Stephen Kenny: 'There's no point talking about implications'
This Saturday was supposed to crescendo Stephen Kenny’s vision, bringing his Total Irish football template to the stadium named after its originator.
Amsterdam’s Arena was retitled the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2018 following the legend’s death.
When Kenny’s reign entered dangerous territory early on, doubters were implored to visualise the future and especially the nostalgic notion of returning to Germany 36 years after Ireland’s tournament breakthrough. Reality bit.
Back-to-back defeats to fourth seeds Greece left scalps of France and Netherlands as the only route to the Euros.
It transpired that Kenny’s insistence on revolutionising Ireland’s style from that of his predecessors couldn’t succeed in causing upsets.
Five defeats from the opening six qualifiers locks Ireland into fourth place regardless of whether they shock the Dutch at the weekend.
All that implausible outcome would do is delay the Dutch qualification until Tuesday against Gibraltar in Faro.
One win from their final two games assures Ronald Koeman’s side the second ticket from the group to the Euros behind victors France.
“He (Cruyff) played before my time but I read his book for sure,” said Kenny about the man who transposed the passing fluency into his managerial career at Ajax and Barcelona.
“I'm very aware of him and his history in the growth of Ajax and Dutch football.
“He obviously had a big influence on not only Dutch football but Spanish football particularly and, because of that, world football, Barcelona became such a dominant team in world football and, by a consequence. Spain were dominant for a long time.”
Kenny hasn’t denied the obvious fact that his reign as Ireland manager will end after next Tuesday’s 40th game at the helm, the
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