'Ambition can take you to the darkest of places' — Kenny bows out undeterred
Stephen Kenny has used his final programme notes to justify his abject Ireland tenure, claiming ambition can take you to the “darkest of places”.
Tonight’s friendly against New Zealand brings to an end the Dubliner’s three-and-a-half-year, 40-game reign, with the FAI board set to release him once his contract lapses over the next week.
Kenny has insisted no decision has been made despite discussions at board level over his employment since the crushing June defeat in Greece that virtually ended any prospects of competing with France and Netherlands for one of the two tickets to next year’s Euros in Germany.
However, his notes offer an implied farewell, outlining his role in the family meat business infused his sense of ambition that led to the dream job of managing his country via stints at Irish and Scottish clubs.
Kenny offers a robust defence of his time in charge, stressing how “there is now a clear pathway for players, a playing philosophy and principles of play from U15s through the international teams to the senior team.
In response to the wave of backlash he’s received from pundits, media and sections of support for his dire record of six wins in 29 competitive matches, he added: “You have to show conviction amidst the criticism and adapt if required, but nurture talent, develop and believe in it.”
Kenny’s programme notes read as follows:
When I was a teenager, my Dad decided to leave his regular job and security with it to become self-employed. At the back of our small house in Tallaght, he built a large shed where he cooked hams and cooked bacon to supply shops around Dublin.
That soon became too small, so we brought a small butchers in Ballyfermot and worked from there, before space was at a premium and
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