| Boring Wait for Kerr’s Successor
By Cathal Dervan
Hands up all those who are now officially bored by the whole debate surrounding
the identity of the next Ireland manager. And you can count me in.
I’m sick and tired of it to be honest. Even in the middle of a short
golfing break to my beloved Portugal last week I couldn’t escape the
endless speculation about Brian Kerr’s successor.
The test message inbox on my cell phone never stopped from the moment we
landed in Faro to the moment we left the glorious winter sunshine behind.
Everyone I know back home seemed to want to share their thoughts on the
latest rumor to dominate the back pages of the papers at home as I fled
from the cold and the rain.
Terry Venables, Bobby Robson, George Graham, Martin O’Neill, Steve
Staunton and even Jose Camacho all tested the ability of those who text
to shorten their name.
El Tel, the easiest text description of Venables, is the latest favorite
2 gt de jb if you see what I mean.
According to the bookies — and those of my friends with nothing better
to do than text all day — a massive bet was placed on Terry to land
the gig down in Cork the other afternoon.
The bookies reacted like wildfire. One closed the book on the managerial
race completely. Another refused to take any more bets on Venables.
All agreed that the former England manager is now the red hot favorite to
try where Brian Kerr so patently failed with the current generation of Irish
players. Even Venables himself admitted on Tuesday afternoon that the job
“interests” him.
Of course the bookies in question never told us how big the “sizeable”
bet placed on Venners in Cork was. It could have been a tenner or it could
have been a million. I don’t know and they ain’t telling.
The only thing I can confirm is that the FAI have said bugger all about
El Tel or any of the other candidates linked with the job in the four weeks
since the World Cup forgot about us for another four years.
The powers that be in Merrion Square are sitting tight and watching from
afar as the newspapers spark one rumor war after another. The FAI suits
know they can sit back and take their time on this one.
And they know that, little by little, the media and the bookies will work
out for them exactly who is and who isn’t a contender.
For what it’s worth my money is still on Steve Staunton. I’d
take him ahead of Terry Venables any day of the week.
If you send me your cell number I’ll even text that to you!
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