Kenny encouraged by frontline youngsters but admits Ireland too open

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny during the game

Ireland manager Stephen Kenny admitted his team were too open at the back after coming from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria in Sofia.

Defenders Shane Duffy and John Egan were both exposed by a simple through ball for Bozhidar Kraev’s opening goal in the second half, a dreadful collective piece of defending which undid a lot of positive work going forward.

“Well I think it was a game that we would have liked to win for sure,” Kenny said.

“I think we had good passages of play in the game and created some good chances. I think also, Bulgaria did catch us on the counter a few times as well and had some chances also. So I think there’s a lot of good play in the game but also some areas for improvement.” 

Duffy’s injury-time header ensured the Kenny era didn’t start on a sour note, but the manager will have been concerned by some of what he saw in Sofia. His team enjoyed 59% of the possession and completed 552 passes — almost double that of the hosts — but they didn’t do enough with that possession.

Yet while Kenny’s midfield at times looked languid and predictable, the frontline trio of Aaron Connolly, Adam Idah and Callum O’Dowda all performed admirably and justified their inclusion.

“Individually they all did quite well I felt. Some really good individual play from Callum O’Dowda, and from Aaron Connolly. Both dangerous, Aaron could have had a hat-trick on another night, or he certainly had a few chances. He is a real goal-scoring threat and you need to have goals and you want players in wide areas contributing in that regard.

"And I think Adam, it’s a tough job for a young centre forward coming in. He acquitted himself very, very well.

“Of course they can all improve, and we can all improve, but that’s a good start from the three of them really I feel.” 

While the players might have lacked match sharpness, it’s also been a while since Kenny stood on a sideline. This was the first competitive game he’s taken charge of since his Ireland Under-21s put four goals past Sweden last November. This wasn’t a vintage game by any measure, but it was a milestone occasion for the new boss.

“Because it’s our first game since last November I haven’t experienced matches with no crowd, and it is quite surreal I must admit,” Kenny added.

“But it was just a huge privilege and a huge honour. To manage your country, there is no greater honour, it’s the ultimate honour. But we wanted to win the game, we’ve got a late draw, so one point is something and we’ve got to take that into the game with a quick turnaround, and try and get a victory against Finland on Sunday.” 

It might not have been the brave new era some Ireland supporters had hoped for, but for now, Kenny will just be happy he’s up and running as Ireland manager with a point on the board.