Brian Kerr shows no mercy as he tears into Ireland’s defensive duo and questions manager

“Right from the off, our captain and our left back weren’t right at it.” 

Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Hungary may have kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive, but former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr had strong words for the team’s defensive display - especially in the opening 15 minutes when they conceded twice. 

Kerr was particularly critical of Matt Doherty’s performance at left back, calling the decision to start him there as a mistake. 

“I don’t know why he picked Matt Doherty last night to play left back. I certainly wouldn’t have played him.” he said, “He showed a lack of urgency, right from the off… There’s always been a lack of urgency in his game that frustrates me and has frustrated me for years… That was a selection issue [Hallgrimsson] got wrong.”

Also in the firing line for Kerr’s criticism was Ireland captain Nathan Collins. 

“He shapes up to boot the ball forward up the pitch, tries a fancy one and puts it into touch past Manning, and we never recovered.” 

“Right from the off, our captain and our left back weren’t right at it.”