Kenny, as expected, 'not considering' resignation
Two years on from sitting in the same chair at the Estádio Algarve talking up a bright future for Ireland under his stewardship, there was an air of resignation from Stephen Kenny on his return to a hotter seat.
Not that the manager is entertaining the possibility of resignation.
He’s never done so previously in his 25 years of management, only for a better job elsewhere, and he won’t be budging until the FAI ushers him out the door.
Thankfully gone is the clinging to hope on a drastic upturn from window to window, openly imagining different scenarios that will unfold to somehow smooth a route to qualification.
Decrying the difficulty of facing France and Netherlands is irrelevant when defeats to Greece, home and away, smother a top-two table finish regardless. There was reason for the Greeks to be fourth seeds when the draw was made a year ago.
His sixth and likely final win in 28 competitive matches will be registered today in Faro against a Gibraltar side whose record since joining UEFA in 2013 is played 43 qualifiers and lost 43 qualifiers.
Of their constant defeats, keeping Ireland scoreless in June was one of the few consolations. Kenny attempted to contextualise that embarrassment by noting the same fate had befallen the Dutch but it was just the latest of his inaccurate gaffes.
A repeat situation on their neutral turf of Faro will accelerate the exit.
The failure of the FAI to remove Kenny after qualification was effectively mothballed in June, even for a caretaker boss such as John O’Shea until top target Lee Carsley is available from the English FA, has perpetuated this charade.
All the beleaguered boss could point to ahead in the distance were the playoffs in March.
Much like his employment, that
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