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Seamus Coleman was not involved in either of Stephen Kenny’s two games in charge, however the captain’s absence now seems like a real conundrum for the coach ahead of Thursday’s Euro 2020 play-off in Slovakia.
The Everton defender spent both UEFA Nations League games against Bulgaria and Finland on the bench as the new manager opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Matt Doherty playing in the right-back position.
However, the coach evaluated the first two games of his tenure and declared two interesting things to highlight: the defense lacked cohesion and that he was not married to any particular system.
Meanwhile, Coleman kept his role as captain and as the countdown to the Bratislava clash approached, the more it seemed that the former Sligo Rovers defender would start this all-important encounter.
Kenny was more specific last week, stating that he believed both Doherty and Coleman could play on the same side, before adding Sunday that “there was a strong consideration to consider both of them on the team.”
“But obviously that’s not available right now,” Kenny added, as the player’s scan results made their way across the Irish Sea on Sunday morning.
In the empty surroundings of the Aviva Stadium during the Finland match, the players could be clearly heard throughout the entire match in the game behind closed doors.
And while goalkeeper Darren Randolph was the one who spoke the most, the coach does not feel there is a problem in communication and believes that the cohesion, which Coleman would have undoubtedly added, will develop as a result of experience within that defensive unit. .
“I don’t think we have to be more vocal [in defence]”I don’t think that’s a problem at all,” Kenny said. “We have a lot of experience in the last four and Darren Randolph in goal.”
“We just have to make sure we don’t get caught like we did once or twice in the game and make sure we have wide coverage. And that’s something we have to do well.
“Most of the players are between 28 and 32, so we have a lot of experience in the group, so I don’t see leadership as a problem.
“We have to take responsibility in different departments and that is very important in the game.”
Preparations for the match in Slovakia will be curtailed as half of the squad will play on Sunday instead of Saturday, while the trip to Slovakia will also cause disruptions on Tuesday.
But Kenny is confident that his team will be fully informed and know their roles when kick-off time comes Thursday night in Bratislava, as the team will still be able to train on Tuesday before flying out of Dublin Airport.
“It’s a short preparation, that’s the nature. Sometimes one or two players play on a Sunday and it’s unusual for them to play 11 today. Monday becomes a very staggered training day with players who played on Saturday and a few who didn’t. they have played a lot at all.
“Tuesday becomes a critical training day and we fly Tuesday. So there is not much time to prepare, but that is no excuse.
“We need to adapt. That is the situation we are in and we are not complaining about it. We will have a clear instruction and there will be no gray areas of what is expected of anyone.
“There are challenges, but we have to adapt and we will adapt.”
“Horses per field” is a term synonymous with Irish sport, generally referring to the pursuit of obtaining a result by any means necessary.
In relation to the Irish football team, most of the time it is seen as employing negative tactics against perceived superior opposition.
So it is not surprising that the manager, with his new approach to the game, rejected the suggestion that it would be “horses per field” in this must-see match in Slovakia.
“You have to adapt your team to certain situations, but we will approach the game with a positive attitude and we are unlikely to be cautious,” Kenny said.
“We have to be positive in our approach and not reactive.”
Kenny expects an intriguing battle between two soccer teams and seems pretty confident that he will be able to match Slovakia in possession stakes, a team that normally controls 65 percent of the game, according to the coach.
“It’s a tough game, outside of Slovakia. They are in good shape at home and they are a very consistent and experienced team.
“Slovakia is a team that is based on possession and likes to control the games, it will be two teams trying to win the game and it will be an intriguing battle,” said Kenny.
The concept of home advantage has been questioned throughout these Covid times, while statistics suggest that more goals are being scored in games played without crowds.
Kenny did not get carried away by that particular “deep question” raised during the press conference, however he felt there was still an advantage to playing a game where you are familiar with the surroundings, without having to travel to a foreign country. . .
“We would rather be at home than outside. People are happy with their family environment and don’t have to travel. But it mitigates [home advantage] something and needs to be considered.
In relation to the goals per game, Kenny pondered that “it becomes relevant” if it affects his team.
However, he added: “It doesn’t really change us. It is our ambition to try to control the games. Slovakia has 65% possession in most games so it will be a challenge.”
“Does the crowd affect a striker who shoots or a defender who defends? I’m not concentrating on that. We have a job to do.
“We don’t want to let other factors get into our thinking or disrupt our thought process. We just want to focus on the work that we have to do and hopefully we can do it.”
Kenny feels that the play-off will be the perfect platform for his players to show their talents and seize the opportunity as they try to qualify for next summer’s Euro Cup, which will be jointly hosted in Dublin.
And the coach hopes his team can really lift the country before those championships in what could really be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion next summer, with the possibility of Ireland playing home games in a major tournament.
“But it is a tremendous opportunity for us. We know that the possibility of playing the European championship in Ireland is unique. It has never happened before and it may never happen again.”
“That kind of motivation to lift up the country would be an incredible experience for the whole country.
“But we are a long way from that as it is only a semi-final. We have to do something extraordinary and win away from home again and we will be planning with everything we have to achieve it.”
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