Stephen Kenny hits out at people 'kicking us when we’re down' as James McClean pleads for patience

Ireland's 1-1 draw with Qatar extended the winless reign of Stephen Kenny to 11 matches

Dara O'Shea is tackled by Bassam Alrawi of Qatar. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

A defiant Stephen Kenny insisted he’ll be in the Ireland job for the long haul after his winless drought stretched to 11 games.

“You have everyone coming out of the woodwork wanting to kick us when we’re down,” blasted Kenny after the 1-1 draw in Tuesday night’s friendly against Qatar.

“That’s part of the gig which we have to accept. I’ve great belief in the players, we’re going to formulate a squad over the next few years and I’m going to be part of that. I’m happy with the way the team is progressing.

“I’m used to winning every week, I won the league four years in a row and over five years lost hardly any matches at Dundalk.

“I nearly won every match with the Ireland U21s and the reason I was given the job because of my record of winning matches.”

Kenny was asked later, in the main press conference, if he had been hurt personally by any of the criticism aimed his way in the aftermath of last Saturday's 1-0 home World Cup qualifying loss to Luxembourg.

If anything, his response there was even more defiant.

"I’ve experienced a lot in my life, I feel really strong. You know what? I don’t care. I know what I’m doing. I have real clarity in what I'm trying to implement. I don’t care what anyone says. It's irrelevant to me.

Some people are coming out of the woodwork and wanting to kick us when we're down. That's been evident and maybe to be expected. Some people have turned very quickly. We will get back on track and give the Irish supporters a team they can be really proud of."

For his part, man of the match Dara O’Shea admits he learned plenty from operating beside experienced pair Shane Duffy and James McClean in defence against Qatar. McClean’s early deflected opener in Debrecen was cancelled out by a Mohammed Muntari equaliser.

Ireland play friendlies against Hungary and Andorra in June as preparation for the resumption of the World Cup qualification campaign away to European champions Portugal in September.

Neither Duffy nor McClean started in last week’s World Cup defeats to Serbia and Luxembourg, leaving Kenny to throw the pair in for this friendly.

“It makes it a lot easier playing with Shane Duffy and James McClean either side,” said 22-year-old West Brom defender O’Shea.

“With Seamus Coleman there too, it’s very comfortable and easy for me.”

The Dubliner admitted pride was on the line after a disastrous week.

He added: “Tonight’s result doesn’t really erase the Luxembourg game because that was in the back of our minds coming into this game.

“We knew that something had to change. Everyone was hurt and embarrassed from Saturday and people had a point to prove, to go out there and put things right in a sense.

“Everyone is behind the manager. The Luxembourg result was us on us as players and we’ve to take that.

“The manager and staff prepared us right for the game. We didn’t turn up and we got punished. That’s what happens at this level.”

O’Shea was as delighted with the rehearsed goal as disappointed with the concession of the equaliser.

“We worked on that corner yesterday and it shows we can take things from the training ground to fruition,” he noted.

“Three games in quick succession is tough but we’re elite athletes.

“I think the equaliser could have been prevented. To happen so early in the second half was just not okay. It was a lapse of concentration and they punished us from a breakaway.”

McClean, who played for Kenny at Derry City, has pleaded for patience from the Irish public.

“We’ve been a one-style nation and the manager has his own ideas,” he said.

“The manager will agree that the results haven’t been as we wanted but hopefully after Saturday’s defeat was the turning point.

“We’re trying to put the manager’s ideas from the training ground but it will take time.

“When we get the first win, things will look a lot brighter.”