Stephen Kenny will ask his players to maintain the intensity of the home games against the Dutch and France ahead of Friday night's clash with Greece at the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign looks done and dusted; however, a slight possibility remains that Kenny’s side could sneak the second place in the group should certain results go in Ireland’s favour.
As unlikely as it is, it gives the manager reason to motivate the players to essentially play to the final whistle, beginning with a home clash against Greece on Friday night at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland find themselves in this particular predicament due to the fact that they were turned over in Athens in June, and while a win may still not be enough to keep Kenny’s side in the mix ahead of Monday’s match against Gibraltar, a decent performance and victory will go some way of atoning for one of the most disappointing nights of the manager’s tenure.
The Netherlands match provided a similar result to that of Athens, as Ronald Koeman’s side ran out eventual 2-1 winners, however, the two performances were chalk and cheese in comparison.
The first half of the match in Dublin last month will stand out as one of the best of Kenny’s three-year reign, and while the result was unfortunately consistent with the way the manager’s time in charge has proceeded, he gained a lot of appreciation for the manner in which they went toe-to-toe with the much-fancied Dutch.
Ireland raced out of the blocks in the game, pressing high up the pitch, offering the defence little or no time on the ball, while creating the chances to hold a commanding lead at half-time.
Kenny’s side did take the lead, when Adam Idah converted a fourth-minute penalty, however, some slack defending saw Cody Gakpo equalise, before Wout Weghorst struck shortly after the break to knock the belief out of the adventurous Irish.
The France game, of course, was the opening fixture in the group and again Ireland impressed throughout, limiting the World Cup finalists to half-chances, before gifting another goal, which led to the 1-0 defeat – a last-minute wonder-save by Mike Maignan prevented Kenny’s men from getting a deserved point, which may have really kickstarted the campaign.
"The level of performance and intensity we brought to Holland and France here in Dublin, if we bring that level of intensity that we brought to the Dutch game, that's what I want from the players," said Kenny, speaking at the pre-match press conference. "I want them to bring that level of intensity, [it] was incredible.
"Also there was a very high technical level at home to Holland. Players demanding the ball in every area of the park and being confident to receive it."
Despite the result in Athens, this is a game that Ireland are still expected to win against the fourth ranked side in the group, and while Kenny is urging his players onto the front foot from the start, he will exercise an element of caution against a team that he believes have plenty of quality, while also capable of frustrating throughout.
"Greece are a good team, a very experienced team, a lot of good players, a lot of experience, a lot of players in their late 20s who have a lot of games under their belt," said Kenny, speaking about Gus Poyet’s unit.
"They are a consistent team, they don't change, there's not much change in their lineup. And they are a streetwise team; we saw that with the sending off of Matt Doherty, which was never a sending off, in terms of players throwing themselves on the ground to get him sent off.
"We saw players lying down in the game, six or seven players, taking minutes out of the game, we saw that in the game, that was something that was very prevalent in the game. So they are a very streetwise, very experienced team and we have to know what we are facing."
Ireland, of course, are capable of winning the game and will be buoyed by what should still be a decent crowd inside the stadium, however, they will have to perform a lot better than they did in Athens, while the management will need a fluid gameplan to adapt to whatever curveball Poyet will, no doubt, launch in Dublin.
"We review all of our games, review what we can do better in all our games, we constantly do that and we have to look forward," said Kenny.
"I think you can say, 'if you make the change at half-time then tactically you must have got it wrong to start with’, but then if you don’t make one, then tactically you are not changing it.
"I think the reality is, sometimes depending on the selection of your team, you would like a team that could float in and out of systems easily. Sometimes with the personnel in the team that you have selected, that isn’t the case.
"For example, if you have Seamus Coleman in a back-three you can slide to a back-four easily. That’s just one example. It doesn’t suit everyone."
Kenny must have feared a return to the dark days of his early months in the job, when Covid constantly took out key players ahead of games, upon the news that Alan Browne had to be put in isolation when he arrived in Dublin.
However, the manager confirmed that it was not a coronavirus-related issue and the midfielder is now clear to compete against the Greeks.
"This season he (Browne) has started like a house on fire, he’s been in brilliant condition for Preston, started really well. Preston were obviously at the top end of the Championship and he’s their captain and he’s been very influential.
"He had the illness last week. When he came into camp on Monday, we had to isolate him, he couldn’t come to the meetings, he had to go to his room to be isolated for a day just to make sure to get that 72 hours on the doctor’s instructions.
"He trained yesterday, he’s fully fit and we see him as a strong option in the central midfield area, those attacking areas from midfield. We feel he’s a goal threat and he brings other qualities as well."
And speaking of goal threats, the manager’s relaxed demeanour ahead of the game may have been aided by a fully fit Evan Ferguson back on the training ground and raring to go after missing the vital two games against France and the Netherlands.
"No Irish player in a long time has had such an impact so early in his career and it's a credit to him," said Kenny.
"He's really been excellent. The team performance overall against Greece away wasn't what we wanted it to be, so we probably didn't provide the ammunition that he needed in that game for him.
"But in his infancy, he's already got two goals in his short career. He has got off the mark quickly and it's his first season and he has only come into the team.
"We're excited to have him and utilise him and there is no doubt that over a long period for Ireland he's going to, with a bit of luck, be a very important player and hopefully he can enjoy his experience on Friday and do well.
Shane Duffy joined Kenny at the pre-match press conference, suggesting that the big Derry man will both start and captain the side on Friday, and he was also full of praise, coupled with a touch of pride, no doubt, for his former team-mate who he watched coming through the ranks at Brighton.
"First of all, he’s a great boy. He’s a really good head on his shoulders. He’s humble first and foremost, he never gets ahead of himself," said Duffy.
"For me, he’s got everything to be a top striker in the Premier League and in Europe. He just needs to keep going the way he is going, not to get too ahead of himself.
"He’s the full package, he’s a strong boy, he’s a top finisher, he’s willing to work for the team and he’s willing to learn.
"For an 18-year-old there is so much pressure on him already, you think that's a good habit to have. As the manager said there, we're all really excited for the future for him, hopefully with a bit of luck he's our talisman for years to come and gets the goals we all want."
Watch Republic of Ireland v Greece in Euro 2024 qualifying on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live radio commentary on 2fm's Game On
