SOCCER: If top soccer players have the highly-strung temperaments of thoroughbreds then the mark of Brian Kerr's tenure thus far has been the ability not to startle his stable.
Yesterday Kerr named his first squad for a competitive game and their was so little of contention in the list of 23 names that people were reduced to asking about Mark Kennedy.
The Republic of Ireland take on Georgia in Tblisi on March 29th, and take on Albania in Tirana four days later in games on an away jaunt that had been identified as the most difficult in the schedule even before the events of last autumn.
Kerr has chosen conservatively. The Albanians have a famous weakness for the comedy of Norman Wisdom and perhaps with this in mind the Irish manager has recalled Sunderland's happy-go-lucky midfielder Jason McAteer to international duty.
McAteer's season has been punctuated by injuries. His comic two-hander with Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light last autumn remains the highlight of his season so far. McAteer hasn't worn an Irish jersey since the defeat to Russia last September when he left the field injured.
"I saw Jason play against Fulham three weeks ago and he looked fine," said Kerr. "It took him a while to get into the game, I thought, but he will be fit for the Georgia game and he gives us good options."
For Kerr's first game in charge, the 2-0 defeat of Scotland in Glasgow last month, he named a 26-man squad. From that group Richard Dunne, Stephen McPhail, Rory Delap, and Kennedy are omitted.
Delap, whose form for Southampton this year has been excellent, can feel particularly unfortunate. Despite his wife having just given birth to their first child he made the trip to Glasgow to meet Kerr and train with the team before being required to travel home the day before the game. On his return to club duty he tore medial knee ligaments and will be out of action for another three weeks.
As Kerr pointed out, it is only possible to pick 23 players and play 11. The priority is to avoid a crisis and nobody being left behind offers anything different to those being brought.
"We're well covered in all positions which is important for this trip. Mark Kennedy, for instance, is playing well and we've had people at matches a few times but Damien (Duff) and Kevin Kilbane can both play on the left so we're well covered. If we lose some of our front players, Mark will be on standby."
There will also be a handful of other players on standby. That situation will be clarified when Kerr and his backroom team watch several games in England over the weekend. Gary Kelly, Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Duff (Blackburn), Kenny Cunningham (Birmingham) and Steve Finnan (Fulham), who were all forced to withdraw from the squad in the build-up to the Scotland game, return to the squad.
With regard to attacking options, of which he was short in Scotland, Kerr is confident Keane and Duff - neither of whom have played first-team football in the last month - will be fit.
Keane is unlikely to play this weekend but hopes to take part in Tottenham's fixture on Monday week. Kerr's assistant Chris Hughton is monitoring his fitness at White Hart Lane. Kerr is hopeful also Duff will be involved in action for Blackburn against Arsenal today having played a training game during the week.
Kerr conceded several issues regarding the team composition remain unresolved for him but emphasised that, out of habit, he likes to wait as late as possible before formulating a team.
"I have had only one game in charge. Obviously that will have to count for something. A player who did well against Scotland is worth looking at again. That's why we play those games."
Kerr named Cunningham as team captain in Glasgow but Matt Holland wore the armband on the field when Cunningham had to withdraw. A final decision on the captaincy for the remainder of the campaign will be taken closer to the date of the games.
The Irish squad will undertake the five-hour journey to Tblisi on March 27th. The team will then have a 3½ hour flight from Georgia to Tirana for the Albanian fixture. Kerr's advance work suggests training facilities in Georgia will be fine but there may be difficulties in Albania.
Indications are that conditions in the Albanian capital have improved considerably since Ireland last played there in May 1993 and there are now several hotels which obviates the need to bring a chef and food supplies as the Irish did 10 years.
On the prospect of the fixtures being interrupted or postponed by the pending war in Iraq, Kerr said: "In Georgia we are about 600 or 700 kilometres to Baghdad. We are aware we are in that region but we will be led by UEFA and other powers-that-be. It's not for us to make a call on that."
PLAYER CLUB CAPS GOALS LAST CAP
Dean Kiely Charlton Ath 8 -- v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Nick Colgan Hibernian 2 -- v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Shay Given Newcastle Utd 47 -- v Greece (A) Nov 20th, 2002
Stephen Carr Tottenham 19 -- v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Gary Breen West Ham Utd 51 6 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Andy O'Brien Newcastle Utd 6 -- v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Ken Cunningham Birmingham City 44 - v Greece (A) Nov 20th, 2002
Gary Kelly Leeds United 52 2 v Switzerland (H) Oct 16th, 2002
Steve Finnan Fulham 21 1 v Greece (A) Nov 20th, 2002
John O'Shea Manchester Utd 3 - v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Ian Harte Leeds Utd 48 8 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Lee Carsley Everton 23 - v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Colin Healy Celtic 7 1 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Jason McAteer Sunderland 51 3 v Russia (A) Sept 7th, 2002
Mark Kinsella Aston Villa 36 3 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Matt Holland Ipswich Town 28 4 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Steven Reid Millwall 8 2 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Damien Duff Blackburn Rovers 33 2 v Switzerland (H) Oct 16th, 2002
Kevin Kilbane Sunderland 41 4 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Clinton Morrison Birmingham City 10 4 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Gary Doherty Tottenham 14 2 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
David Connolly Wimbledon 35 8 v Scotland (A) Feb 12th, 2003
Robbie Keane Tottenham 40 14 v Switzerland (H) Oct 16th, 2002
