Ireland boss Stephen Kenny appeared cautiously optimistic this week, with his side facing Slovakia on Thursday evening, Ireland are attempting to qualify for a third consecutive European Championships (albeit through 3 consecutive play-off’s). Kenny spoke passionately about the “positive approach” his side will bring to the game, adding that they “are unlikely to be cautious” in their play. While it’s certainly refreshing to hear an Ireland manager speak with such eagerness & ambition, Kenny reminded us that Thursday’s play-off will require a huge performance, the kind of which Ireland have rarely produced in recent years.
Last month, 1 point from a possible 6 was not the start Kenny had planned, as Ireland scraped a draw away to Bulgaria, before succumbing to a 1-0 defeat by the Finns. However, the two score lines do not paint the full picture.
In Kenny’s defence, his players were in “pre-season” at that stage following a gruelling post-lockdown fixture list, which manifested itself into some laborious & tiresome periods of play. One should also consider that Kenny had just a handful of training sessions with his new squad before the 2 Nations League games. “It will take time to evolve our style, you're not going to radically change everything in two days, that's not realistic, but we want to play with confidence” Kenny said last month.
There were glimpses in both games of the confidence Kenny has instilled in his players. Ireland played out from the back and thoughtfully kept possession over periods in both games, the likes of which Irish fans had never seen before. Furthermore, the addition of Under 21 players such as Idah, Connolly & Molumby has freshened up the panel and increased competition within. While the results certainly could have been better, the style of football Kenny is bringing in is becoming clearer. The transition from a decades long, defensive, cautious & passive legacy will take time.
Looking ahead to Thursday, Kenny spoke of the level of performance required and the unique opportunity they have to lift the country, “qualification would be an extraordinary achievement, the possibility of a Euros in Ireland is unique, it has never happened before, and may never happen again, and there is a motivation to lift the country”. To progress to a final versus Northern Ireland/Bosnia next month, Ireland must win a competitive away match, a rare sight having only won 4 since Euro 2016. While two were routine wins against Gibraltar and Moldova, the other two wins versus Wales & Austria prove that victory is certainly within reach.
Although the Bulgaria & Finland results were disappointing, the mood this week in the Irish camp has been wholly positive. Stephen Kenny said this week “we have to do something extraordinary and win away from home again, and we’ll be planning with everything we have to achieve that”. While for many players, the international break can be a nuisance, the Ireland squad seems to look forward to the camps, and relish the opportunity of representing their country. Callum O’Dowda spoke very highly of Kenny’s management this week. “I think the gaffer has been brilliant” he said, “the lads and I have been impressed so far, he has shown a lot of faith in me and I just want to do the best I can for him”.
Under 21 graduate Jayson Molumby shares similar sentiments, saying that “he (Kenny) has shown that there is a pathway for me here, I'm really enjoying it”.
Callum Robinson, who has been in fine form for West Brom scoring a recent brace against Chelsea, said this week that “you can see the little things in the games (vs Bulgaria & Finland) where we’re trying to do what the manager wants”. An upbeat Robinson looked ahead to the play-off and told the press “I'm really positive going into Thursday, and I back all the lads and everyone who's involved here”. A managers’ players will only give you 110% when they feel wanted, trusted and supported. Kenny seems to tick all these boxes after just a handful of training sessions
Ireland’s record in recent European play-off games has also been cause for optimism. A 5-1 aggregate win over Estonia in 2011 secured qualification for Euro 2012, while a Jonathan Walters’ brace saw us overcome Bosnia & Herzegovina to seal a place at Euro 2016. Ireland’s recent record with Slovakia may settle some nerves also. While we are unbeaten in our past 5 meetings, the last 4 have resulted in draws since a Kevin Doyle goal was the difference in Croke Park in March 2007. Although Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka is out injured, Napoli duo Marek Hamsik & Stanislav Lobotka will be Slovakia’s main threats, and will have to be closely watched if Ireland are to press high without the fear of being vulnerable on the counter.
Whatever the result comes Thursday night, I think it’s important that Ireland supporters keep one thing in mind, that Stephen Kenny was never meant to be in charge for this game, and only finds himself facing a European play-off tie due to circumstances outside anyone's control. We all know how fickle football can be, lose in Slovakia and Kenny is suddenly “under pressure” or “not up to the job”. However if we progress, you may hear some describing a “genius” or “ a tactical masterclass”. People's minds are usually made up on results, on a single kick of a ball, but football is not linear, and Thursday is not the be all and end all.
Yes it would be terrific to qualify, but one must remember that this game will not define Kenny’s tenure, as he is trying to fix a decades long football legacy. I think The42’s David Sneyd summed it up best this week, “some of the commentary over the last while has been so frustrating. It’s almost as if Kenny is going to destroy Irish football, but it's been broken for years. Nearly every facet of it needs some sort of overhaul”. Thursday night is just another step along the road to change, a road that has been rarely walked in Irish football.
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