HIS appointment as Republic of Ireland manager was hailed on the basis that he was one of us, but yesterday Brian Kerr made a decision that arguably puts him more in tune with the nation than ever.

As a country braces itself for further bad financial news today, the Dubliner has taken a step which many people will relate to as he adjusts to his new role as boss of the Faroe Islands. Essentially, things have reached a stage whereby he has to take employment where he can get it, even if the brief is far from ideal. It's not glamorous, but it's better than the alternative.

"There are a lot of people who are not working in the game at all now, managers are losing their jobs all over the place," said Kerr.

"Every aspect of life (is affected), in sport, in banking, insurance and everything so football jobs are similar. There are only a certain number of jobs to go around, and there are only a couple of hundred international jobs in the world and I've been offered one of them and I've decided to take it."

Sentiment

The sentiment is impossible to argue with. Indeed, it must be applauded, for it shows a genuine desire to prove himself again, when it would perhaps have been easy to settle into the role of pundit and newspaper columnist, passing judgement on his respective successors in the Irish dugout.

This is an unlikely departure for the 56 year old. On paper, his task is a thankless one. Faroe Islands sit at the foot of World Cup Group Seven with one point from a possible 12, and barring a miracle, they will remain in that position.

They will be bottom seeds for the Euro 2012 qualifiers as well, and it's realistic enough to assume that regardless of what Kerr does, they shall prop up the table there also.

Expectations couldn't be any lower, so a draw or two here or there or even a victory would represent a fine achievement.

All the while, he will be back in the game, pressing the flesh; meeting up with opposing managers and powerbrokers, reminding those who know him that he's still around and introducing himself to others. The remainder of his World Cup group offers exciting opportunities.

Serbia and France have to come to Torshavn in June and August respectively. In the autumn, there are trips to Austria, Romania and a return to Stade De France -- the scene of his best night as Irish supremo.

Speaking on 'Newstalk' yesterday, Kerr was honest enough about what he has inherited. There's no escaping the suspicion that when he departed the Ireland scene after failing to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he reckoned his stock was high enough to pick up a reputable job elsewhere. That feeling was misguided.

National team positions appealed to his instincts and there have been links to various posts in that sphere. He was unable to get the job he wanted, refusing one or two offers which did not command his interest at the time but presumably would now, given the identity of his latest employers.

"I have been offered others in the past," he said yesterday, "But they weren't right for me, they just didn't suit my circumstances at the time. And now I'm getting one."

It will be fascinating to see how it develops. The international game is filled with colourful figures who rove from country to country and are liable to pop up in the oddest places. Names like Berti Vogts, Philippe Troussier and Bruno Metsu spring to mind, attempting to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Serb, Bora Milutinovic who coached five different teams at the World Cup -- Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), USA (1994), Nigeria (1998) and China (2002) for what it's worth.

What they all share in common is that their tenure in any particular position is short, before they pack their bags and arrive as a prophet in a new land. You sense that Kerr is desperate to get on the merry-go-round.

His enthusiasm for the game remains untouched. Last summer, he travelled to the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland to take in a few matches; there was no financial incentive to do it, just an appreciation of the sport that he loves.

That's why it's appropriate that he should return to the dugout because he hasn't quite seemed comfortable out of it. Sure, his columns and stints as an analyst on TV have always provided an interesting tactical insight into things, possessing a genuine knowledge of the game beyond these shores while other experts trot out cliché after cliché based on national stereotypes and nothing else.

Yet when it comes to the Irish team, his contributions appear to be dosed with a lingering sense of bitterness over the acrimonious manner of his exit. It sat uncomfortably that he launched straight into media work at Ireland matches as the Steve Staunton regime took hold. Kerr was visible and present in Cyprus on the night of the 5-2 thrashing; perhaps it would have reflected better on him if he had taken time out of the limelight and refused to comment for a period.

Similarly, several of his former players were unimpressed when he spoke out on aspects of their professionalism regarding representing their country -- it was Kerr who broke the story that a couple had broken curfew in the Algarve during Trapattoni's first gathering. Subsequently, he has criticised the Italian for his caution, somewhat ironic considering his tenure was characterised by conservative decision-making.

His return to St Patrick's Athletic as Director of Football also proved to be an unfortunate call. As Director of Football, he assumed a lot of responsibility for recruitment, but that merely succeeded in undermining then-manager John McDonnell who was often in the dark about Kerr's acquisitions. Some of the players brought in were expensive failures. Eventually, it was best for all parties when they went their separate ways.

At least now, there should be no confusion about his responsibilities. It's back to the business of managing and motivating, to devising strategies on the sanctity of the training ground. The location may take some finding on the map, but, in truth, this is the action of a man going back to his roots.

The Faroes did you know?

The Faroe Islands played their first competitive match in 1990, and beat Austria 1-0 in a Euro '92 qualifier. That win was one of just 16 victories out of 119 games in the country's history, seven of those coming in competitive fixtures.

Their most famous result came against Scotland in 2002, a 2-2 draw at home in which the Faroes were 2-0 up at half-time.

Brian Kerr is not the most high-profile manager the Faroe Islands have had. Former Ballon D'Or winner Allan Simonsen managed them from 1994 to 2001. Another former manager is Denmark's Henrik Larsen.

They are ranked at No 185 in the FIFA World Rankings, just below Afghanistan and just above African nation Djibouti.

They are ranked 51st in the UEFA National team coefficients, with only San Marino and Montenegro behind them.

In the Euro 2008 qualifiers, the Faroes scored twice against Italy. They only scored two more goals in that campaign and conceded 43 in 12 matches.

In this World Cup campaign, they sealed their first competitive point in four years with a 1-1 home draw against Austria.

They have one player plying his trade in England -- Gunnar Nielsen (22) -- who is on Manchester City's books but is on loan to Conference side Wrexham.

Goalkeeper Jens Martin Knudsen became a cult figure for wearing a white woolly bobble hat in matches. He wore it as a result of a head injury suffered aged 14.

-- Neil Ahern

- Daniel McDonnell