Stephen Kenny named his squad recently for what is expected to be his last two games in charge of the Republic of Ireland – the Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands and the international friendly with New Zealand.
Those two fixtures will take his time in charge up to 40 games since his appointment in April 2020 when he replaced the outgoing Mick McCarthy. It would be a major surprise if he got to 41.
The biggest surprise in Kenny's latest squad was the lack of surprises. With Sammie Szmodics declining a call-up, the manager resisted making any major changes from the squad for Greece and Gibraltar, suggesting he has landed on his preferred panel - injuries notwithstanding.
Kenny's reign looks set to end with no major tournament reached - the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign prove particularly difficult, with six points garnered thus far through home and away wins over Gibraltar.
The manager has not been helped by issues throughout his time in the hotseat, including forced Covid withdrawals in the early stages and then latter injuries, such as Evan Ferguson’s inability to make the recent games with France and the Netherlands.
Kenny promised to overhaul the squad when he took over though, and 20 debuts and the use of 52 different players certainly did do that, but he also has had a set of players who he has real trust in.
Whether that trust can be repaid under Kenny going forward or under a new boss, there has been a favoured squad for the Dubliner.
In safe hands
It’s just over three years since Stephen Kenny’s first game in charge – a 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in the Nations League – and the goalkeeper scene has changed significantly.
Back then it was Darren Randolph, who started Kenny’s first eight games in charge, Mark Travers and Kieran O’Hara who were included in that original squad and while Travers remains in situ, it’s Gavin Bazunu who has established himself as the clear number one.
It hasn’t been plain sailing for the former Shamrock Rovers man with criticism arriving earlier this season as Southampton shipped four against Norwich and five against Sunderland early in the Championship season. In truth, there was very little he could have done against the Canaries but the Sunderland defeat was a chastising experience.
Since then he has steadied the ship and having conceded 12 goals in their first five leagues games, the Saints have only conceded 14 in their next 11.
Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher is clearly number two in Kenny’s plans and has mostly deputised well, but he got his footing wrong when conceding to Latvia in a friendly in March of this year,
The Cork man is supremely talented, but opportunities are lacking as he is behind arguably the best goalkeeper in the world at Anfield, Allison Becker. Kelleher played just three games last season for the Reds.
He has already reached four appearances this season, although last week’s loss Europa League loss in Toulouse was a difficult night with Kelleher pushing the ball back into the danger zone for Toulouse’s crucial third of the night.
On the defence
In terms of big-game experience, the Irish defence has been getting plenty of it over the last week.
Bolter Liam Scales found himself starting for Celtic away to Atletico Madrid, Brentford’s Nathan Collins was at Liverpool trying to shut down the Reds, Dara O’Shea started at the Emirates as Burnley gave Arsenal a fright while Matt Doherty came off the bench as Wolves produced a stunning finish against Spurs.
And what of Festy Ebosele who has started nine games for Udinese in Serie A this season? Just over a week ago, a brilliant drive into the box won the match-winning penalty over AC Milan at the San Siro. New boss Gabriele Cioffi has continued to deploy him on the right of midfield, rather than defence, as predecessor Andrea Sotti had done.
Kenny has experimented more with a four at the back in recent times as opposed to his preferred three, but over the last 10 games his personnel has changed also.
Shane Duffy has made four starts in those 10 games – the last four games; Doherty has made three starts in those 10 games – the last three games; Scales has made two starts in those 10 games – the last two games.
Collins has started nine of the 10 but perhaps most question marks hang over his head in terms of how Kenny rates him currently. He was a surprise half-time substitute for Ryan Manning in the 2-0 loss to Greece – the boss saying it was tactical – and was an unused substitute in the 4-0 win over Gibraltar last time out. For many Irish fans, the 22-year-old has the highest ceiling of any of the centre halves involved with the squad but right now he has to fight for minutes on the pitch.
One of the forced personnel changes for Kenny has been a result of the leg injury picked up by John Egan in Sheffield United’s loss to West Ham at the start of October. He had started seven of those last 10 games under Kenny, with injury accounting for those absences. It seems unlikely he will play for Kenny again.
