Kenny outlines ‘fluid’ approach

Uefa U21 qualifiers

New Ireland U21 boss Stephen Kenny insists he’ll put a stylish stamp on his team when they start the Euro campaign against Luxembourg on Sunday. Just as a uniform philosophy around Irish football is up for debate, the future senior manager is keen for his group to play the game in the right manner.

Kenny is due to be promoted to replace Mick McCarthy in 2020 and the desire is for him to transport into the international sphere the fluid style of play synonymous with his successful Dundalk team of the past five years.

“I want players all over the park who want the ball,” he said following his first training session as Ireland manager. “There should be options for players in possession. That’s something I’ll be doing my utmost to introduce. I want to create an environment and style of player where we have a fluid midfield, players can interchange position and that the back four use the maximum width of the pitch.

“I always insist on my players passing in front of the defenders; that the left back and right back receive the ball in their stride, not too far ahead that they receive the ball static. It’s about getting the ball on the move.

“Our centre-back should be comfortable passing it 30 yards in front of a left back or right back. If I play 4-2-3-1 formation, I don’t like to play with two holders and one number 10. I don’t like that rigid, static feel to it.

“These are important to the fabric of the team. It’s trying to get that across in a short period of time with the players. It won’t be easy in just this week.”

Kenny’s players have already spoken of the impact he’s made on them in just a couple of days in camp. Nine of the 22 are operating in the League of Ireland, the latest being Brandon Kavanagh. The Shamrock Rovers playmaker replaced Simon Power, the Norwich City winger ruled out through injury. The blitz of calls from the League of Ireland have caused a near-wipeout of this weekend’s Premier Division fixtures. Only one — Finn Harps against Shamrock Rovers — has survived, but Kenny feels it shouldn’t be taken as a negative.

“I never really saw postponements [as] causing a run of league games,” he said of a backlog which sees some top-flight teams facing seven league games in April.

“We had the mentality to go and get an advantage over other teams because psychologically they were complaining. Three games in a week was an opportunity to get nine points.

“People will see a negative in a lot of things but that matches being called off because of international call-ups has to be viewed as a positive. We are one of the few leagues that haven’t had the need to have matches cancelled over the international window but we’ve a young league now.”