'When you set the bar high, your fall can be acute' - Kenny reflects on dream job as instinct tells him it's over

The higher you set the bar, the harder the fall; that’s how Stephen Kenny described his decision to come into the Ireland job with the loftiest of ambitions.

Upon taking the role as national team manager, Kenny painted a picture of an Ireland team competing with the very best in Europe, and doing it in style.

Kenny declared that Ireland had enough talented players to create a possession-based philosophy, with the ability to play out from the back and compete on the international stage playing front-foot football.

As it would transpire, the manager would have to build an entire new squad, cope with a global pandemic, while continually having to justify his position in a role that many felt he was not qualified to perform.

By his own admission, there were stumbles along the path to where the squad are currently at, and while he was "one game away" from being relieved of his duties on more than one occasion, he managed to see out his second contract and get to the culmination of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

A disappointing one, as it would turn out, and as a result, Kenny’s gut feeling is telling him that he has managed his last game as Ireland boss, with the FAI to definitively decide next week when the board meets.

"It would be a dream to carry on and manage the team," said Kenny, speaking at the post-match press conference, following Ireland’s 1-1 draw with New Zealand.

"But my instinct is that it’s not going to happen, and evidence suggests that it probably won’t happen.

"From my point of view, there’s no greater honour than to manage your country, it’s a huge privilege. And whatever you did in life, it would be a step down, no matter what you did."

"I've always been a big picture person. Rather than build something step by step, you have to see what the picture is and then see what you can achieve and what you can attain, and then work towards that. That’s the way I see life, so it’s a reference to that," said Kenny, when asked about his programme notes mentioning that ambition can take you to "the darkest of places".

"When you do that, and you set the bar high, your fall can be acute. That’s the nature of how I’ve always managed really. It leads you to incredible highs, and setbacks.

"We have had a lot of setbacks and that’s why I’m not getting a new contract, if that’s the case. International football is ruthless, that’s the nature of it."

If there are any undecided votes remaining on the FAI board, whether for or against Stephen Kenny, tonight’s 1-1 stalemate against New Zealand is unlikely to sway the verdict.

A meaningless international friendly in a game that looks set to mark the end of the road for the manager, and in a sense, the game played out largely akin to how Kenny’s tenure has transpired over the past three years.

Moments of individual brilliance, plenty of goalmouth action from the hard-working Ireland unit, yet liable to offer up way too many chances to their opponents.

Granted, it was not a night to judge the performance considering the nature of the game, coupled with the fact that Kenny made wholesale changes to his team, repaying the loyalty of the many squad members who always showed up but did not see too much playing time throughout the current campaign.

Mikey Johnston showed what he is capable of throughout with some mesmerising play on the left flank, and there was some real quality in the play throughout the first half with intricate passing all over the pitch as the second string showed that there really is little to choose from when it comes to picking the starting eleven.

An emotional night also for James McClean, who walked away from his international career following 103 caps for Ireland.

The manager was also asked about his highlights from his three years in charge, and it was again evident that every day in the job was as good as the next, with many bends in the road to negotiate along the way.

"Seeing these players and working with them every day, it’s been incredible really. I think, even games we didn’t win, are highlights for me," said Kenny.

"Portugal away, I’ll always have to live with. Those goals away in injury time," recalled Kenny, thinking back to the night when Ireland were leading 1-0 in the Algarve before losing to two late Cristiano Ronaldo efforts.

"The game here against Portugal was an outstanding game of football. Serbia here, coming back, the third game in six days, on our knees.

"At different stages of the last few years, I’ve been under pressure a lot in that period. People speculated I was only one game away a few times.

"That could have been the truth, I don’t know. I did feel like that sometimes, but never in the dressing room, in the inner sanctum of the dressing room, never so. I think it’s a great dressing room now.

"Overall, massive highlights in terms of the games against Scotland of course here, in Hampden, I thought we were very good in that game, France here, was exceptional.

"Every win I’ve enjoyed, a lot of the results, a lot of the performances have just fell short, and I understand the Greece games are the ones that will have disappointed."

As for the future, the manager was asked whether he would be open to remaining within the FAI in a different role, however, Kenny implied that he would be looking for a coaching role elsewhere should his time be up as Ireland manager.

"I don't see any other position in the organisation there," said Kenny. "Everything is filled and I'm the manager.

"I see myself as a coach. A coach who loves the game, loves working with players constantly, driven to achieve things. If the decision is made, I see myself continuing as a manager, a head coach."