Stephen Kenny turns attention to Greek mission

ONTO THE NEXT: Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Suppress France’s prime menace and another will pop up to inflict the damage. Ireland joined England in an exclusive pocket of two sides that succeeded in denying Kylian Mbappé a shot on goal across the last 61 games he’s played more than 45 minutes in for club or country.

That statistic, furnished by Limerick man Andrew Cunneen, was one of the several positives Ireland could take in Monday's defeat, even if this felt like another moral one.

A predictable late rally failed to yield the equaliser that snaffled draws against Serbia and Belgium midway through this regime.

It wasn’t just a Stephen Kenny pattern, for the team managed by Mick McCarthy prodded in a leveller in his final game against Denmark, ironically also at that south end of Lansdowne Road.

No goals and no points might be tolerable against the aristocrats of European football but it won't be when Ireland face Greece and Netherlands later in the year. Nor will ceding possession in the threatening area that Benjamin Pavard’s gleefully punished.

Monday night, for everyone to see, was evidence of an Ireland team imposing a gameplan that could have eked out a point.

Kenny elaborated by pointing to signs of progress in the development of the team but the development stages are meant to be in the past. That’s not being critical, just tracing back to the words the manager himself uttered 18 months ago when consigning the doomed World Cup campaign as a transitional exercise for this full tilt at reaching Germany next year.

France have already shown in their two games they’re superior to the Group B field while the Netherlands should resemble their World Cup version once players return from injury and illness for their Nations League finals blitz in June.

Then there’s a Greek side capable of claiming points off better teams, even if Monday’s scoreless draw in a friendly against Lithuania tempered such notions for Gus Poyet’s side.

It must be recalled amid the congestion for a top-two finish that Ireland’s Group of Death was predetermined by their placing in the Nations League. Delusions of topping the group evaporated with defeat in Armenia on the opening day, resulting in the third place finish that cemented their place among the third seeds for the draw last October.

“I think it sort of reinforces the belief that they’re good enough to build the way that we have - play through midfield for attacking players to cause a team as good as France a lot of issues,” said Kenny about his takeaways. “France really didn’t sit off us - they really came at us and made it difficult.

“There was a lot of good technical skill in terms of composure from the players. I’m not saying it was perfect, there are still areas we can improve, for sure. I’m disappointed to lose but we can take a lot of encouragement.

“This was a brilliant week behind the scenes – probably our best week behind the scenes. We’re very strong. The players know themselves - they can feel it in training, like we’re a proper, good team and could give anyone a game.” 

But good teams qualify for tournaments, don’t they?

The reporter’s question triggered an equivocal extension of the previous fanfare.

“If you say so, yeah”, Kenny replied after a pause. 

But has to be the ambition and the team is good enough to qualify?

“It is our ambition and intention, without doubt. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and go to Greece. They’re in the group as well, they’ve a lot of good players. Certainly, there are four teams in contention for two places.

“You’d feel France are the top team so certainly we need a good game in Greece and we have to go there and put in a big performance to get a victory.” 

Kenny will pray he takes the trip, via an initial training camp in Antalya, with a fit and ready Séamus Coleman. He was impeccable in shackling Mbappé but Kenny feels his muscles have been a victim of his loyalty to Everton.

“I feel Séamus is better than what he’s been over the last two years,” he said. “He had hamstring issues and it hasn’t been fair on him. He feels that pressure of Everton being in a relegation battle and knows he’s going to put his body on the line.

“He looks sprightly – whatever that means – but he’s just sharp and looks really nimble.”