THERE was a distinctly melancholy feel to Stephen Kenny’s last press briefing in Abbotstown in November – during which the outgoing Ireland manager and centurion James McClean reminisced of their time together at Derry City.
The upcoming friendly with New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium would be Kenny and McClean’s last dance on the international stage.
McClean was going out on his own terms – even though the 34-year-old converted wing-back maintained he was still good enough to continue – while Kenny’s narrative was somewhat different.
Without being officially notified that his contract with the FAI wouldn’t be renewed, the affable Dubliner knew his turbulent three-year reign was drawing to a close.
For a fleeting few moments, Kenny and McClean chatted oblivious to the media being in the room.
“Most players don’t go out on their own terms,” Kenny said. “[Turning to McClean] And he is doing that.
“I remember seeing you in the Showgrounds, in the U18 team, you came into that team at Derry, very excited, and where we had a rule when we went to the First Division that time that everyone had to be from within six miles of the city, pretty strong, that team, wasn’t it?”
Smiling, McClean replied: “It was one of the most special times in my career as we were all young, it was basically playing football with your mates. We would go out on the Friday, put teams away for fun and then go out that night.”
It was an awkward enough press briefing as some questions directed at the top table were already talking about the manager in past tense.
All the emotional campaigning on behalf of the manager – about needing time to change the face of Irish football – was finally over.
Evan Ferguson and Mikey Johnston arrived on the scene a season too late for the manager, while the improved trajectory of some players who are now playing in the Premier League in England [Josh Cullen, Dara O’Shea, Chiedozie Ogbene and Nathan Collins] came as scant consolation.
Kenny was understandably flat and so too was Ireland’s last performance under him – a drab 1-1 draw against the enthusiastic Kiwis.
It was a far cry from June when Kenny asked for a bit of space in a corridor just outside the Aviva’s press conference room where he delivered an impassioned defence of his credentials an hour after beating Gibraltar and three days from their disastrous display and loss to Greece in Athens.
Planting his feet and journalists’ recording devices affording him more space, Kenny said: “This is the way I view it, right? I’ve never been one to speak about myself like this, in this vein – but I started as a young manager, successful. I failed and then I failed better. I went on again, had setbacks and built a resilience and a determination.
“I have been in 16 cups finals. I was in eight FAI Cup finals. I have been in two Scottish Cup finals. I won six League Cups. I won more trophies than anyone in modern history.
“I won five league titles [coached] 46 Champions League and Europa League games; I beat Maccabi Tel Aviv, BATE Borisov, Gothenburg, home and away, Hajduk Split and others, drew with Paris Saint Germain, drew with Legia Warsaw.
“That’s why I got the job because I am the most successful Irish manager at this time.
“I wouldn’t have got where I got, into this job, if I didn’t believe you can achieve extraordinary things. The reason I took clubs from nothing, took them through the divisions and into the Europa League… I did that because I believe you can achieve extraordinary things.”
Despite his emotional defence and allowing for the first chunk of the job being effectively ruined by COVID, a lot of Kenny’s supporters had lost faith.
In total, the 52-year-old Dubliner was given 40 games to transform Ireland’s fortunes, managing just 11 wins, 11 draws and 18 defeats.
Andorra, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Lithuania, Armenia, Malta, Latvia, Luxembourg, Gibraltar (twice) and Scotland featured in the ‘wins’ column – and some of those were a struggle.
Ireland were gallant in defeat in competitive ties against Portugal (a) and France (h) and in draws with Portugal (h), Serbia (h) and Ukraine (Lodz).
But there were just too many pockmarks – losing to Luxembourg and Armenia – and the manner of the losses to Greece in Athens and in Dublin, the first of which effectively sealed Kenny’s fate.
The sum of Ireland’s parts was never inspiring in the first instance – but rarely did Kenny’s sides look like being greater than them.
Introducing over 20 new players to the senior set-up, performances were often insecure and underwhelming.
All the while the former Derry City and Dundalk manager, who always produced teams that were greater than the sum of their parts at club level, was getting hammered by the broadcast media.
Brian Kerr, Richard Dunne, Damien Delaney and Dietmar Hamann were lining up for each international window to pick apart Kenny’s philosophy.
Liam Brady, however, did offer himself as something of a counterbalance to the debate by rightly citing a distinct lack of quality in the Irish squad.
In an interview with The Irish News to promote his new autobiography, Brady said: “I never want to sound cruel to the players – but what Kenny had to select from was the poorest set of players that I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think many people could disagree with me.
“We don’t have a Ray Houghton or a Ronnie Whelan or a Roy Keane – we don’t have players anywhere near that standard.
“For the last few managers, it’s been difficult since Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne and Shay Given left, they haven’t really been replaced. It’s going to be a tough job. I don’t know who they’re going to give it to but it’s going to be tough.
“What I would say is Kenny has done a good bit of the work for the next manager – a lot of players have experience of international football now; they just need a bit of nous, not to get beaten when they’re in a good position.”
