Kenny expects acid test from Iceland champs

DUNDALK have achieved more than anyone could have expected since Stephen Kenny took up the reins at the club a little over three-and-a-half years ago.

Having flirted with going out of business, the Dubliner has turned things around at Oriel Park by bringing countless honours back to Oriel Park, including back-to-back league titles and an FAI Cup.

By Kenny’s own admission it has been an incredible journey. It’s a journey though that is not yet complete. A European breakthrough is what the manager really craves and he is hopeful that this can be the year it happens if they can negotiate the challenge of FH Hafnarfjardur this week.

‘It’s been an incredible journey from day one walking in here. You could never have envisioned it,’ he told The Argus this week.

‘It has been an incredible journey for everyone at the club. Three and a half seasons ago when we came in we had nothing to start with.

‘A couple of players stayed on and we started with a new team of largely inexperienced players. Now we’re in our third European season after winning back-to-back league titles and you’ve seen the team evolve into the team it is now.

‘Both FH and ourselves see this as an opportunity. We’ve come a long way but we feel there’s a few chapters left in this story and we want to go and try and progress if we can. We realise we’re going to have to play to our full potential but I’ve no issues in that regard because we’ve gained some experience in Europe, cup finals and in big games and that will be of great benefit over the two legs,’ he said.

Kenny insists the Icelandic outfit will be justifiable favourites for to advance to the third qualifying round but is confident his side can upset the odds.

‘They’re the seeded team. Their co-efficient ranked them in a group with Celtic, BATE and Copenhagen so the reason that’s the case is because they’ve won a round in Europe for the last five years so you have to respect that.

‘They think drawing us is a good opportunity but from our point of view we believe in ourselves and what we’re doing and we’re very determined to try and win this tie if we can. That’s our ambition.

‘The whole town is excited about it,’ he said.

‘The players are also massively motivated. If they get through they have at least four more games in Europe and that can be the pinnacle of your career.

‘The players are motivated and they want to be part of special nights. That’s why they’re dedicated, that’s why they put the hours in and why they dedicate themselves every single day to be the best that they can be,’ said Kenny.

That said, the manager is expecting a tough test against an FH side who have won seven out of the last 12 league titles in Iceland.

‘We know that we’ll get tough games over the two legs but we’re ready for anything.

‘They have a number of very elegant players, particularly the two Vidarsson brothers in midfield. They’re two left footed players and they’re lively in the attacking areas.

‘FH play quite an attacking system in the league. They play a 4-2-3-1 not unlike ourselves but when they played in Europe last season away from home in Finland they played an extra defensive midfielder so you can never be sure of your opponents but one thing you’ve got to get right is yourself. We need to make sure of exactly what we’re doing regardless of the opposition.

‘It’s our intention in every game to dominate possession. We never go away and say we’ll sit off teams and concede possession. That’s where the dilemma is for us in Europe.

‘FH similarly in their league dominate possession. They’re quite an offensive team and some of the players are quite elegant in possession and they can play but they are quite open as well.

‘That could be levelled at us too. We try and dominate possession and I don’t think that will change in relation to the game on Wednesday. I think it’s our ambition to dominate games but to do that you need a high degree of technical ability and in recent matches Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn and Patrick McEleney have been very influential in midfield.’

Dundalk have been busy doing their homework on their opponents this week with Gerry Spain having travelled to watch the Icelandic side and Vinny Perth compiling video footage alongside Ger Dunne from the FAI.

Kenny insists his side are much more prepared for Europe than when they last hosted a first leg tie at Oriel Park against Hajduk Split in 2014. A 2-0 defeat that night meant that a famous win in Split counted for little but the manager insists the experience from that tie has stood to the side.

‘In the first leg against Hajduk Split two years ago we lost 2-0 and we’re at home again first this time around. We sort of went for it against Hajduk Split two years ago, knowing of course that the possibility existed that we could get done on the break and that did happen so you do learn lessons.

‘I think it’s important at home not to concede but at the same time you want to win the game.

‘We had quite an inexperienced team that day overall at that stage but we’re a much better team now than the team who played that day. Our ability to retain possession is greater. We conceded an early goal that night, which is always possible again, but we’ve just got to make sure we defend well.’

Kenny has a full panel to choose from for the game and admits he has a few ‘hard decisions’ particularly in relation to who leads the line, with both David McMillan and Ciaran Kilduff in red hot form at the moment.

‘David McMillan’s performance was absolutely outstanding the other night. He looks like he’s in the form of his life now and Ciaran Kilduff showed his character to come off the bench, despite being sick, to get the winner.

‘That’s 18 goals between the two of them in 18 games from one position so it’s tremendous. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who said to me we need a striker but 18 goals is just an unbelievable ratio and it’s a ratio that no other team could match. Not only that but those strikers put in some shift for the team.

‘We’ve a strong selection for the game,’ he said.

With the clock ticking down to kickoff, Kenny insists the fans also had a role to play.

‘We need the support in to inspire the players. That can only help us and can really lift the team.

‘The fans have seen some great days here between winning the league here against Cork and last year’s atmospere against BATE here was terrific and that helped us in a difficult match.

‘There will be spells where they have possession and we’re not used to that but the key is not to concede chances in that period and to defend well. Also there will be spells where we have possession and we have a cutting edge to our team and the capacity to score goals so it’ll be interesting,’ he said. Interesting, indeed. It’s been a fabulous few years in Oriel Park under Kenny. Hopefully the best is yet to come.