Stephen Kenny planning for Ireland’s future as Portugal loom

A particular form of negotiation, between Ireland management and FAI board, commenced immediately after last month’s Qatar friendly.

Stephen Kenny, without prompting, marked out a “medium-to-long-term strategy” for his young squad in what could be interpreted as the manager dangling a PR disaster in front of Irish football’s English-based chief executive Jonathan Hill.

The national side had just won 4-0 in front of 25,000 Kennyites. That this followed a 3-0 dismantling of Azerbaijan in Baku sparked a fuse that the most loyal supporters of the home-grown gaffer were beginning to fear would ever materialise.

“One of the things that we are looking at doing is winning the Nations League in June,” said Kenny of a competition that concludes next September, two months after his current deal expires. “Myself and Keith [Andrews] sat down about that a long time ago.”

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Kenny is no fool. He, presumably, knew full well that there were six matches in the Nations League, with two more after next summer.

Either way, his mini-stance has ensured a stock question and answer exchange at every media session until the FAI board convene after Sunday’s Group A finale in Luxembourg. This gathering will provide Hill’s new broom with the first real opportunity to differentiate themselves from the one man show of recruiting, re-hiring and paying off of previous Ireland managers.

Josh Cullen is not known for creating headlines. Anderlecht’s water carrier has proved instrumental in curating the football strategies of Vincent Kompany and Kenny but standalone quotes have been few and far between. The question, about Kenny’s future, hardly gave the 25-year-old much wriggle room, but it was his strident response that makes it crystal clear he was speaking on behalf of the entire Republic of Ireland playing group.

“Yeah, for me, 100 percent,” Cullen responded, and he could have left it at that.

“I think the progression that the team has shown over the last year or so, working together has been really enjoyable.”

Again, that would suffice.

“I probably speak on behalf all of the lads that we’re fully behind the manager and believe in what he’s trying to do. We’re enjoying the style of football we’re playing and we’re starting to see the rewards results wise, from the performances we’ve been putting in.

“For me, it’s a pretty straightforward answer: Yeah, 100 percent, I want the manager to stay.”

Jason Knight, sitting beside his fellow midfielder following a brisk session in Abbotstown before the small matter off facing Portugal on Thursday at the Aviva stadium, readily concurred.

“I’d just echo what Josh said: I’m absolutely the same,” said the 20-year-old. “On a personal level as well, he’s given me my chance, obviously with the Under-21s and he’s brought me up and given me eight senior caps so far. I’m grateful for that and I want to see him continue and hopefully me continue underneath him.”

Working off these words, all that remains from contract negotiations is the dotting of Portugal and crossing of Luxembourg.