Gavin Cooney reports from FAI HQ, Abbottstown

STEPHEN KENNY SIDE-STEPPED recent criticism both dished and received at a press conference held at FAI HQ yesterday. 

Kenny yesterday unveiled a 25-man squad for next week’s friendly matches against Norway and Malta, with the accompanying press conference offering the media a chance to raise a few issues with him aside from mere selection. 

One journalist cited recent interviews Kenny did with Off the Ball and The Currency, in which Kenny referred to “agenda-based criticism and a strategy to undermine me”, asking the Irish manager to clarify what he meant. 

“To be honest, I’m not really getting into that now”, replied Kenny. “I did an interview and that’s that. I’m not getting into that at the moment.” 

Kenny was also invited to bite back at Martin O’Neill’s recent criticism of his assistant Keith Andrews. O’Neill has written an autobiography and among the segments serialised over the weekend was criticism of Andrews, whom O’Neill described as “an excoriating critic of mine” and accused him of “pontificating” as a TV analyst. 

“Stephen’s lieutenant…is finding out that winning football matches is much more difficult to execute on the field of play than fidgeting about with a remote control button”, writes O’Neill. 

“Martin has had an unbelievable career”, replied Kenny. “He has had a great career as a player and a manager. He has written his autobiography and criticism is part of it. Martin has had a brilliant career. I’ve nothing really negative to say about that, to be honest.”

Meanwhile, Kenny confirmed he is going to the World Cup in Qatar to scout the Netherlands and France ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.  Kenny was asked whether he feels conflicted about going to Qatar, given their criminalisation of homosexuality and poor human rights record. 

“It’s a valid question. I think it’s something we have to consider. It was a surprise when two World Cups were handed out to Russia and Qatar together..the criteria [on which] the World Cup was given to Qatar at that time was questionable. No doubt about that.

“What do boycotts achieve? Going back to the Olympics in Russia and America. By me not going, am I going to influence anything? I probably am not.

“For football reasons, to see lessons I learned from seeing Portugal in Euros last year, are very important. I am only there for five nights, I’ll get to see France twice, and Holland. Eight games in five nights and that’s it, I’m out of it. I’m employed to do the job to the best of my ability. And I’m not doing it right if I’m not getting the opportunity to see the teams there.

“I see all the arguments as well. Where do we go with Saudi Arabia, mass beheading: we’ve seen that in recent times. And the treatment of women in Iran. Where do we go with all that? Where do we draw the line and where do we not? These are big questions overall.” 

In the more immediate term is next week’s friendly double-header at home to Norway and away to Malta. Kenny has called up teenage striker Evan Ferguson for the first time, along with Irish U21 midfielder Will Smallbone. Shane Duffy has been left out for personal reasons, while Jason Knight and Conor Hourihane can’t be included as League One Derby are under no obligation to release them, as their fixtures are continuing and this is not an officially sanctioned international window. 

Irish U21 captain Conor Coventry hasn’t been included: he would have been included if Josh Cullen’s hamstring issue was more serious than it has proven to be. Ryan Manning has also been left out despite his fine form in the Championship with Swansea, with Robbie Brady, James McClean, and Liam Scales ahead of him in the pecking order at left wing-back. Kenny also says Callum O’Dowda is an alternative option at wing-back, as he has been playing there for his club. 

Erling Haaland has been named in the Norway squad but there is no guarantee he will start in Dublin, as manager Stale Solbakken has hinted the striker won’t play both games in this window. (Norway play Finland three days after their tie in Dublin.) Kenny hopes Haaland plays from the start in Dublin. 

“I’d like them to play their best players. We all want to see that, we all want to see great games of football. We’re looking to improve and we’re not the finished article. The games against Portugal home and away, Scotland home and away, Ukraine away, even the friendly here with Belgium, they were great games of football in my opinion, really excellent games and the public can really relate to that, see it, and hence we have 45,000 tickets already sold next week. For a friendly with Norway: that’s encouraging. It inspires the players, it’s good for the players to come into that, an almost full-house for a friendly. So that’s the way I view it.”