Stephen Kenny is pondering solely of the Republic of Eire’s last Euro 2024 qualifier within the Netherlands after avoiding a possible banana pores and skin in opposition to Gibraltar.
Monday night’s 4-0 win over Group B’s basement boys handed Eire only a second victory in seven makes an attempt in qualification, and they’re going to head for Amsterdam subsequent month to face a Dutch aspect nonetheless to safe a spot at subsequent summer season’s finals.
That recreation and the pleasant in opposition to New Zealand which follows it appear more likely to be Kenny’s final on the helm, together with his contract resulting from expire on the finish of the marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, requested after the victory on the Estadio Algarve if that may be it for him, Kenny mentioned: “That’s out of my management, I can’t have an effect on that. For me, I’ve obtained to try to get a end in Amsterdam.
“It’s a giant recreation. Holland have to win to qualify. They are going to be flying. We’ve obtained to place a efficiency in in opposition to Holland in Amsterdam. It’s a giant problem, it’s one we’re trying ahead to. Out of that, it’s out of my management.
“I actually don’t know. It might be. I’ll give it all the things in opposition to Holland and New Zealand. There’s little doubt, in fact I need to be the supervisor of Eire. It’s sensible.”
Kenny has discovered himself beneath intense strain since Friday evening’s 2-0 residence defeat by Greece – who additionally received the reverse fixture in Athens 2-1 – which ended Eire’s hopes of automated qualification.
The 51-year-old, who insisted earlier than the sport that he was not contemplating resigning, mentioned: “I perceive the Greek outcomes, I perceive that. Shedding to Greece, that’s a 50-50 recreation. We misplaced it. There’s a variety of criticism due to that.
“That’s OK. There’s additionally been a variety of good soccer that folks shouldn’t overlook both.”
Evan Ferguson’s early strike set Kenny’s males on their approach in Faro earlier than Mikey Johnston made it 2-0 on the break, and second-half strikes from Matt Doherty and substitute Callum Robinson accomplished a win which was each bit as regulation because it ought to have been in opposition to a aspect who’ve now performed 44 Euro and World Cup qualifiers and are but to gather some extent.
The supervisor was delighted with the way in which his gamers responded to the defeat by the Greeks.
He mentioned: “We’re upset having misplaced the sport on Friday. To place that behind them and to coach and get themselves prepared in an expert approach after which work the openings for the objectives in a really intelligent approach, it made the finishes simpler.
“The gamers deserve credit score as a result of it was an expert job on the evening, efficiency. We may have gotten much more objectives.”
Kenny was notably happy with Celtic winger Johnston’s contribution as he claimed a second senior worldwide aim on his first begin for his nation.
He mentioned: “Mikey Johnston, he wants video games. The tempo of that recreation isn’t Greece and Holland. He’s a expertise, he might be participant for Eire.”
