Kenny accepts criticism but bristles at ‘shambolic’ comment on results for Boys in Green

Macdara Ferris reports from FAI HQ in Abbotstown

Stephen Kenny insisted on Sunday that he understands the criticism laid at his door with results that leave Ireland on the brink of failing to qualify for their fourth successive tournament.

However, the Ireland boss bristled when it was put to him in the pre-match press conference for Monday’s Gibraltar game that results have been ‘shambolic’. He said that the "lack of respect" shown to him at certain press conferences has been “absolutely terrible.”

“I’m not going to sit here and do a full press conference on an assessment of my period in charge or anything like that,” said Kenny. “I’m here really to prepare for tomorrow, the game against Gibraltar, it’s a big game for us,

“We’ve had a lot of good performances, certainly our previous performance against France was excellent, against the previous world champions. It was a narrow defeat and we were disappointed with that. I think we’ve come out the wrong side of some epic games 2-1 and we need to obviously change that against the better teams.

“We showed here, beating Scotland 3-0, what we are capable of, but we need more of that. There is no doubt about that. I think our performances at home and away against Scotland were top-drawer, our performance (away to) Ukraine was top-drawer, if you are going back that far.

“It wasn’t good enough in Greece the other night and I’m disappointed. I know that was an important game in the group and I know we lost it, and I know there is criticism of me because of that.

"I accept that, I accept the criticism. I don’t think I’m above that. I know that. I get that. I absolutely get it, I feel it, that’s part of it, that’s the job I’m in and I understand that.

"But I do believe in the players, I very much do, and we are going into a game against Gibraltar and we want to get three points and take that into the September window.”

Ireland had a ten day training camp in Türkiye in the build-up to the game in Greece and had looked to play a friendly match but that didn’t come to fruition.

“The association tried to get one,” explained Kenny. “At that time of year it’s outside the (international) window so it’s difficult for associations to get players released at that time of year, not in the window.

"I would have liked one but it wasn’t possible but it’s not an excuse. We had a game ourselves, we got a full run out so I certainly would use that as an excuse.” 

James McClean on Ireland’s slim Euro qualification hopes: ‘We’re not naïve, we know it’s going to be tough, very tough.’ https://t.co/TFeFPFWEkGpic.twitter.com/Jew5ppu98J

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