Stephen Kenny’s reign in Ireland is coming to an end when Richard Dunne delivers a devastating judgment.
Kevin Palmer
At 23:27 yesterday, Stephen Kenny’s increasingly tumultuous tenure as Ireland manager is about to end, and former Ireland defenders Richard Dunne and Damien Delaney believe it was allowed to go on for far too long.
When his future is decided next week, Kenny has acknowledged he does not expect to be the manager of the Republic of Ireland again.
Following Tuesday night’s 1-1 friendly draw in Dublin against New Zealand, the 52-year-old’s current contract effectively came to an end. The Football Association of Ireland board will convene the following week to determine whether to extend or terminate it.
Ex-defender Dunne of Everton and Manchester City says the FAI have no option but to make the change at the top, which is expected.
Dunne said to Virgin Media Sport, “I know how much the job means to him and he has given everything, but every manager of Ireland has given everything.”
Saying that it doesn’t mean as much to other managers, in my opinion, is incorrect. While doing a good job is everyone’s goal in the workplace, in Ireland, the real focus is on competing and achieving results.
“Stephen has put in a lot of effort, but he simply wasn’t skilled enough to make the right choices to keep the team competitive in games against the best teams in Europe, and occasionally even the worst.”
In response to the question of whether managers with experience in the League of Ireland are capable of leading Ireland, Dunne stated that Kenny was never prepared for the role.
“I don’t think Stephen Kenny had the right sort of experience throughout his managerial career to prepare him for the difficulties of being the Ireland manager,” he continued. “There are certain people in the League of Ireland now who could go on to manage Ireland.”
“Managing Ireland involves more than just keeping an Irish club competitive in Europe. Being the manager of Ireland requires more than just winning the league and making it to Europe.
To be able to change how your performance is going, you must be able to manage your account in-game. He has mentioned how close games can be, but excellent managers have the power to alter that. He has been the team member who is unable to impact the group during his entire tenure.
As the Euro 2024 qualification campaign he had worked so hard to prepare for came and went without the kind of success he was hoping for, public support for Kenny’s tenure began to dwindle, and he himself admitted that the writing was on the wall.
“Obviously, the board is meeting next week,” he stated. They must make a choice, and I respect whatever they choose.
Naturally, managing the team and continuing would be a dream come true, but my gut tells me that won’t happen. I respect that as well, since that’s my own instinct and the evidence points to it probably not happening.
Former Ireland defenders Richard Dunne and Damien Delaney believe Stephen Kenny’s increasingly torturous tenure as manager of the national team is about to end and that it was permitted to go on for far too long.
When his future is decided next week, Kenny has acknowledged he does not expect to be the manager of the Republic of Ireland again.
Following Tuesday night’s 1-1 friendly draw in Dublin against New Zealand, the 52-year-old’s current contract effectively came to an end. The Football Association of Ireland board will convene the following week to determine whether to extend or terminate it.
