COLLINS AND BAZUNU LEAD IRISH
Kenny needs players to make mark at club level
GIOVANNI Trapattoni and Martin O’Neill’s sporadic references to the dearth of Ireland players operating in the Champions League used to irk some football folk here.
Critics of the managers who oversaw the Boys In Green’s fortunes between May, 2008 and November, 2018 believed that it was the duty of these vastly-experienced and successful coaches and equallyimpressive players to sing dumb on the matter.
Trap and O’Neill were both accused of being negative and intentionally seeking to play down their teams’ hopes.
Well, that theory holds even less weight now as it did just (right) those few short years ago.
The Italian guided Ireland to Euro 2012, while his side’s bid to reach the 2010 World Cup finals dramatically ended on a certain night in Paris in November, 2009.
Rash
The Derryman steered his side to Euro 2016, with their aspirations of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup tournament scuppered by rash decisions during the play-off second leg at home to Denmark.
Yes, Trap signed off with a disappointing 2014 World Cup campaign and O’Neill did likewise with a limp Nations League foray in 2018 but the overall volume of their work stands up to scrutiny.
Since O’Neill’s exit, Ireland have been unable to reach
Euro 2020 and this year’s World Cup.
These days, it’s not Champions League experience and exposure for players that is a source of concern to Stephen Kenny.
It’s ever more basic than that.
The Ireland supremo simply needs greater numbers operating in the top flight or producing displays with Championship clubs that will help them gain promotion.
Kenny doesn’t need to reference this issue every time he speaks to the media but he is entitled to make the point, just as Trapattoni and O’Neill were about European club football.
It’s not being disrespectful to the squad to mention it.
It just provides the backdrop to the current position that the senior Ireland side holds in Europe, while also laying down a challenge to certain personnel that they should bust a gut to ensure their careers move towards the Premier League.
Last season’s statistics for Premier League weekend action didn’t always make for joyous reading for Kenny’s management team, the FAI or supporters.
Fanfare
The total of Ireland internationals starting top-flight games each weekend hovered between two and six for most of the campaign, with between three and eight being summoned from the bench. Worryingly, these figures gradually tailed off during the season.
Hence, the fanfare surrounding Nathan Collins’ recent