As they ponder a couple of friendly games in March, with the expectation a new manager in place by then, Ireland fans will have an armchair view of a major tournament next summer for the fourth consecutive time.
A Year in Quotes…
“He’s obviously a brave boy, he made a brave decision there.” – Roy Keane praises Mark Sykes for declaring for the Republic of Ireland after been recalled
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“Listen, there are many a thing that people said and it’s a nice thing I suppose. Yes, brave in a way, as there may be a bit of backlash and people not thinking it was the right thing to do, but I’ve said in many interviews now that it’s not them who is living my life. I’m out there putting the sacrifice in and hard work in and I made that decision.” – Mark Sykes responds to Roy Keane’s comments following his recall having missed out on a couple of squads
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“It’s going well for me in Spain.” – Matt Doherty during the early stages of his ill-fated spell with Atletico Madrid where he played just 16 minutes during a five-month spell
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“Why would we change now? This is the time that the team needs to show conviction, when the lights come on in the Aviva and the atmosphere is rocking… And France, one of the best teams in the world coming at us, do we just suddenly change? And just accept a slow death? Definitely not.” – Stephen Kenny has no intentions of sitting back at home to France back in March
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“The players know themselves; they can feel it in training, they feel like we’re a proper team, we look like we’re a good team and could give anyone a game.” – Stephen Kenny is buoyed by the home performance against France, despite a 1-0 loss, and feels progress is being made
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“The stuff that’s happened to me over the last few years I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. I’ve shown resilience and a lot of character to know that I can take on anything that is thrown at me.” – Rookie international Will Smallbone, who suffered a cruciate injury in 2021 and suffers from alopecia, looks forward to his competitive debut against Greece in Athens
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“We have a tendency to jump to conclusions especially when it’s a negative. We have a lot of games to play. Ideally, we’d love to have the media on our side, positivity would help especially with a young squad.” – James McClean rues the negativity surrounding the Irish squad days after they lose in Greece
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“I’ve told myself, ‘I’ve got here. Now I’ve got to improve again to be better.’ I’m 26. I’m hoping I’ll be sitting here in two years’ time at 28 encouraging the young lads and saying, “Look at my journey, look where I’ve come.’ – Chiedozie Ogbene putting a smile on people’s faces following his dramatic ascent at club and international level
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“I can’t put into words how much work they put in, every day and every hour, how many hours they watch other teams. Their whole lives have revolved around this week.” – Defender Nathan Collins gives his full support to the management team
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“An absolute jilted generation of players… Alan Browne was the only player in that eight-year period who came through the 21s. One player in eight years? I’m after putting 20 in two years through the squad, because that was needed.” – Stephen Kenny pinpoints where Irish football has failed after they exit qualification at home to Holland
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“I feel that Stephen Kenny with his addition of Andrew Moran took away the chance for Jim Crawford and his [U21] squad to play in the Euros. This is why it’s inexcusable to call up the vice-captain of the team… for a dead rubber against Holland – where he’s on the bench.” – pundit Dietmar Hamman hammers Stephen Kenny for calling up young Andrew Moran to the senior squad
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“We had five players with scans last week who played in different positions. He was called into the squad and is a versatile player. I heard it said that was ‘inexcusable’ that I called him in to the seniors. What’s inexcusable is the fact not many players were progressing through the Irish system for eight years.” – Stephen Kenny reacts to Hamann’s criticism
“James McClean has more courage in his little finger than I have in my whole body.” – Martin O’Neill pays tribute to McClean whom he managed at Sunderland and with Ireland as the Derry man announces his decision to retire from international football
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“I love players that you know what you’re going to get from them. I don’t like mysteries – players doing great one week and poor the next. I love players who are consistent game in, game out. I would like to see more players like James who have that incredible belief and who give their all. Whenever I think of James that’s what I think of.” – Former Ireland great Ray Houghton pays a glowing tribute to centurion James McClean
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“You have to have ability. I see this, ‘Yeah, he’s a great work ethic’ and ‘he’s a good runner’. Well, go grab Mo Farah off the street and stick him in!” – Prior to his last game with Ireland, James McClean is not too enamoured with some of the praise
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“We just don’t look like we’re going to score goals.” – Ray Houghton sums up Ireland’s biggest problem under Stephen Kenny
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“The Irish media have put Stephen in charge and therefore they are still going to peddle this idea that he has changed the course of football. That the Republic of Ireland play a different type of football. They (Irish media) put him in charge because they were very strongly in favour of him, and the FAI succumbed and went with that.” – Martin O’Neill believes Stephen Kenny was propped up by a very supportive Irish media
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“Would I make the same decision now after all that has happened? No.” – Former FAI chairman Roy Barrett regrets green-lighting a holiday payment to CEO Jonathan Hill
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“I haven’t been offered any position in the FAI since I got a letter telling me they didn’t need me anymore in 2005. Maybe Liam’s conscience was at him for things he said in 2005.” – Brian Kerr isn’t in the least bit flattered by Liam Brady tipping him to return to the senior managerial role