RICHARD DUNNE SAYS Brian Kerr will bring “guidance and leadership” that the FAI have been missing following his appointment as technical advisor to interim manager John O’Shea.
O’Shea is taking interim charge of the friendly double-header at the end of the month, with the FAI planning to unveil a permanent successor to Stephen Kenny in April.
“I think it’s brilliant. I think it’s sort of the guidance and the leadership that the FAI have missed for a long, long time,” Dunne — who played under Kerr during his time as the Ireland manager — told Virgin Media Sport this evening.
“Brian is obviously so knowledgeable, and he’s got to be someone who can look at it from a different viewpoint than John.
“John is going to be right in the middle of it all, trying to focus solely on the game whereas Brian can see the overall picture, he can help him out in that term and just help him to take a step back and look at it more from a manager’s point of view than a young ex player sort of coming into the role.”
Mick McCarthy and Richard Dunne on Brian Kerr's return to the Ireland setup:
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 6, 2024
🗣 "Age just does give you something. You can just see something sometimes, you can read something."
🗣 "It's a guidance and leadership that the FAI have lacked for a long time."#COYBIG pic.twitter.com/lmXovhsoX3
Former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy was also in studio. He said that Kerr will be able to offer different viewpoints which will benefit O’Shea’s managing of the team.
“What can he add? Somebody asked me that once and I said ‘well I’m not quite sure sometimes’ but age just does give you something.
“You see something sometimes; you can read something, I mean read it in the group and the squad, and you can hear it.
“He can bring something to it, and it might be just something crucial. Something in training, how somebody is.
“I wanted to go in fighting with everybody and it doesn’t work. There’s more times now when I’ve left it to lie and it’s sorted itself out.
“Brian will help him, there’s no doubt about that. I’m delighted for him.”
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