Defiant Stephen Kenny vows to press on with Republic of Ireland mission

A defiant Stephen Kenny has vowed to press on with his Republic of Ireland mission despite seeing his hopes of Euro 2024 qualification torn to shreds in Greece.

Friday night’s defeat in Athens – coupled with a 1-0 reverse at the hands of World Cup finalists France in Dublin in their opening fixture – means the odds are even more heavily stacked against Ireland that they were when they were initially pitched into Group B battle with both Didier Deschamps’ men and the Netherlands.

For Kenny, who took over as manager in 2020 and targeted qualification in this campaign as his initial end goal, a return of just four wins in 23 competitive matches has refuelled the fires of his critics and anything less than a comprehensive victory over minnows Gibraltar on Monday evening would represent the final straw for many.

However, asked if he was concerned about his future, the 51-year-old replied: “I’m disappointed with the game. I hear what you’re saying – I’m disappointed with the game, I’m not concerned about myself at the moment.

“I have to get ready for Monday now and just get the squad ready for the game against Gibraltar, which is a game of course that we have to win. We have to make sure that we’re ready.”

It is not the first time during his reign that Kenny has felt the need to voice similar sentiments after being asked similar questions and that is a reflection of the success or otherwise of a project which has laudable aims, but is short on tangible results.

He has made it his aim to produce a team which plays enterprising, attacking football and handed that responsibility in part to players plucked from the under-21 ranks.

However at the OPAP Arena, 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson, who has enjoyed a stellar season in the Premier League with Brighton, was starved of meaningful possession as Kenny’s midfield was overrun and his defence dismantled with Trabzonspor’s Tasos Bakasetas and Olympiakos midfielder Giorgos Masouras their principal tormentors.

A downbeat Kenny said: “We didn’t create enough chances, we didn’t and that was disappointing. We had efforts on goal, but we needed to create more than we did.

“But because we’d given them that goal after half-time, they could sit off a little bit and just protect it and hit us on the counter then for periods, so we made life difficult for ourselves.”

Opposite number Gus Poyet analysed Ireland closely as he prepared for the game, but admitted the rigours of international football can take their toll on even the best-laid plans.

Poyet said: “I understand the situation because when we were analysing the Republic of Ireland, we had the impression that you were really playing football with the ball on the floor, playing through the thirds, going wide, putting players in the box and I was happy because of the way that you played.

“And then there were other games where depending on the result, you become ‘the Republic of Ireland’, with all due respect. You depend on a corner, you depend on a long ball, you depend on a second and a third ball.

“But it’s tough boys, it’s tough. I remember many games with the national team where I was on the pitch thinking, ‘How are we going to win this’?”