Eighteen months in charge and 20 games played, Stephen Kenny's contract saga was finally resolved earlier this month ahead of the upcoming double-header with Belgium and Lithuania.
Almost a year to the day, as Ireland left the Lansdowne Road pitch with their tail between their legs following the shock 1-0 defeat to Luxembourg, many thought that Kenny would not see out the weekend.
By that stage, Kenny's record was nothing short of abysmal. Ten games played, six loses and four draws; the "goals for" column read a dismal three.
The manager could barely string a sentence together in the post-match press conference, and while it was hard to watch, the situation could not have been more dramatic.
For Kenny was a manager who was liked by some, most notably for his proven track record in the League of Ireland, his appreciation of the game being played the way it should be, and the fact that he had the nerve, or the gall some might say, to attempt to transform the way the national team would equip themselves on the international stage.
Alas and with the best will in the world, the manager’s grand plan was failing, and it was failing spectacularly when viewed from a results’ perspective.
And yet, that long weekend passed, and two days later, a rejuvenated Kenny stood up and stood out, as he essentially pleaded for his future ahead of the away game against Qatar, defending his philosophy and re-emphasising his belief that he was, in fact, the right man to take Ireland forward.
If Luxembourg was rock bottom, Ireland perhaps plateaued over the next three games, aided by a team-building summer break in Spain around two games with Andorra and Hungary, before the phoenix rose from the ashes and produced an incredible performance away in Portugal, leading the World Cup qualifier 1-0 in the 89th minute.
We all know what happened next, but it was what happened as a result of that September window, that the manager could finally feel confident that he would actually get the chance to lead the team through a full qualifying campaign for a major tournament.
By that stage, it was evident that the players were behind their manager, and to the squad’s credit, it never looked like anything other than that, even through those dark days of the opening ten games.
Likewise, the supporters were on board; even the many doubters were backing Kenny to take the side to Euro 2024 – the home games against Serbia and Portugal proved that the crowds were coming back in their droves to enjoy the international team, and they wanted the team to play the Kenny way.
Yet somehow the FAI appeared reticent and it would be four long months before Kenny was finally confirmed in his role up to Euro 2024.
Expectations, of course, have now been rightly raised throughout the footballing family who are starting to salivate at the prospect of going to another European championships, and back to Germany at that - back to where it all began in 1988.
And what better way to see where this side are at than a home clash with the world number one-ranked side, Belgium, in front of a full house on Saturday?
The mantra of 'what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ can certainly be applied in the manager’s case as he took countless risks, introducing young and inexperienced players into the senior set-up, amidst a medley of malfortune and Covid conundrums, and he has come out of it with a superior squad, where competition for places now exists in every position.
So when the players do take the pitch against Belgium on Saturday, there will be a quiet confidence about the place that the team will, at least, prove competitive against the best in the world.
Granted the game is an international friendly – a rare breed of match these days – and it must certainly be noted that Roberto Martinez is travelling with an understrength squad, so there is an element of the playing field being levelled, which should make for a very interesting game.
The Lithuania fixture on Tuesday will provide a different sort of challenge, with a win expected, however, the manager will, no doubt, continue to plan for the competitive challenge that awaits as the road to Germany draws closer.
It will be 12 further months before we see the real results of the Kenny era come to fruition as the Euro 2024 campaign will be played out throughout the 2023 calendar year, and with the uncertainty in Ukraine at the moment, it remains to be seen if Ireland will play their scheduled Nations League games against the war-torn country later this year.
And with the World Cup taking place in Qatar later this year, Ireland could now only have four more games throughout 2022 after this double-header takes place.
But come Saturday night, a packed out Aviva Stadium should suggest that the Boys in Green will be the side to lift the nation throughout the long road ahead to Germany ’24.
The welcoming of the world’s best is certainly a cause to celebrate, while the manager, complete with extended contract in hand, finally gets his chance to enjoy the moment that he has worked long and hard to achieve.
Follow the Republic of Ireland v Belgium this Saturday (kick-off 5pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
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