Captain Seamus Coleman is another hugely experienced defender who Kenny has had to do without due to long-term injury.
The middle ground
For a multitude of reasons – early Covid issues, injuries, tactical experiments – Kenny was left with holes to fill in his squad, but when it comes to his midfield, he has some real dependables.
In those early days, Jeff Hendrick was a go-to guy, making 13 starts and another appearance off the bench in Kenny’s first 20 games in charge – but given that he is currently struggling for game-time at Sheffield Wednesday (he has only played one full game this season in the Championship) he is out of favour.
Three men who remain very much in favour though are Jason Knight, Jayson Molumby and Josh Cullen.
If you were to split Kenny’s 38-game reign into two, this trio has had the most action in that, at times, very fluid midfield area in the second half of his time overseeing the team.
Burnley’s Cullen has started 25 games in all and is one of the manager’s automatic picks now while Molumby – 16 starts – and Knight – 11 starts – have also been given plenty of game-time.
Alan Browne – with two goals and two assists for Preston in the league this season – is another who finds himself playing regularly in recent times under Kenny.
James McClean is right up there in terms of minutes under the current boss, but he has been excluded from the last few squads following his transfer to League 2 side Wrexham. However he will link up with Ireland for the New Zealand friendly, having announced that he will retire from international football after that particular game.
One player fans will be hoping to see more of over the next few days is Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath, albeit a hamstring injury may ultimately rule him out of this window.
The Meath man caught the eye with an all-energy cameo last time out against Gibraltar, some audacious play around the opposition box appreciated by those in attendance, and although he has failed to nail down a starting spot since Kenny handed his debut in 2021, the manager does like to introduce him to cause some mayhem.
Mark Sykes became the first Belfast-born player to play for the Republic of Ireland in 76 years in last November’s 1-0 friendly win over Malta, but he has been stuck on two appearances. If McGrath is to miss out, the Bristol Rovers man may find himself adding to that cap tally.
Attacking aces
In Kenny’s 38 games in charge, Ireland have scored a modest 46 goals. That overall stat does look a lot better when you consider that in 2020 – eight games in all – they managed one solitary strike, Shane Duffy’s 93rd minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in Kenny's first game in charge.
Duffy has four goals in Kenny’s reign, Nathan Collins has three, as does John Egan. Matt Doherty got off the mark last time out against Gibraltar – the defenders have been playing their part.
Only one forward named in the squad has more goals than Duffy, and that’s Cardiff City’s Callum Robinson, who has found the net eight times under Kenny's watch.
For so long, Robinson looked like he was going to be the leading light in attack having found a real golden touch, but a serious hamstring injury in February of this year saw him miss so much action and blunted Ireland’s attacking options. He hit the target last time out though and at 28, he will have a big future for Ireland even though Kenny didn’t get to use him as much as he would have liked.
The same goes for Evan Ferguson, one of the most exciting young strikers in European football but someone Kenny only got – and will probably only get – a fleeting glimpse of. Rumours that he may have to withdraw from this window due to injury would perhaps be a fitting finale for their partnership.
When it was revealed that the Brighton man had been forced out of the France and Netherlands Euro qualifiers with injury, the nation’s shoulders slumped. Another blow for Kenny who had his fair share of misfortune.
Chiedozie Ogbene, recently seen giving Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold a torrid time in Luton's 1-1 draw with the six-time European champions, was one of the attackers handed a debut by Kenny and he has quickly racked up 19 appearances and four goals.
Troy Parrott, whose stuttering international career started in 2019, has almost identical figures to Ogbene – four goals in 20 appearances – but while he hasn’t always fitted Kenny’s eye, he has earned a recall here given his brilliant form on loan at Dutch Eredivisie side Excelsior Rotterdam. Parrott has three goals and an assist in nine league games this year.
Red-hot Szmodics is another unlikely to be used by Kenny despite two call ups. The Championship top scorer with Blackburn has had to withdraw due to injury and personal circumstances. Highly-rated Finn Azaz has yet to get the call while another in-form Blackburn player, Andy Moran, is with the Under-21s this week.
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