In what was likely to be the last time we see Stephen Kenny take charge of Ireland in a competitive fixture, it's fair to say that Irish fans would have come away from last night's fixture with the Netherlands in a rather downbeat mood.
The performance was a shambolic one, lacking any sort of direction both on and off the ball. The 1-0 scoreline may not seems all that bad on the surface but it certainly does not tell the full story of the game.
It was a sad end to a disastrous Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
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Damien Delaney identifies what Stephen Kenny replacement needs to change
While it is clear that Stephen Kenny will not be continuing in his role as Ireland manager, it remains uncertain as to who will replace him.
The list of rumoured candidates is not exactly the most inspiring one. Outside of the intriguing Lee Carsley, the likes of Roy Keane, Neil Lennon, Steve Bruce, and Gus Poyet have been linked with the gig.
Who eventually come in to replace Stephen Kenny will likely come down to the resources made available within the FAI, but what should we be looking for from a new manager once they eventually do step into the role?
Speaking on Virgin Media last night, Damien Delaney summed up what tactical philosophy he would hope to see from the next Ireland manager.
Darren Randolph and Damien Delaney discuss what kind of manager the FAI should be looking to appoint for the senior men's team.
"Who'd want it?", asks Darren 🤔#NEDIRE | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/L56l786Z6x— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 18, 2023
That's an argument that's been going on for a number of years since Stephen took over, that it's either or. It's either Giovanni Trapattoni with results at all costs, go off the front and take no risks, or you do what Stephen did which is completely open the pitch up.
There's a middle ground where we can play football but don't take any unnecessary risks. There's a realisation that when we're playing against teams like Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, teams that have beaten us and gotten results against like the Armenias of this world, sometimes you need to get the ball in, get the ball out wide and get your nose in front, and then you can play your football.
You have to earn the right to play. You can't just turn up to the Amsterdam Arena or any international ground and make the pitch big from the get go, you have to earn the right to play.
With the right manager and right attitude, we will find the right hybrid with the players he has available to him. There is a good bunch of players available to him, they're obviously very enthusiastic and very honest.
A new manager just needs to find a plan. Nobody wants to go back back to the way we played under Trapattoni, yes it got us results and got us to major tournaments, but we have realised that we need to move away from that now.
But we don't go 180 degrees like Stephen did, we find a middle ground and assess each game on its merits.
That makes sense.
Stephen Kenny certainly had an idealistic approach to what he wanted from this Ireland team, one that never really came to fruition on the pitch.
No Irish fan wants to see a return to the stone age football that has been played under previous managers. That is something the FAI need to ensure will not be the case when they eventually do decide on their next appointment.
Whoever does come in will need to ensure results improve massively, even if that does mean a slightly more pragmatic approach than their predecessor.
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