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Stephen Kenny saluted his Republic of Ireland players as a bruising Nations League campaign ravaged by coronavirus and injuries ended with him still awaiting his first win.<\/p>\nStephen Kenny saluted his Republic of Ireland players as a bruising Nations League campaign ravaged by coronavirus and injuries ended with him still awaiting his first win.<\/p>\n
Ireland have gone eight games without a victory under their new manager and perhaps more worryingly, 11 hours without a goal after a 0-0 draw with Bulgaria in Dublin which was enough to secure their League B status, but nothing more substantial.<\/p>\n
However, after seeing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy leave the camp after losing his father and four players having to self-isolate following Covid-19 tests, Kenny had nothing put praise for the character within his squad.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe fact that the players have had to endure what they\u2019ve had to endure over the last couple of months, having to deal with Covid-related nearly every day in the camp, it\u2019s very unsettling for players, very unsettling for them in their lives and all their connected families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a very, very difficult period over the last two windows with all of that. We lost some players with bereavement in this camp \u2013 James McCarthy\u2019s father unfortunately passed away \u2013 and we lost players through injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot of issues and in the last two camps, we were probably missing players in double figures.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut regardless, all of the players showed a brilliant mentality, gave everything of themselves took everything in their stride and just applied themselves correctly, so I applaud them for that and for their determination even though we didn\u2019t win the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clash between the group\u2019s third and fourth-placed teams was never likely to be a classic, and so it proved with Robbie Brady\u2019s 68th-minute shot, which came back off the crossbar the closest either came to winning it.<\/p>\n
The statistics make for depressing reading for Ireland \u2013 they have not won a game of any description since they beat the Bulgarians in a friendly in September last year, and their most recent competitive victory came against minnows Gibraltar three months earlier.<\/p>\n
Had they ended that run at the Aviva Stadium, they would have remained among the second pot of seeds for the forthcoming World Cup draw, and while their failure to do so could yet prove costly, Kenny was at least able to take comfort from a round of fixtures which has seen new players \u2013 among them Dara O\u2019Shea, Jayson Molumby and Jason Knight \u2013 emerge.<\/p>\n
Asked if avoiding Nations League relegation had come as a relief, he said: \u201cIt was very important that we weren\u2019t relegated, that was very important. It\u2019s not something to celebrate, not particularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve used the Nations League to blood a lot of players, some by design and some because we\u2019ve had an inordinate players ruled out for a variety of reasons. That will stand us well in the future, for sure, and it gives us more options.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team that wasn\u2019t available tonight would be stronger than the team that was \u2013 and that\u2019s not being disparaging. We\u2019d just so many frontline players not available tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut having said that, now some players have really put themselves in contention to challenge for places and that\u2019s what we needed.\u201d<\/p>\n