Kenny keen to move on from England match with the Nations League now the focus

With his sixth game in charge of the Republic of Ireland coming up on Sunday, Stephen Kenny is still seeking his first win in charge of the Boys in Green.

Thursday night’s game at Wembley didn’t go the way he would have wanted and, while he wasn’t dismissing the 3-0 loss against England, Kenny is focussing on getting a win in Wales with Bulgaria also on the horizon.

Outside of the England game, the Boys in Green have drawn three (against Bulgaria, Slovakia and the scoreless draw against Wales in Dublin) and lost by one goal home and away to Finland.

“Everyone was disappointed to lose against England,” said Kenny when he was speaking to the media on Zoom just prior to taking his team training in the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

“It was a difficult game playing England in Wembley where Ireland have never won. We wanted to achieve a win but they are in good form. It is probably the first match we have played that we’ve not been in the ascendancy in a lot of the game.

“Alan Browne’s chance aside and some half chances, it was a difficult game to create chances but this is a new game against Wales. We want to perform well and try and get that illusive win that we need.”

Wales are top of the UEFA Nations League B Group Four unbeaten in their four matches while Ireland are on two points in third place and facing into relegation to League C if results don’t go their way.

Kenny though was talking up the positives from the matches played in the competition so far – keeping the chances created by the opposition at a minimum while creating opportunities at the other end of the pitch; ones they just now need to convert.

“The Nations League are a greater priority (than the England friendly) with points at stake so we have to focus on Wales and Bulgaria on Wednesday. We are very focussed on the game in Cardiff. We have to make sure we perform.

“We played quite well against Wales in the Aviva. They weren’t loads of chances but we had the better chances. We were marginally the better side. It was evenly contested.

“We were at home, now we are away and there are a lot of changes in the team. So we will have to go and be positive in our approach and try and win the game.”

“I’m not please we haven’t scored in the last few games. We did a collage of the opportunity of the chances over the previous four games, leaving the England game out, we watched it together collectively. We missed a high number of chances but we were creating chances.”

With player withdrawals due to injuries picked up at training and due to COVID-19 – with false positives, close contacts and Alan Browne the latest player to be ruled out due to coronavirus – it could leave Stephen Kenny thinking that if it wasn’t for bad luck, he would have no luck at all.

However the former Ireland under-21 boss wasn’t dwelling the difficult times he has had since taking over in the dugout.

“It has been a tough period with last month and this month and all that has gone on. I won’t deny that. Listen, I’m not complaining. You have to deal with that. That is part of where we are now.

"We have got to dust ourselves down quickly and be positive. I think whether I enjoy it or not, isn’t the priority. Making the team successful is the priority.” 

Kenny calls up four players for Wales game https://t.co/u1CR6Sp3Fupic.twitter.com/38Wkw8eKoF

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) November 14, 2020