Stephen Kenny’s Ireland era – the good and bad
THE GOOD
Local boy done good
Home-grown Ireland managers are a rarity – Eoin Hand, rather than Brian Kerr, was the last LOI boss to join the FAI with the top job guaranteed – demonstrating domestic success can form a springboard.
His failed reign could close that route for the time being but Damien Duff’s profile is soaring as a result of the yields he’s extracted two years into his Shelbourne stint.
Continuity
Whatever about John Delaney’s motivation for presenting two managers in late 2018, Kenny spending a year working with the U21 team provided a close insight of what talent was emerging.
Several of his players such as Adam Idah and Liam Scales have spoken recently of Kenny’s impact on them at underage level. Promoting coaches, not just players, through the ranks is a phenomenon across Europe.
Lionel Scaloni perfected it for World champions Argentina.
Ireland 3 Scotland 0
Saw Doctors sang about Winning Just Once and Kenny will always have that warm afternoon from June 2022 when the sun seemed to shine through every sinew of Irish football.
Neither Troy Parrott nor Michael Obafemi were among Kenny’s list of senior debutants but both had figured for him on the U21 stage.
Together, they ripped the Scots asunder in the Nations League by sharing the goals and pointing towards a better future straight after the ignominy of losing in Armenia.
THE BAD
Out with the old
All too frequently, Kenny chose to select historical comparisons to trumpet his own strides but that’s not only disingenuous but silly when the results don’t afford the high moral ground.
Clearing out long-standing backroom members like chartered physio Ciaran Murray and others was unwise and it was mirrored on the pitch by leaving the 1992-born
Read on irishexaminer.com
