Josh Cullen is in possession during an Ireland training session at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Josh Cullen is in possession during an Ireland training session at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
A sense of calm is coming from within the Ireland set-up. It’s great to see it. No matter what level they operate at in their club career, players always say that it takes time to feel comfortable at international level. I went through it myself.
Stephen Kenny suffered those growing pains and it seems as if he’s coming out on the right side of that process.
For me, he is finally starting to look at ease with his surroundings. It feels like he’s endured a troubled journey in a relatively short period; this is his fourth competition in just two years.
Within that window, it has felt as if Kenny and his squad have been constantly up against it, battling hard to prove themselves.
Covid brought unprecedented problems, but I thought it was about much more than that.
The lows of that tough, frustrating first year drew visible angst from Kenny as he battled the perception his CV lacked the gravitas that predecessors Giovanni Trapattoni, Martin O’Neill and Mick McCarthy could fall back on, despite his 20 years in management and League of Ireland success.
Players train during an Ireland training session at the Yerevan Football Academy in Yerevan, Armenia. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
International football is a different game. Experience of it enables you to deal with the noise and ultimately park it.
Kenny, his staff and squad now look to have created the environment you need to breathe. Of course, one loss in 12 breeds confidence, but it goes deeper than that. An obvious bond has developed within the squad; the Covid-19 isolation and the changes to the coaching and backroom staff made it difficult to create that with so many new faces to get used to.
The unique bond that lasts a lifetime for every generation is forged in those hotel moments for each iteration of an Irish squad: the one-touch competitions in the hallways, long late night chats with backroom staff, and so much more besides.
All of that is gone without personal contact. So is the vital trust that a manager develops with his players over a period of time.
Believe me, that trust needs time to evolve and it isn’t gained from rousing speeches in the dressing room before you walk out and play.
The important stuff can happen away from the stadium.
I’ve listened to Kenny’s former players talk of the strong relationship he built with them.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the training camp in Spain last summer is being interpreted as a pivotal period and this summer offers another chance to make further necessary improvements.
The connection with the supporters is valuable, too. I can’t imagine Ireland achieving success without it.
A full Lansdowne Road can be so inspiring. It elevates us and generates fear in our opponents.
Stephen Kenny speaks to his Irish squad. Their trip to Spain last summer was pivotal in their turnaround. Credit: Sportsfile
Their enforced absence during the misery of closed-doors football heightened the excitement when stadiums reopened and you can see how the team has drawn strength from their presence.
Here’s the thing, though: I don’t subscribe to the belief empty stadiums were a significant contributor to that initial dreadful run under Kenny.
I take the opposite view. In their formative stage, when they couldn’t win, this team could have succumbed further under such pressure from fans.
Heading into an intense period of four games in 10 days, they look to be in a relatively good place right now, but as captain Seamus Coleman said post-Belgium, we have to start winning in qualification matches.
We have yet to win in 10 Nations League games.
Declarations from Kenny about winning the group should not be viewed in the same light as those sweeping statements he was fond of making when he started.
It should be a genuine target with both Ukraine and Scotland dealing with the outcome of their World Cup playoff and the benefit of the long trek to Armenia being our first game. They were able to get out there early and navigate the difficulties of travel and recovery.
There are many positives right now. For starters, our depth in the goalkeeping department, where Dean Kiely has been an excellent addition to the coaching staff and a quite extraordinary turnaround from initial concern about what would happen without Darren Randolph.
We’ve seen the emergence of many new players in a variety of positions, but it’s the dynamic of our back-three selection that is most intriguing.
The remit of that role within the set-up asks big questions. While the priority remains that you must be able to defend well – and our lads can do that – the emphasis is on moving the ball through the lines.
Andrew Omobamidele and Nathan Collins have added to the strength in depth. Dara O’Shea isn’t around too long either and he has shown his quality when it comes to breaking those lines with his passing.
Both John Egan and Shane Duffy play for clubs where it is demanded. Coleman’s versatility is another dimension.
The six into three equation is a tricky one, but that’s negated this time around by Omobamidele’s injury and the possibility that Coleman will move to wing-back because of Matt Doherty’s setback.
Nevertheless, with Collins in fine form after playing regularly for Burnley in the Premier League and Duffy sitting out the last 11 weeks, Kenny has a decision to make there.
Duffy has long been Ireland’s go-to man and his turnaround in form this season has been impressive, but it’s not easy to draw match fitness from training.
I’ve never subscribed to this idea that the Ireland team should be picked on club form – we simply do not have enough depth to do that – nor do I feel there can be a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Robbie Keane was out of favour with his clubs at various stages in his career, but it was never going to cost him his place. Kenny just has to get the balance right on this from what he’s seeing on the training ground.
What other issues need addressing?
A major one is our ball retention from defence. We simply give the ball away unopposed far too often for this level. It happened five times in the opening 15 minutes against Belgium.
The passing options are there and you can see the drilled movements have been worked on,
but we are not executing them well enough.
There has to be a significant improvement, otherwise, our two-man central midfield will be exposed on the turnover.
I’m interested to see if Kenny continues with a front three or thickens up our midfield with a third man, especially when you think of the energy the likes of Alan Browne or Jason Knight can bring from breaking into the box.
We still have width from the advanced wing-backs to a greater degree now that Enda Stevens is fit again.
One last wish for me is a step up as regards application on defensive corners. Our marking has looked uncharacteristically vulnerable for an Irish team. But I do see clear signs of a team progressing on an upward curve and growing in belief. Now they just need to prove it when it matters. Come on, You Boys in Green.
