Stephen Kenny’s media pow-wow before the new season had a fascinating backdrop in Leah Victoria Park.
Home to Tullamore Town FC and host to a sea of children attending the Intersport Elverys FAI summer soccer school, Kenny spoke to most and stalled for pictures with the rest, at a training facility that must be the envy of clubs in the League of Ireland.
Opened in July 2008 by then taoiseach Brian Cowen, the Offaly club caters for 400 members despite its existence in GAA heartland.
None of that concerns the Republic of Ireland manager, who was quizzed about the recent comings and goings of his senior players. The Premier League’s Irish goalkeeping trinity got an airing, particularly Jurgen Klopp’s criticism of the FAI medical staff over the handling of Caoimhín Kelleher’s groin injury.
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Kenny was “caught by surprise” when Klopp revealed why Kelleher missed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield.
“Caoimh had something after the [Ukraine in June] game but everyone told him, in the medical department there, [that] it was fine, that it would be good,” said Klopp. “After holiday he came back and at the first training he felt [the groin] again. We checked it and it was not good.”
Kenny responded: “I actually wasn’t aware that he was injured, to be honest with you. If he had been injured, he would have been out of training or not training.
“I’d have comfortably played Mark Travers because he really excelled in the training camp and it looks like he has come up a notch again. If Caoimhín wasn’t right, I would have selected Mark with full confidence. That was a surprise to me to see that.”
The injury denied Kelleher a precious start against City last Saturday, as Allison was also injured.
“It gives Gavin [Bazunu at Southampton] a strong opportunity, and Mark also at Bournemouth,” said Kenny. “It’s interesting to see.”
Before taking a slice of Aaron Connolly’s mea culpa interview, Kenny provided fresh insight into the risk versus reward approach he adopted in 2019 to ensure “radical” change in Irish footballing fortunes is visible come 2024.
“We identified the players with the greatest talent,” explained Kenny of the decision to fast-track teenagers like Bazunu and Troy Parrott. “It was a risk as if I had not done well as under 21 manager I may not have got the senior job.”
This mildly surprising comment required more clarification, as Kenny appeared to have a contract so cast-iron that Mick McCarthy was unceremoniously removed as Ireland manager before the Euro 2020 play-off defeat to Slovakia.
“You have to make the judgments on who could we fast-track quicker,” responded Kenny with further reference to Jason Knight, Nathan Collins, Adam Idah and eventually Andrew Omobamidele.
“We’ve seen all these players come into the first team and we weren’t wrong on any of them. A lot [born in the] 2000 age-group like Aaron Connolly, Gavin Kilkenny and Conor Coventry, are still progressing.”
Kenny was keen to emphasise that Connolly’s best years are still to come, despite the 22 -year-old admitting his days at Brighton & Hove Albion are numbered after the Premier League club sent him on loan to Venezia in Serie B. The career detour appears to stem from Connolly’s appearance in gossip columns rather than sport pages.
“You’re not going to have a squad where every player is perfect. None of us are perfect. As a Premier League player, times have changed. The modern era, with video phones and camera phones, nothing is sacrosanct.
“It’s difficult but he’s still young and has his best years ahead of him. He has a great family in Galway and I’m sure he will be keen to do well in Italy, so who knows.”
Overall, the song remains the same. If an Irish player wants to feature in Nations League ties against Scotland and Armenia in September, regular club minutes are vital.
Which brings us to Shane Duffy’s ongoing struggle for a central role under Graham Potter.
“To be honest, I’m not 100 per cent sure what the plan is for Shane at Brighton. I don’t really have any clarity on that. I got the impression come the end of [last] season that he might move, but obviously Brighton have sold a couple of defenders.
“Ideally with all our players, and Shane is no different, we want our players playing and he found it difficult to get into the team in the second half of the season. Ideally we would want him playing whether that’s at Brighton or elsewhere.”
Duffy’s rivals to fill the centre half slots – Omobamidele, John Egan, Dara O’Shea and £20.5 million man Nathan Collins – are all expected to start regularly for Norwich City, Sheffield United, West Brom and Wolves respectively.
Kenny, stressing the obvious need for players to maintain match fitness, hopes the weekend trip to north London for Bazunu’s Premier League debut for Southampton will also include a Matt Doherty cameo for Spurs.
“Matt fought hard last year to regain his place after a long period out of the team,” said Kenny of Doherty’s battle at Spurs with fellow right backs Emerson Royal and new signing Djed Spence.
“He’s an important player for us. He’d a bad injury and is only getting back. He has not missed a day’s training but he played 60 minutes against Roma the other day and played quite well.
“It’s an important game, Tottenham playing Southampton on Saturday. There are a lot of games, but I am considering going to that. We don’t know if he’ll play or not, but he has a chance.”
There is far more certainty about the glut of Irish players landing in the EFL Championship, especially Josh Cullen’s instant impact at Burnley.
“It’s always interesting to see what are people’s levels. Josh has got great characteristics as a professional and a man. He’s really improved a lot of aspects of his game.”
