Brian Kerr on Czechia vs Republic of Ireland: "There’ll be confidence in the group that they can pull off another big win"

A generation of Irish football fans has grown up on secondhand memories. The mythology of Italia 90, USA 94, and Japan and South Korea 2002.

On November 16, 2025, the dial shifted dramatically. Time was up. The score was 2-2 between Ireland and Hungary, when – with super-fine anticipation – Troy Parrott burst past the Hungarian defence in pursuit of Liam Scales’ looped header across the six yard box. Making contact a split second ahead of the keeper’s hand, he bounced it home with the sole of his boot to complete a hat-trick, in what was effectively the last kick of the game, sending Ireland from the Puskás Aréna in Budapest into the World Cup playoffs.

The players piled on Parrott and the bench sprinted down the touchline to embrace him. That delirium reflected what was happening in living rooms and bars across the country. Having won two matches on the trot, against Portugal (2-0) and Hungary (3-2), for the first time in a long time, the Republic of Ireland has a team – and a fanbase – that believes.

It’s still far too early to book flights to North America, with a play-off clash against Czechia in Prague on March 26 looming. Pundit and former Ireland manager Brian Kerr – who held the role from 2003 to 2005 – emphasises the need for caution.

3 August 2020; Virgin Media Sport analyst Brian Kerr at Virgin Media Television's Festival of Football that starts this week with twenty-six games in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, played across nineteen days, all live on Virgin Media Television channels. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

“This match is going to be a lot more difficult than people felt after the highs of the two wins,” he begins. “There’s a presumption that it’ll be okay because we won in Hungary, and that Czechia will be a bit of a handy one. I don’t think that’s going to be the case at all.

“There’ll be confidence in the group that they can pull off another big win and get us into a home situation against Denmark or North Madcedonia. But key individuals are not available and we don’t have players that we can say: ‘Well, he’ll come in and do that job.’”

Josh Cullen, Evan Ferguson and Mikey Johnston are all injured and Festy Obosele is suspended. Robbie Brady, Adam Idah and Will Smallbone may be back but not match-fit. Seamus Coleman has struggled for minutes at Everton; wideman Chiedozie Ogbene has not been getting game-time. And in midfield, the absence of the under-rated Cullen will be sharply felt.

“We need protection for the centre-backs,” Kerr reasons. “We’ve had a problem in terms of opposition scoring goals from outside the box. The last couple of games, we managed to deal with that and put up good resistance defensively. But who’s going to come in for Josh Cullen and take that role?

“Alan Browne hasn’t been on the scene since the new manager came in. Will he be asked to do that holding job? He’s been playing very well for Middlesbrough, but not in that position – he’s been more in an attacking role in the last couple of games.

“I know the manager is very concerned that his only option for the centre-forward position may be Troy Parrott,” Kerr says. “Troy’s the only current player playing at a decent level who’s in such good form. I think Heimir Hallgrímsson has a lot of decisions to make.”

The opposition

Clearly, we are struggling with injuries. And, in any event, writing off Czechia would be mad. Under their new boss Miroslav Koubek, the Czechs have regrouped after an uneven qualification campaign.

“People have downplayed the quality of players that Czechia have,” Kerr says. “They’ve got themselves organised. An experienced manager has come in. He obviously knows the scene very well.”

And Czechia do have genuine quality. Patrik Schick, has been having a quiet season by his own standards, but he scored over 20 Bundesliga goals for Bayer Leverkusen in 2024/25. Tomá Souek will be familiar to many for his physicality in midfield for West Ham. Several of the squad also have Champions League experience with Slavia Prague.

“They’ve got a gang of players who have played in the Champions League group stages,” Kerr says. “Even though Slavia didn’t do great in the group, they’re still playing regularly at that level. We don’t have that.”

Still, the tie will come down to what happens in either box. Defensively, Ireland are on firmer ground. Caoimhin Kelleher’s heroics in goal have been just as important as Parrott’s at the opposite end. Jake O’Brien, Dara O’Shea and Nathan Collins offer real solidity at the back, while Liam Scales, John Egan and Andrew Omobamidele – who has rebuilt his confidence at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 – are all good options.

“Games are always won or lost in the penalty areas,” Kerr says. “They’re not won or lost in midfield.”

Can the defence keep Schick quiet?

“Patrik Schick is such a key player for them. If he’s fit to play, he can cause us a lot of problems.”

The gaffer

Football’s a funny game. After a damaging defeat away to Armenia in September, there were calls for Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson’s head. The twin victories over Portugal at the Aviva, and Hungary in Budapest, have quelled that. For now, his position seems secure.

“I think there’s a general acceptance that he’ll be kept on,” Kerr says. “Football people just want a little bit of continuity, a bit of stability, and let him get on with it.

“It took him a long time to get a real feel for the players and to know who he could rely on when it came to the competitive matches. He’s been very practical on the tactical side of it. He’s got the mix right between trying to play the ball, having a good defensive shape, and getting players forward quickly when we have possession. I think he’s been realistic about what’s achievable with the current group of players.”

Heimir Hallgrímsson

The Israel question

Beyond the playoff, Ireland are scheduled to face Israel twice this autumn in the Uefa Nations League. As it stands, one of those matches will be at the Aviva Stadium on October 4. Against the backdrop of genocide in Gaza, calls for a boycott have been persistent.

Kerr was among the most vocal, saying on Virgin Media Sport that the FAI should “show a bit of balls” and refuse to play.

He hasn’t changed his position.

“I stick by what I said,” he reflects. “I understand where the FAI are coming from. They’re under fierce pressure for finance and development of the game. I agree with people that said the decision should have been made by Fifa and Uefa to suspend Israel as they did with Russia. It should never have been in the FAI’s hands. But at the same time, if the FAI made a strong, principled decision that they weren’t going to play the matches, then other countries would come in behind them.”

It’s indicative of a wider landscape where politics and football have become inseparable.

“Fifa in particular are under ferocious pressure given what’s going on with the whole Infantino stuff, and Trump and the Peace Prize and so on,” Kerr notes.“These organisations are open to scorn.

“It’s all a very delicate situation, given where the world is at the moment,”he adds. “Iran is supposed to be playing in the World Cup. Haiti have problems getting visas for people. So I think there’s going to be an awful lot more discord in advance of the World Cup. We’ll have to see what develops.”

It’s a conversation that is getting harder to defer: how do you manage when there’s a horribly venal and corrupt leadership in place? But for now, Ireland’s attention is fixed on Prague. Parrott’s magic moment in Budapest showed what this team can produce on a good night. The question is: can do it all over again?

• Ireland v Czechia kicks off at 7.45 on Thursday, March 26.