'Whose great idea was it to play Andorra?': Brian Kerr says little gained from recent friendlies

Ambassadors Brian Kerr and Michael Darragh MacAuley with, from left, Mehari Kahasay, Michelle Kane, recreation worker, Dublin City Council and Mariama Kamari at the launch of the Football for Unity Festival taking place in Dublin from Monday, June 14 to Friday, July 16. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Brian Kerr has downplayed Ireland’s progress under Stephen Kenny, questioning the wisdom of the Spanish training camp and what value accrued from friendlies against Andorra and Hungary.

The former Ireland boss was particularly concerned about the standard of the end-of-season gathering, given his insistence that only victories over top seeds Portugal and Serbia in September will rescue their World Cup qualification plight.