AT EVERY STAGE of this enthralling European run for St Patrick’s Athletic, Stephen Kenny had opportunities to make it all about him.
What it means for him, and how he has made it all possible.
Two rounds of qualifiers in the Uefa Conference League yielded victories over FC Vaduz and Sabah SK. There were seven goals scored over four legs and it could have been a handful more.
Back-to-back 1-0 victories over the Azerbaijani side were followed by a 0-0 stalemate with Istanbul Basaksaheir in the first leg of their play-off at Tallaght Stadium last Thursday.
The group stages are in sight but, Kenny says, “there is still a mountain to climb.”
St Pat’s have scaled to these new heights playing with stability and style, mixing what Kenny describes as “a culture” of clean sheets with exciting forward play that is centred around pace and power.
And, when it’s been required, Pat’s have shown a patience and composure in possession that has left opponents, notably Sabah, utterly frustrated.
Perhaps it’s worth that brief rundown of the last month of action seeing as though none of the games were shown on domestic Irish television.
And even an occasion like this one, with the play-off delicately balanced and the potential for two League of Ireland clubs to be competiting in the same group stages – Shamrock Rovers are already there – you will have to shell out €10 for the stream.
While on the topic of money, St Pat’s will earn more than €3.5 million should they win a game on a stage they have never been on before.
There are plenty of other managers who would use it as a means to settle old scores.
But the Saints boss knows he needs one more big one tonight.
At every opportunity he has sought to take the focus away from him and what this means for his story.
But of course, there have been little snippets that hint at a sore past that will take time to heal.
It feels impossible to completely divorce what Kenny is doing now with Pat’s in Europe, and what he is on the cusp of achieving, from the fact his contract as Republic of Ireland manager was not renewed last November.
When he was unveiled as Saints boss in May, on a deal until the end of 2029, it came after almost six months assessing his options.
“A bit surreal. I’ve only been out of work for a couple of months in 25 years. I’ve never not really been on the grass,” he said at the time.
“I’ve always, although with the internationals you’re not on it enough with the international team, and I think maybe I struggle with that when I’m not [on the training pitch].
“I need to work. That’s just the way I’m built. I’m happier doing that. I want to get back working and decided to do that.”
Prior to this European run beginning even the hurt of not achieving what he aimed to with Ireland meant Euro 2024 was a sore point.
“It’s not an easy watch for me, personally, for obvious reasons. That’s the reality,” he said.
After Vaduz were put to the sword and Sabah came to Dublin, Kenny again gave a little glimpse into feelings that linger.
“You know, the elite mindset, if you make statements and you don’t back them up, you’re ridiculed very easily in this country.”
But that hasn’t stopped him from pointing out the magnitude of what’s at stake for his players. He led Dundalk to Europa League group stage football in 2016 at a time when they were the dominant force in the domestic game.
Pat’s are seventh in the Premier Division – just as they were when Kenny took charge – so this could be an even more outrageous chapter in his own story.
“When the opportunity exists for you to get into the group stages, that is a life-changer for the players,” Kenny said. “It just creates a lot of special moments for their families, for all of the people who are part of their football journey.
“It creates amazing memories and that’s what we must strive to do.”
The players of Roma, West Ham United and Olympiakos, the three previous winners of this competition, would attest to that.
St Pat’s would cherish qualification as much as those clubs, whose supporters welcomed them back to the streets and squares of Rome, London and Piraeus with victory parades and wild celebrations.
Just imagine Inchicore if something incredible happens in Istanbul this evening. Brian Kerr may well be back on Emmet Road waving a flare – responsibly, of course – just like he was after the 2023 FAI Cup final triumph.
They must defy the odds but, bit by bit, as their performance levels reached new heights, confidence has grown steadily.
“However well we’ve played before we’ve got to raise it,” Kenny said from the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium yesterday, where between 7,000-10,000 fans are expected this evening and an estimated 100 are travelling from Dublin.
“We have to find the strength to really match our opponents in all areas of the park and a level of confidence to play the way we want to play ourselves to cause problems.
“We’ve shown a lot of quality in games to date. We’ve to back ourselves and try to reach our full potential. We have been the underdog in every round, but what we don’t do is underestimate ourselves.”
It’s not quite expectation given the calibre of opposition, but Kenny has ensured that there is belief and there is hope for St Patrick’s Athletic.
Uefa Conference League play-off second leg: Istanbul Basaksaheir (0) v St Patrick’s Athletic (0). Kick-off: 5pm (Irish time). Live here.
