Kenna looks for time and luck
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BESIEGED St Patrick's Athletic manager Jeff Kenna has begged both his club management and irate fans for time to help rejuvenate their stumbling season.
The Inchicore club has lost six of its opening ten games, the latest a 2-1 defeat by Kenna’s former club Galway United at Terryland Park on Friday night. It was a tough night for the already under pressure Kenna as his own travelling fans turned on the team in the latter stages of the match, adding to the expected hostile welcome from United fans following the Kenna’s controversial departure from the club at the start of the year.
“Of course I do (feel the pressure), it’d be silly of me to stand here and say that I don’t,” Kenna said after Friday’s loss.
“Four wins from 10 games and six losses is not good enough for a club the size of Pat's, it’s not good enough. I have to take responsibility for that, I’m the manager in charge, I make the decisions, I pick the team, so if it’s not going well than it’s my fault.
“I think I can (turn it around). I need to be given time. I understand the fans frustration, but the players are behind me. The players believe in what we’re trying to do, you could see tonight they worked hard, they kept going, they didn’t stop, but at the moment we’re just having no luck whatsoever and you need to have a little bit of luck.”
Rumours circulate over the stability of Kenna’s job, although he said he had not been given any timeframe by club chief executive Richard Sadlier to regain some form.
“I haven’t no, obviously I haven’t spoken to Richie yet, so I’ll speak to Richie as I do after every game and who knows,” he said.
“Of course it’s not the start I would have liked, but the fact is that’s the start we’ve had. It’s very disappointing. Confidence now is going to be an issue. We’ve got another tough game in the league cup and obviously the longer it goes without us winning a game, we had a bit of unrest tonight with the fans and that’s only going to get worse the longer it goes.”
Pat's face a tough week ahead, hosting Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park on Monday in the second round of the EA Sports Cup before they entertain the league's in-form side, Cork City, next Friday.
The Inchicore club has lost six of its opening ten games, the latest a 2-1 defeat by Kenna’s former club Galway United at Terryland Park on Friday night. It was a tough night for the already under pressure Kenna as his own travelling fans turned on the team in the latter stages of the match, adding to the expected hostile welcome from United fans following the Kenna’s controversial departure from the club at the start of the year.
“Of course I do (feel the pressure), it’d be silly of me to stand here and say that I don’t,” Kenna said after Friday’s loss.
“Four wins from 10 games and six losses is not good enough for a club the size of Pat's, it’s not good enough. I have to take responsibility for that, I’m the manager in charge, I make the decisions, I pick the team, so if it’s not going well than it’s my fault.
“I think I can (turn it around). I need to be given time. I understand the fans frustration, but the players are behind me. The players believe in what we’re trying to do, you could see tonight they worked hard, they kept going, they didn’t stop, but at the moment we’re just having no luck whatsoever and you need to have a little bit of luck.”
Rumours circulate over the stability of Kenna’s job, although he said he had not been given any timeframe by club chief executive Richard Sadlier to regain some form.
“I haven’t no, obviously I haven’t spoken to Richie yet, so I’ll speak to Richie as I do after every game and who knows,” he said.
“Of course it’s not the start I would have liked, but the fact is that’s the start we’ve had. It’s very disappointing. Confidence now is going to be an issue. We’ve got another tough game in the league cup and obviously the longer it goes without us winning a game, we had a bit of unrest tonight with the fans and that’s only going to get worse the longer it goes.”
Pat's face a tough week ahead, hosting Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park on Monday in the second round of the EA Sports Cup before they entertain the league's in-form side, Cork City, next Friday.
