Gossip and rumours about who will replace the Ireland boss are circulating with increasing speed now. Former players like Damien Duff, Roy Keane, and Lee Carsley have all been tipped by bookies to replace Kenny in the role.
The discourse around Kenny's managerial abilities has once again surfaced in Irish football circles. The debate between the Kenny supporters and critics seems to be leaning towards the latter option.
Kenny's record of five wins, eight draws, and 13 defeats in 26 competitive games in charge of Ireland does not reflect well on his time with the team. Kenny's win percentage of 19.23% is one of the worst in the country's history. Former Ireland managers Jack Charlton, Martin O'Neill, and Giovanni Trapattoni all have double Kenny's percentage.
The optics don't look good for Kenny, and there's no denying that. You can debate his time with Ireland all day long, but Ireland's football infrastructure is suboptimal, and that is a significant problem not only for Irish football but also for any future manager in the role.
There was a time when Ireland had players representing top clubs in Europe, not only playing but starting regularly in competitions like the old European Cup, Champions League, and the Premier League. These players included Ronnie Whelan (Liverpool), Roy Keane (Manchester United), Damien Duff (Chelsea), Liam Brady (Arsenal), Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), and others. The FAI's job was made easier by the fact that Irish players were able to ply their trade with the world's best
Nowadays, players are competing at decent levels in places like Scotland, England's lower levels, and also in the likes of Scandinavia, but they aren't regularly facing the best players in the world. Players like James McClean playing for Wrexham are prime examples of this.
As loyal as McClean is to his country, there should be list of talents in the country, that makes it easier for any Ireland manager to select someone on the basis of what they want and not what they have to.
Brighton & Hove Albion's star Evan Ferguson is a rare talent from the Irish football system, but you can almost attribute that to chance rather than the FAI's ability to nurture talent in the country.
Sure Ferguson is great, but there should be a wave of talent coming through the door and not one every number of years making it.
The League of Ireland now suffers due to Premier League domination and the influx of foreign talent in the game. However, there should be no reason why Ireland can't create a vibrant footballing ecosystem for kids to follow in Ferguson's footsteps at both professional and grassroots levels around the country.
Brian Kerr spoke after the Holland game about the lack of investment in Irish football from the Irish government, and he is absolutely right. Unless there is a decision to fund the LOI to make it stronger, improve infrastructure, and have elite coaching talent at the youth levels in Ireland, the chances of Ireland making it to multiple tournaments like Scotland, Wales, Finland, and other countries have in recent years are extremely slim.
"The FAI and Irish football need money and investment, the League of Ireland clubs need investment," said Kerr on Sunday.
"We are depending on League of Ireland clubs to develop our players now, but they don't have the resources or facilities for full-time underage football.
"The boys are still training two, three, four times a week and playing matches during the week. That is not going to be good enough to produce the players of the future.
"Up until now, the government hasn't invested in it, and the FAI hasn't had the funding. Not qualifying for tournaments exacerbates this problem because there is less money to be generated.
Some might argue that the population size is a significant challenge for Ireland compared to larger nations like England, France, and Germany. However, when you look at countries like Croatia (3.899 million), Denmark (5.857 million), Scotland (5.454 million), and Wales (3.136 million), they all have similar populations to the Republic of Ireland. There should be no excuse for the higher-ups in Ireland.
The football system in Ireland is just one of many industries in the country that has received little investment, and this is a damning indictment of the Irish government and its predecessors.
Stephen Kenny will eventually leave his post with Ireland, but until Ireland's football problems are addressed with funding and a clear plan, Irish football will continue to stagnate for years to come. Until that changes, Ireland managers will have their hands tied behind their back.
