Time's up: This campaign has shown how far off Stephen Kenny is tactically
TIME'S UP: Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Saturday was Stephen Kenny’s final chance to snaffle that away win over a big nation he constantly craved but his inability to beat middling and lower nations ultimately removes debate about his future.
Had Ireland done what was expected of them by beating fourth-seeded Greece, they might have reached the competitive level for qualification which the FAI declare in their strategic plan as the minimum target.
That didn’t require the utopian accomplishment Kenny spoke of against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
“The reason no Irish team in history has beaten a team of Holland’s calibre away from home – and there have been better teams than us – is because it’s bloody hard,” he stressed in the bowels of the Johan Cruyff Arena late on Saturday night.
“It’s really difficult to beat a tier-one nation like that away from home in a qualifier.” At least he’s finally, albeit belatedly, confronting the reality of being Ireland manager.
Kenny’s elevation to the senior job in 2020 was accompanied by aspirational soundbites of taking on the giants of Europe on their own terms and conquering.
This campaign has shown how far off that level he is, most damningly tactically.
Ireland’s only goal over the 380 minutes against the top seeds of the French and Dutch was Adam Idah’s penalty in Dublin in September.
The weekend rematch entailed a single attempt on target – Alan Browne’s early strike straight at Bart Verbruggen – because Idah’s one on the hour that trickled over the line didn’t count due to the offside flag eventually rising.
How the Dutch didn’t add to Wout Weghorst’s 11th-minute rising shot inside Gavin Bazunu’s near post was the only mystery as Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo squandered sitters but the Ireland goalkeeper winning the man-of-the-match applies a degree of explanation too.
Factoring in the crushing defeats to Gus Poyet’s Greeks, Ireland only had another goal to show over the six qualifiers except Gibraltar, that Nathan Collins from a corner in Athens.
“Coming into this campaign, scoring wasn’t an issue and we didn’t concede too many either,” Kenny said of the diverging trends.
“Four of those six games were of course against France and Holland but it's a legitimate criticism.
“I’m obviously biased in this viewpoint but have seen what the team can become now. All of those players have come through together and you have a bit of pain with that.
“The group was exceptionally tough but there has been a lot of pain trying to rebuild a team. You're not going to rebuild a team without setbacks. It's not realistic.”
What Kenny’s proclamations have lacked is compromising on his all or nothing approach.
Nobody, bar himself probably, expected Ireland to outplay the hosts on Saturday but apply flexibility in method to deliver some return. If we can’t win, then don’t lose.
Draws on the road in the Dutch capital and Germany provided the bedrock for reaching the 2002 World Cup and 2016 Euros when victories in the home meetings shaded the head-to-head battles.
His window for sampling those stages is gone.
Tuesday’s friendly against New Zealand is a fitting finale; a dour, cold midweek November night of no consequence while the final pieces of Germany’s Euro roster in the summer are being affixed elsewhere. James McClean's 103rd and last cap will give it that testimonial feel.
It’s difficult to reflect in this grim situation how Kenny endured a delayed reaction to the group draw.
Within 24 hours of the ceremony in Frankfurt, himself and his assistant Keith Andrews appeared on separate radio stations bemoaning injustice at both top seeds having their final fixtures after Ireland’s.
Rather than gazing into the last week with something on the line, Kenny has instead been inhabiting an existence of nothingness since the Dutch effectively ended Ireland’s qualifying dream in September.
The FAI, with plenty already on their plate, have decided to allow his contract run down, enabling them to replicate the approach adopted in Vera Pauw’s case in late August. No payoff and no sackings but no contract renewal either.
“I have no complaints in that regard,” Kenny affirmed about being left awaiting his fate.
“We wanted to put in a strong performance, to try get that big, big win and the players gave everything. They did a lot of really good things and played really well at times, but the Dutch showed their quality.”
His departure by the end of the month will trigger interviews with contenders by Director of Football Marc Canham and a probable appointment by Christmas.
England U21 boss and former Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley remains the firm favourite and will have a raft of friendlies and Nations League games in 2024 to warm up for 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“Of course, I think this will be a really good team,” Kenny noted, with a strange chuckle in the circumstances.
“There were some players missing on Saturday; cutting edge players like Chiedozie Ogbene and Michael Obafemi who provide real pace.
“I may be in a minority in thinking it but that's sport and the tough side of sport.”
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