Two wins may be needed to preserve Ireland's Pot 2 status for World Cup qualifiers

Stephen Kenny needs results quickly or the road ahead could be much steeper

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny speaks to some of his players as they take on some drinks during the international friendly against England last nght Picture: Matt Impey/Sportsfile

If, as Stephen Kenny has emphasised, this international window is all about Ireland gearing up for the World Cup qualifiers, then results against Wales and Bulgaria could be pivotal to their difficulty level.

Failure to win at least one will almost certainly keep Ireland in the third pot of seeds they fell into following Thursday night’s results.