Dietmar Hamann: Stephen Kenny's Ireland tenure 'simply not good enough'

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed that Kenny will continue in his role through the upcoming matches against Greece, Gibraltar in October, and the game against Holland in November. However, a review of his future will take place after these matches. FAI chief Jonathan Hill has expressed support for Kenny, acknowledging the challenging circumstances but emphasising the importance of completing the campaign.

“On Stephen, we are supportive of him completing the campaign and we hope against all odds that we still have a chance of qualifying for the Euros. We know that's very difficult and Stephen will be the first to admit that, and has done, but we are very supportive of him finishing the campaign," said Hill earlier this month.

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny during the UEFA EURO 2024 Championship qualifying group B match between France and Republic of Ireland at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

RTE pundit Hamann has also had his say on the matter.

Hamann, speaking about Stephen Kenny's future, highlighted the low number of victories during his tenure, stating, "Stephen Kenny has won five out of 25 or 27 games. I know they had hard groups, but Ireland always seemed to find a way to get beat! They've lost out on three competitions now, suffering defeats to Luxembourg, Greece, and Armenia. It's simply not good enough.

"It's very important for Ireland, but the manager just isn't winning enough games. The nation has some special players coming though, and they need to find the manager that'll get them results.

Hamann also pointed out that Ireland needs to follow the example of other nations like Finland, Slovakia, Wales, and Scotland, all of whom have recently qualified for major tournaments. He believes that it's a crucial moment for Ireland to start reaching such tournaments, emphasising the need to secure positive results and halt the trend of losing in order to improve their chances in future competitions.

"They need to qualify. Look at what the other nations have done - Finland, Slovakia, Wales, and Scotland have all been to major tournaments, and Ireland need to join them," added Hamann.

"You won't get easier groups by losing all the time, though. They need to start winning and take it from there."

Hamann was speaking to Betway