Matt Doherty: I would like Stephen Kenny to continue as Ireland manager

Kenny's contract is set to expire upon completion of the current campaign when the FAI will review his position.

GOOD RELATIONSHIP: Matt Doherty would like Stephen Kenny to continue as Ireland manager. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Matt Doherty has insisted he would like to see Stephen Kenny continue as Republic of Ireland manager beyond the end of the current campaign.

Kenny’s contract will expire upon completion of this Euro 2024 qualification stage which is set to be after their final Group B match away to the Netherlands on November 18th, barring a series of positive results that could yet see them sneak a playoff spot next year.

The future of the management team will then be discussed by the FAI with a thorough review being led by Director of Football Marc Canham before recommendations will be made to the board.

But asked if he would like Kenny to be offered a new contract even if Ireland don’t ultimately reach the finals in Germany next summer Doherty stated, “Yeah, I would.

“He’s supported me through times when other managers might not have played me. There were times when I was not in the greatest physical shape to play, and I still laced up and put the shirt on for him also.

“I guess we have a really great relationship. For me, I’ve said before many times, we get coached brilliantly, on the training pitch.

“Our preparation off the pitch, in terms of looking at the opposition. The way they set us up is the right way.

“We know the game plan they set us up with is the right game plan. It’s just up to us to carry it out on game day, which we don’t always do.

“But if we were capable of carrying it out, I’m sure the results would have come. For me; him, Keith (Andrews), John (O’Shea), I think they’ve been fabulous. I would like to see them stay on.”

What would help Kenny and his staff’s chances of remaining in charge would be three positive results from their final three group matches, starting with the visit of Greece on Friday night.

There is no love lost between the two nations ahead of the clash due to the circumstances surrounding Ireland’s 2-1 loss in Athens back in June.

Assistant manager Keith Andrews has already suggested that Greece manager Gus Poyet used Irish staff based in England to help give his team the upper hand for that game.

Doherty was shown what he still believes to be a “soft” red card in injury time that night and he admits he will be extra motivated to put it right when they meet again at the Aviva Stadium.

“Look, I got a soft red. It cost me Gibraltar. It cost me France away, games I needed. There’s no hiding,” he added.

“I’m going into the game, motivated as always, but like you said in the back of my head the thoughts of what happened over there and the thoughts of the behaviour that we felt towards us from some of them, yeah there’s definitely a bit of added motivation there.

“Just like the way we felt they were acting during the game. Look, we’ll be ready. We’ll be good to go on Friday night.

“The mood is very good, it always is. We come into camp hoping to get the best result possible. It doesn’t always go our way, that is international football, it is not going to be easy.

“The mood is always very good, very high. We are not coming in sad or depressed. We are always coming in hoping to do the best we possibly can.

“We want to win every game we play. We want to finish well. We want to win the last three games; we want to win every game possible.

“Obviously, it doesn’t always happen, but that is always the game-plan.”