They have had great success but we can’t be afraid
KENNY URGES HIS BOYS IN GREEN TO HAVE BELIEF
TAKING on France is the “biggest challenge you can face” in European football but Stephen Kenny is ready for it.
Les Bleus are picking up the pieces after the heartbreak of losing the World Cup final on penalties to Argentina.
They were striving to win back-to-back crowns having been top of the pile in Russia 2018 but Lionel Messi wasn’t letting anything get in his way this time.
Long-serving France captain Hugo Lloris has quit international football on the back of their Qatar disappointment.
So has Manchester United defender Raphael Varane while Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is no longer involved after a major pre-world Cup bust-up with manager Didier Deschamps.
Juventus star Paul Pogba misses the game in Dublin tomorrow week because of injury, as do Chelsea’s N’golo Kante and Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona.
But Ireland boss Kenny reckons the French conveyor belt is just so relentless at churning out talent that France won’t be weakened at Aviva Stadium.
Kenny said: “To take on France is the biggest challenge, of course I’d say that.
“Their record suggests that. But it’s an incredible opportunity against the most highly regarded team in the world over the last while.
“They were World Cup winners in 2018 and finalists in Qatar.
“That Emi Martinez save from Randal Kolo Muani just before the penalty shootout was incredible – and that’s the difference, isn’t it, in being double World Cup holders?
“They’ve had amazing success and it’s the biggest challenge but one we must embrace and not be fearful of and be excited by.”
On top of their mounting injury issues and bust-ups in the camp, the head of the French FA, Noel le Graet, has quit amid harassment allegations which he denies. But Kenny (left) says he won’t be fooled into thinking the French are in crisis as they prepare for their opening qualifiers against the Netherlands and Ireland. “Not from a psychological point of view,” he continued. “But tactically that’s what you do – you look and see where you can create and cause problems.”
Ireland will be underdogs in their own backyard but Kenny points to the performances against Portugal in the World Cup campaign as a template for success.
The Boys in Green led in Faro until Cristiano Ronaldo’s suckerpunch brace at the death while the sides played out a tense scoreless draw in Dublin.
“Portugal were very good but we went toe-to-toe with them for over 90 minutes in both games and we can take encouragement from that with France coming here,” he said.
But 51-year-old Kenny – in the post since 2020 – warned that concentration will be key against the World Cup finalists as they can strike in an deadly instant.
“On the transition, you might think you’re doing well against France but that’s when they hurt you and that’s what we have to guard against,” he explained.
“You have to counter the counter attack as they say.
“That’s when you’re feeling comfortable as they’re sometimes comfortable out of possession.
“But they’re devastating when you leave gaps because they punish you with explosive pace.”