Brian Kerr - new Faroe Islands manager

BennyHarp · April 06, 2009, 05:47:16 PM

Has it really come to this for Brian Kerr!

Brian Kerr appointed as Faroe Islands manager

Brian Kerr, the former Ireland manager, has been appointed coach of the Faroe Isles. He has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract that will take him to the end of the 2012 European championship qualifying campaign.

Kerr, 56, should feel at home with a team of underdogs, having led Ireland between 2003 and 2005 in their unsuccessful bid to reach the 2006 World Cup finals. He did not have his contract renewed by the Football Association of Ireland and was succeeded by Steve Staunton.

Since then, Kerr has worked as director of football for St Patrick's Athletic, the League of Ireland club, and also writes an acerbic column for the Irish Times newspaper. "I know it is difficult for the Faeroes to win international matches," Kerr said yesterday. "But I like the challenge as an underdog"

The Faeroes, a cluster of islands in the North Atlantic, are not so much footballing underdogs as helpless puppies. Most of their players play in the domestic league and victories on the international stage are rare. In their 2010 World Cup qualifying programme, they lie bottom of group seven – behind Serbia, Lithuania, France, Austria and Romania – with one point from four matches.

Still, Hogni Storustovu, the Faroese football federation president, seemed delighted with the appointment. "When we began the search for a new coach, we decided that we required a highly qualified and experienced coach to help drive football in the Faroe Islands forward," he said. "In Brian Kerr, I believe that we now have such a man.

"His record shows that he can be successful and achieve results as well as building a foundation for the future. We have no doubt that he will bring his enthusiasm and passion to the national team and we are delighted that he has agreed to become the coach. Brian is a well known, successful and passionate coach. He will have the full support of the background staff in the FA and we are very happy to have him on board and are looking forward to working with him."

As well as national team coaching duties, Kerr will "contribute to further enhance and develop the structures surrounding player development, talent development and under-age national team development."

Source: timesonline

The Subbie · April 06, 2009, 05:51:18 PM

This will finish him although its a step up from St Pats i suppose

mylestheslasher · April 06, 2009, 06:36:04 PM

Best of luck to him. Always felt he was treated very badly by the FAI when they sacked him.

screenexile · April 06, 2009, 11:16:50 PM

One word... Why?!

The Forfeit Point · April 06, 2009, 11:54:33 PM

Quote from: screenexile on April 06, 2009, 11:16:50 PM
One word... Why?!

why for the love of faroe islands football of course

in general my response to something like this would be €, but i really doubt that job is well paying.

under the bar · April 07, 2009, 09:15:51 AM

It begs the question how much money would an association like the Faroe Islands have to afford to pay an international manager?

Billys Boots · April 07, 2009, 10:19:59 AM

Quote from: screenexile on April 06, 2009, 11:16:50 PM
One word... Why?!

He's a football coach, and he wants to coach, I'd be thinking.

BennyHarp · April 07, 2009, 10:37:34 AM

Quote from: Billys Boots on April 07, 2009, 10:19:59 AM
Quote from: screenexile on April 06, 2009, 11:16:50 PM
One word... Why?!

He's a football coach, and he wants to coach, I'd be thinking.

But surely there must have been better offers than this? What would be considered a success? Managing to aviod 10-0 drubbings every game??

Billys Boots · April 07, 2009, 12:21:54 PM

I'd have thought that not all coaches would have considered success to be winning the World Cup or Champions League, and I'd consider Kerr to be very old-school (n attitude), as coaches go.

ONeill · April 07, 2009, 12:22:28 PM

Good news for bored Irish Sunderland fans. Fares might be a bit of a bummer after a while though.

The GAA · April 07, 2009, 12:26:22 PM

Reasonable move by kerr. the man has to work and at least this is international football. he'll be pitting his wits against france again in a couple of months!

from a career point of view, expectations will be nil and if he can organis and improve the FE then his cv will be enhanced and he could be a viable candidate for a championship side in england or a better international team in a few years.

A Daintier Hero · April 07, 2009, 03:00:08 PM

Long time reader, first time poster.

I thought this was a poorly timed April fools when I first heard it. Very stange decision I think.

The faroes has a total population of 48,000, I'm not sure how much Kerr is really going to have to work with here? Unless maybe he goes looking for Faroes in other places and creates some sort of Scandinavian B team ala Jack Charlton.

As for it being a career move, the other aspects of his role would suggest he is in it for the long haul, being there to develop the structure or the domestic league and also taking control of youth development. Unless he was insincere about these things.

lynchbhoy · April 07, 2009, 04:27:57 PM

think kerr is on a hiding to nothing here

recently the faroe islands have shored up their defensive record (from memory but I could be wrong) and are no longer shipping the 5, 6, 10 goals a game they used to.

however if kerr tries to get them to play 'football' as opposed to the blanket defence of recent months, then he could run the risk of puting them back into shoting fish in a barrel territory and could get his P45 from even this lowly outfit sooner rather than later !
imo

the Deel Rover · April 07, 2009, 04:34:20 PM

Quote from: lynchbhoy on April 07, 2009, 04:27:57 PM
think kerr is on a hiding to nothing here

recently the faroe islands have shored up their defensive record (from memory but I could be wrong) and are no longer shipping the 5, 6, 10 goals a game they used to.

however if kerr tries to get them to play 'football' as opposed to the blanket defence of recent months, then he could run the risk of puting them back into shoting fish in a barrel territory and could get his P45 from even this lowly outfit sooner rather than later !
imo

i think thats their national sport lynchboy their ranked number 1 in the world i think

lynchbhoy · April 07, 2009, 04:46:07 PM

Quote from: the Deel Rover on April 07, 2009, 04:34:20 PM
Quote from: lynchbhoy on April 07, 2009, 04:27:57 PM
think kerr is on a hiding to nothing here

recently the faroe islands have shored up their defensive record (from memory but I could be wrong) and are no longer shipping the 5, 6, 10 goals a game they used to.

however if kerr tries to get them to play 'football' as opposed to the blanket defence of recent months, then he could run the risk of puting them back into shoting fish in a barrel territory and could get his P45 from even this lowly outfit sooner rather than later !
imo

i think thats their national sport lynchboy their ranked number 1 in the world i think

fair play to them
I'd say robbie keane and co would still miss !