Stephen Kenny probably realised, long before the rest of us, that life as Republic of Ireland manager was never going to come with the gift of deep satisfaction. Not in this era, and certainly not when the 49-year-old Dubliner is embedded in the local soccer community.
Results over the coming ten weeks – with six World Cup qualifiers and another Qatar friendly – will tell the whole truth about the quality, or lack thereof, at his disposal.
A season that started so well for many of the Irish players Kenny hopes to be afforded enough time to mould into a respected international outfit has reverted to the usual Covid withdrawals and what-might-of-been scenarios.
“Alan Browne was a potential starter against Portugal, to be honest, but he is a close contact, so he wasn’t involved in Preston’s games last Wednesday or Saturday, but he also has some kind of injury around his hip,” Kenny explained from FAI HQ in Abbotstown.
“Callum Robinson is in that category as well, in that he has contracted Covid for the second time, but his 10 days are up the day before the Portugal game so hopefully, depending on how well he is, he could be involved in the two games in Dublin.”
A growing trend to reject the vaccine among professional footballers in England seems almost guaranteed to ensure Covid revisits an Ireland camp in desperate need of a clean bill of health to appease the incoming 50,000 fans, over two Aviva Stadium nights against Azerbaijan and Serbia.
Above all else, Kenny needs to ensure that his team are not overly demoralised in the aftermath of playing Portugal next Wednesday at a stifling Estádio Algarve.
There is no way to dress up a team of Premier League reserves, Championship reliables and League One heroes facing a star-studded Portugal intent on creating a moment of history for Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one shy of a world record 110th international goal.
“It’s going to be tough,” conceded Kenny after a long pause, “we’re not denying it. But we just need three good performances this week and try and get strong results and do all we can to do that.
“All of the players that have come in and played over the last year, they’ve never played in front of a crowd in the Aviva so it will be special to do that for sure.”
On one hand the manager deserves praise for clear-eyed selection calls, like passing over 50-cap goalkeeper Darren Randolph, Newcastle United’s Ciaran Clark and the clubless Robbie Brady – who he desperately wants to recall in October – on the other, he is placing an enormous amount of faith in midfielders like Harry Arter and Jayson Molumby, whose only exposure this season have been fleeting minutes in the Nottingham Forest and Brighton under-23s.
Midfield general
Kenny was full of praise for his Premier League centre-halves Andrew Omobamdiele (19) and Nathan Collins (20) but, to resist the rising Portuguese tide, a flat back five of Seamus Coleman, Dara O’Shea, John Egan and equally rejuvenated veterans Shane Duffy and James McClean might be employed in front of Anderlecht regular Josh Cullen and Jeff Hendrick.
Jason Knight, still only 20, had established himself as Ireland’s midfield general, until Derby County manager Wayne Rooney ruined his ankle in a preseason tackle, but Kenny took a particular moment to mourn the hamstring tear suffered by Chiedozie Ogbene while playing for Rotherham United last weekend.
“Chiedozie would 100 per cent have featured in the games. He would have played because his form has been exceptional this season. We’ve been at all of his games and he’s probably been the best player in League One. He’s been flying, showing brilliant direct running on the right wing.”
Portsmouth goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and MK Dons striker Troy Parrott, the teenage pair on loan to League One clubs from Manchester City and Spurs, are also set to play significant roles in the coming weeks, months, years, although Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher and Brighton’s Aaron Connolly could force their way into the reckoning.
“He did burst on the scene with the two goals against Tottenham,” said Kenny of Connolly’s dream debut in October 2019 that promised so much from the Galway striker.
“He didn’t score for a while after that, and he beat himself up over the fact he couldn’t score. That’s par for the course with a young striker. He played very well last week . . .I have no doubt he is capable of scoring goals.”
In so many areas, Kenny’s faith needs to outweigh the evidence.
Republic of Ireland
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Burnley).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jamie McGrath (St Mirren), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Attackers: Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), James Collins (Cardiff City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Troy Parrott (MK Dons, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Long (Southampton), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth).
Unavailable due to injury: Enda Stevens, Callum O’Dowda, Jason Knight, Chiedozie Ogbene
Portugal
Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Diogo Costa (Porto) and Rui Patrício (Roma).
Defenders: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City), Domingos Duarte (Granada), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Pepe (Porto), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), João Cancelo (Manchester City), Nuno Mendes (Sporting), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund).
Midfielders: Danilo Pereira (Paris St Germain), João Palhinha (Sporting), Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), João Mário (Benfica), João Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Otávio (Porto).
Forwards: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), André Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Gonçalo Guedes (Valencia), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting) Rafa Silva (Benfica).
Fixtures
September 1st – Portugal v Republic of Ireland, Estádio Algarve, 7.45pm
September 4th – Republic of Ireland v Azerbaijan, Aviva Stadium, 5pm
September 7th – Republic of Ireland v Serbia, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
