Stephen Kenny: 'I've asked the question and no decision has been made'

UP IN THE AIR: Ireland manager Stephen Kenny future as Ireland manager is to be decided on November 28. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Stephen Kenny says he would’ve considered releasing a statement if he felt his dismissal as Ireland manager was a foregone conclusion.

An FAI board meeting on November 28 is expected to decide Kenny’s contract won’t be renewed.

They will consider a report and recommendation delivered by Marc Canham, the FAI’s director of football and chief executive Jonathan Hill, reviewing the entirety of the Euro 2024 campaign.

Ireland are guaranteed to finish fourth in their group regardless of the result against the Netherlands in Saturday week’s concluding qualifier at the Amsterdam Arena.

After embarrassing defeats to Luxembourg and Armenia, as well as being held to a draw at home to Azerbaijan, the contract extension he was granted two years was based on allowing a final chance to be competitive for major tournament qualification.

Kenny had also requested allowance for integration of young players to afford him the right to be judged on this campaign.

Unfortunately, his June window — the defeat in Greece and being kept scoreless for 52 minutes at home to minnows Gibraltar — left the Kenny project on life-support.

Further defeats to France and Netherlands in September, even before Greece schooled Ireland in Dublin last month, eroded any remaining goodwill he had from the section of the FAI executive and board loyal to him.

Rather than activating the maximum severance clause in his contract by dispensing with Kenny in the summer and installing a caretaker boss to see out the campaign, the board chose to allow him complete his contract without any liability being due to the cash-strapped organisation.

But the three-and-a-half-year Kenny era that will stumble into a final friendly on November 21 against New Zealand — more of a swansong for James McClean on his 103rd and final cap — is to be brought to a civil, rather than messy, close following that summit of directors.

Kenny confessed yesterday he took the initiative amid the ongoing speculation over his job to ascertain the timeline on the decision, indicating he was willing to offer his slant publicly if it was a done deal.

“I don’t view it as purgatory,” he said, rejecting one of the many descriptions of his current status of employment.

“I’ve asked the question and no decision has been made. If I knew it was the case, I probably would have released a statement or something but that isn’t the case.

“I’ve been told no decision has been made until after the New Zealand game so I’ll take that at face value. I respect that. So, from our point of view we’ve just got to prepare well for the Netherlands and New Zealand and put in strong performances over the week.”

Probed further on his contingency plans as the pressure mounted, not for the first time in his reign, an element of confusion ensued. “I’m not certain I would have released a statement but I’d have, you know, not accepted it, but taken on board the situation.

“I live in the real world. I’m a realist and understand that. I’ve been under pressure and so forth, of course.”

Vera Pauw’s job as women’s manager didn’t survive a similar FAI analysis but her departure was more attributable to a player revolt.

Her record on the pitch — particularly leading Ireland to the summer World Cup — left Kenny’s in the shade.

His paltry return of six wins from 28 competitive matches were principally against lesser lights, including two against Gibraltar.

“I’m not going to reveal personal conversations,” he said about his dealings with the FAI hierarchy on the upcoming assessment.

“I think they know that the culture within the team is brilliant, the staff are exceptional behind the scenes and there’s a great culture. Obviously, it goes back to the fact the results against Greece will count against our situation. I get that and understand that as well. I must take responsibility for that.

“Success is not linear but I think the Irish public look at that squad and feel connected with it,” he said before talking up turnouts, using Mick McCarthy’s final home friendly this time four years ago for bait.

“The information that has come from the FAI — not me because I don’t follow these things — that our attendances are 25% greater than any other Ireland team over the last 10 or 12 years.

“The game against New Zealand, before we took over, there were only 15,000 at it.”

In fact, not that it’s relevant, the official attendance was actually 18,728 but desperation can be tolerated within the dying embers of this reign.