Stephen Kenny is paying the price for over two decades of "mismanagement and neglect" of Irish football in the wake of the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Luxembourg last night, according to RTÉ Soccer analyst Alan Cawley.
Ireland sunk to a new low last night with the shock loss to the lowly-ranked nation, and morale among the football public has fallen with it.
Debate is focusing on whether Kenny's management is the issue with the Irish team, or if the deterioration of quality in the squad is now coming home to roost.
The FAI has been embroiled in off-field problems during Kenny's tenure, amid questions if enough has been invested in youth programmes and academies in the country to develop international players.
Kenny, the former Under-21s, manager, has blooded several young players in the 10 games of his tenure.
However, he remains winless, and despite support from the FAI, his position is now likely to come under more scrutiny.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1, Cawley said: "We could have three or four debates around this. We can look at the game, Stephen being the right man and the bigger issue of the FAI and the structures around it. I think if you're looking at the game last night, you can't defend the result.
"I've supported Stephen from day one and I'll still support him, regardless of the result. That is not blind optimism or loyalty, I just think we have to stick with him.
"If you look at the bigger issue with where we are as a nation and a squad at every level, this is it.
"This was broken long before Stephen Kenny took over.
"Unfortunately he is going to bear the brunt of it. This is coming as a result of mismanagement and neglect in an association for the last 25 years. Stephen will suffer and he will suffer for a period of time.
"We have to stick with something. He is trying to rebuild something and implement his own style. He is trying to change a culture that has been there for donkey's years in terms of negative football. People will argue that it got us to the odd tournament, but it is not sustainable.
"We went to those odd tournaments and came back with our tail between our legs after a couple of weeks. I am in full support of what he is trying to implement. But you also have to look at the calibre of player of what we have and what he has had available in these games. If you look at the squad last night, it is a very limited bunch. It really is.
"The only ones showing signs to give us optimism is the young players he is trying to introduce. You can argue he is trying to introduce them too early, because maybe there are not ready. But I don't think he has much choice. It's not as if the senior players who have been there for so long are pulling up any trees.
"I think the likes of Jayson Molumby, Josh Cullen and Dara O'Shea have been our best players in the two games and that tells you where we are in terms of a squad. It was dreadful last night, but we do have to stick with the manager."
In recent years Ireland's number of Premier League players has dwindled, although there is some new talent now emerging.
However, Kenny has seen much of his group starved of first-team football, as well as a lack of a top-level striker. Cawley believes those issues are a real hindrance for the Ireland boss.
"One of the biggest things I hear very little about is the players not playing regularly at club level. We have triple-headers instead of two games now and for lads who are not playing at their clubs, I can't emphasise enough how difficult it is to prepare for an international game on a Wednesday and Saturday with trying to get time on the training ground in between. You have to do recovery, video analysis and more. That is not Stephen's fault.
"It goes back to where we are and our player development over the last number of years. We once had players who were at the very highest level, the likes of Robbie Keane and Damien Duff. If you went through our team last night, apart from Seamus Coleman, nobody is playing at a high level.
"This is a group of players at bottom tier Premier League and Championship players. I mean you look at the likes of Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick and how their club careers have been. They are some of the older lads we have.
"The players being thrown in now like Gavin Bazunu who is on loan at Rochdale. He was outstanding, but we are throwing lads in because we have no choice. Josh Cullen has gone to Anderlecht to get games. Jayson Molumby can't get in Preston's team. Matt Doherty went to Spurs and is in and out of the team. Give me names of players to come in change it.
"There are none. This has been festering for a long, long time and this is the result of all of the mismanagement over the year.
"Stephen Kenny will take the brunt, but believe me it is not his fault."
Fellow RTÉ Soccer analyst Kenny Cunningham said Luxembourg performed admirably last night and defied their low ranking.
They had enjoyed a good build-up to this campaign, while Ireland's has been constant setbacks, from Covid-19 issues to injury withdrawals.
That must be considered factored into last night's outcome, says the former Shelbourne player.
"This is not making excuses, it is facts. If you look back at the Nations League campaign through Covid, you can't judge Stephen on those games. It is impossible to do so. There are so many factors outside of his control that contrbuted to the draws with Wales or the performance against Finland.
"If you look at our results in recent times, we have no divine right to beating anyone by four or five goals or even a comfotable win. Luxembourg were beating Montenegro, Cyprus and Azerbaijan during the Nations League. The games I judge Stephen on are the ones that matter. Slovakia was one we played really, really well in. The next one that was crucial then was Serbia. Again we played really well. Last night we were dreadful.
"They are the three games I judge him on. I know the world we live in on social media where everyone wants to have a go straight away and call for his head.
"If you judge him on the main games, we have to give him the entire campaign. Then if, after the eight or nine games, where it is a continuous pattern with multiple defeats, then fair enough you say he isn't up to the job.
"But after the good performance on Wednesday and one poor game last night, to then say he is not fit for the job, I couldn't do that."
