Over the course of these four friendlies, he has discovered the team he wants for the World Cup qualifying campaign; something facilitated by the return of Roy Keane. This was a significant victory, not just for exposing Dutch pretensions ahead of Euro 2004, but also because this was an Irish team that had Brian Kerr's touch.

Holland moaned that they were unsure what system to play, but Ireland never let them settle into any particular form. The Unity Cup, for all the brickbats thrown in its direction, had its uses. Kerr had two weeks with his squad, albeit severely depleted, and a bond was forged.

It was evident in Amsterdam. Alan Quinn was plucked from second division obscurity and didn't look out of place dispossessing Phillip Cocu.

Kerr talked of players coming of age during these two weeks, and these were players he had nurtured at an earlier stage.

"Some of the players became men out there," Kerr said. "This has been a very difficult schedule, four games in nine days, three of them away from Dublin. This has been a good experience for the younger lads, this was a lovely way to end, because it has been a hard time for them, so many matches so soon after one another.

"I am glad we got the chance to blood some new players and we now have a greater number of players who understand international football. We have played some very young lads who would have been out of the picture if there hadn't been withdrawals. They did themselves no harm."

Of course, not among those younger lads though of the same age is Robbie Keane. Now within a shot of the goal scoring record Niall Quinn needed almost 100 games to set, Keane looked a different player to the one that closed out the season with Spurs.

Reid, again, showed his talent. Against Holland, his low centre of gravity and comfort on the ball was augmented by a ferocious work-rate.

Now Kerr has to spend the summer scratching his head and trying to see how both Reid and Damien Duff can be accommodated in the Irish team come World Cup qualification time.

If Duff is sent back on striking duty, we are left with the mouthwatering prospect of an entire Irish midfield-Miller, Keane, Holland, Reid-comfortable on the ball.

There were fine individual performances across the pitch. Alan Maybury didn't look like someone who had played four games in nine days. After a shaky start in the first two friendlies, Kenny Cunningham was back to his composed self.

And then there is Andy O'Brien. Impressive again on Saturday, his positional sense and understanding is coming to the fore more and more.

"In Newcastle, I have been allowed to develop away from the limelight because Jonathan Woodgate gets all the attention. But in fairness to Jonathan, he has said it's the players around him that have helped. Kenny has been a great help to me, you learn so much from just playing beside him."

And the last word to the manager.

"I just knew they were going to do it. There was something in them, they wanted to prove themselves," he said with a smile.

It was just like Kerr's quotes when it came to all those major underage finals. Perhaps, in a fitting way, Kerr will see some of his golden era blossom under his own guidance.