Brian Kerr believes the FAIs decision to appoint Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny as successive Irish managers in the same week is a "bizarre arrangement". In a decision that reflects well on the FAI and its CEO after days of scrutiny and criticism after the sacking of Martin O'Neill, the FAI handed Mick McCarthy a contract until the end of Euro 2020 and gave Kenny a contract to succeed him. In the meantime, Kenny will coach the Irish under-21s and take an advisory role with the rest of the underage international sides.
Former manager Kerr gave his reaction to the appointments on Virgin Media's Champions League coverage.
I think it's a bizarre arrangement, I've never come across the likes of it in football before. We see it going on in rugby but that is different, and a much more obvious thing as discussion over whether Joe Schmidt was going or not has been going on for a long time. It's almost as if the FAI are saying, 'Mick we think you're the right man for the job, for a while, but you're no good after two years. But we know a bloke, that we think will be good in two years time if we tell him he's getting it now and we give him a bit of practice at another level that won't be the same. It will be a good bit different to what you've been doing before, but we are sure he will be the right man two years down the road.
It's a most bizarre arrangement. I'm happy for both of them. I know Stephen since he was a young lad and I signed him for St Pat's, I'm delighted with his progress and I actually predicted that one day he would become Ireland manager in an article with the Irish Independent two years ago.
I'm surprised it has come quickly and they have made this arrangement, but for both of them, they have to be very happy and it could work out but I think it's a bizarre way it has fallen. Mick was here with us last Monday and Tuesday and I remember joking with him that the way things are going for Martin, he could be in here with us in a few weeks time and the three ex-managers could be sitting together!
But I knew he was up there as one of the favourites but I didn't think it would happen that fast.
"It's like as if the FAI are saying, 'we think you're the right man for the job, for a while, but you're no good after 2 years. But we know a bloke, that we think will be good in 2 years'."
- Brian Kerr on the "bizarre" circumstances around Mick McCarthy's appointment. #VMSport pic.twitter.com/2vRjLgPQu8— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 27, 2018
