{"id":25606,"date":"2022-03-27T08:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T12:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25606"},"modified":"2022-03-27T09:21:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T13:21:39","slug":"kenny-urges-squad-to-continue-momentum-into-nations-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25606","title":{"rendered":"Kenny Urges Squad To Continue Momentum Into Nations League"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Stephen Kenny on the touchline (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Kenny has urged the Republic of Ireland to carry their building momentum into this summer\u2019s Nations League campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland extended their unbeaten run to seven games with an impressive display in a 2-2 friendly draw with world number one side Belgium in the FAI\u2019s centenary match on Saturday, and have now lost only once \u2013 and that in Portugal \u2013 in the 11 fixtures they have played since a humiliating 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Luxembourg in March last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Kenny, who won none of his first 10 outings as manager as Covid-19 and injuries hampered his efforts to build a new-look team, that is a sign of genuine progress which he hopes his players will take into Tuesday night\u2019s friendly against Lithuania and beyond, after producing an encouraging performance on a big day for Irish football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cWe wanted the players to do that justice, particularly against the world number one, it was important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo have a near-capacity crowd was amazing and the passion in the crowd, the players fed off that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to keep our unbeaten run going and the good run we\u2019ve had over the last 10, 11 games now, we wanted to keep that going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve played some good teams \u2013 Serbia, Portugal twice and Belgium \u2013 so it was important to keep that going and try to get a momentum because the Nations League games in June and September are important and we want to build momentum for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenny faced concerted criticism during the early months of his reign as he attempted to take a different approach at the same time as introducing a new generation of players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tired of suggestions that the nation did not have the personnel to play progressive football, he has overhauled the squad and introduced younger players who prospered under him at under-21s level and asked them to play on the front foot rather than attempting to contain stronger teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a policy which paid dividends on Saturday evening when, after Michy Batshuayi had fired the visitors ahead during a dominant start, the Republic grew into the game and levelled through Chiedozie Ogbene\u2019s spectacular overhead kick before substitute Alan Browne cancelled out Hans Vanaken\u2019s header at the death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all that they had left their biggest names at home, the Belgians still fielded a formidable squad and it was testament to Ireland\u2019s fortitude that apart from that initial spell, they were pressed and harried throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenny said: \u201cIt requires a huge amount of energy and you can\u2019t carry one player even slightly against a team of that quality. It requires huge determination because you leave yourself one on one at the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re willing to do that because we just don\u2019t want to be in a low block defending against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou could play them mid-block and end up in a low block and not get out because they\u2019re that good, and then it\u2019s a slow death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not having that, we don\u2019t want that. We want to try to affect the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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