Kerr clear favourite to manage Republic team

BRIAN KERR yesterday emerged as a decisive favourite to fill the vacancy as manager to the Irish international team.

It is expected that his appointment will be announced by the FAI in Dublin today.

The bookies confirmed that the expectation that Kerr would finish ahead of the other six contenders for the position left vacant by the resignation of Mick McCarthy led to a huge gamble yesterday.

"Brian Kerr was available at 5/2 when we opened for business early today but those odds fell very rapidly. We marked him down to 6/4 and 4/5 before the close of business," said Paul Cashman.

Kerr emerged as favourite on the back of a story that Bryan Robson was not going to proceed with the proposal to have Roy Keane as his assistant manager. Robson was still able to tell the FAI that Keane would figure prominently in his management team if he was appointed.

"This seems to be the final gamble," said Mr Cashman, "we have had several, maybe eight or nine, since this process started but this seems to be the last one and the best informed one.

"One of those gambles was on Bryan Robson and that seemed to be inspired by the fact that he turned up in Dublin on a shopping trip with his wife but this one seems better informed."

The FAI officers who, together with adviser Bryan Hamilton, concluded their round of interviews yesterday in England, will present a report of their findings before a meeting of the FAI management committee today.

The meeting will also involve an initial discussion on a report a prominent FAI officer was directly responsible for offering Mick McCarthy a World Cup bonus of Stg£100,000 in the course of the tournament.

McCarthy had agreed the terms of a new contract with the FAI prior to the World Cup but there was a delay in drawing up and signing the contract. It was intended that the final contract would be signed in the Far East and it is alleged an FAI official suggested to McCarthy or his agent, Liam Gaskin, that he should ask for an additional bonus before he signed.

McCarthy finally signed the contract on the eve of Ireland's match against Spain in Seoul after the FAI agreed to enhance the terms of the contract by adding the new bonus.

The allegation is hotly disputed by the official in question. It is expected that he will be asked for his version of events at today's meeting.

The issue may be pushed into the background, however, if the FAI officers return from England with a firm decision on filling the manager's position. It is probable they will confirm that Kerr is that man.

Bryan Robson's prospects of securing the post were strengthened a week ago when it emerged that he had nominated Roy Keane as his assistant. There are those within the FAI who believe that the upheaval of the World Cup and Keane's influence will continue to impact on the team if he is not recalled.

Robson has since softened his proposal in relation to Keane, but he was still in a position to tell the FAI officers that the Manchester player would be in his team. He said that Keane would be a major adviser to him on tactics and on team preparations.

It is certain that all of those interviewed will have told the FAI that they will include Keane in their team selections. Frank Stapleton, John Aldridge, Peter Reid and Kevin Moran are the others who were interviewed and all of them were quizzed by Bryan Hamilton on their attitude to recalling Keane before they were invited to attend interviews with the FAI officers.

It remains to be seen, of course, whether Keane will respond positively to being selected. Clearly Robson had secured a commitment from him, but what Keane's likely reaction would be to the selection of anybody else is a matter of conjecture.

Kerr's emergence as favourite does not necessarily mean that the three FAI officers president Milo Corcoran, acting CEO Kevin Fahy and hon. treasurer John Delaney are necessarily of the one opinion. It would not come as a surprise to learn that his selection was as the result of a split vote.

His lack of experience in the Premiership was felt by some to be too big a disadvantage but his installation as favourite was predictable given his outstanding record with the FAI. Kerr is famous for the success of Ireland's under-age international teams under his management. Their achievements in winning two European titles, bronze medals in a World Cup and in qualifying for nine major championship finals have been justifiably praised.

As well, he has done invaluable work over the past two years in developing a nationwide structure in his role as technical director. He supervised the identification of suitable personnel to fill the newly created positions as regional development officers and huge strides have been made in a relatively small time in this process.

He stepped down from the position of technical director some months ago as he sought a fresh challenge.

Ireland, it will be remembered, lost the opening two matches of the campaign to Russia and Switzerland. Ireland will play one match in preparation against Scotland in Glasgow next month before resuming that championship with very difficult away matches over a five-day period in March against Albania and Georgia.

The younger players in Ireland's squad Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, John O'Shea, Andy O'Brien, Steve Finnan enjoyed success under his management in the past. It looks probable they will be entrusted to his care once more in the most challenging of circumstances.