THIS WAS NEVER going to be a night to remember as we enter the end of days in the Stephen Kenny era.
His contract as Republic of Ireland manager is now up.
No one here for this tepid 1-1 draw with New Zealand, or those fans who decided to stay at home, expect him to remain.
As of now he has not been formally told by the FAI’s director of football, Marc Canham, of what will happen next.
There are some on the association’s board who still support Kenny, and The 42 understands they were vocal about this with the manager’s camp as recently as this weekend when Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifying culminated with a 1-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
But the writing is on the wall.
Results in the most recent Nations League campaign failed to provide the kind of buffer of protection that turned out to be a necessity for this Euros group.
Kenny spoke like a man who knew his fate was sealed when he spoke in the build up following that loss in Amsterdam.
While a full-on review of the women’s World Cup campaign – including interviews with backroom staff and players – ended Vera Pauw’s reign, it is not expected that a similar process will happen to determine Kenny’s.
That call has been made and the man to make his recommendation to the board will be Canham. The regular board meeting on the final Tuesday of the month is likely to be when
However, it remains possible that a more hastily-arranged meeting, possibly held virtually in the coming days, could be organised to bring matters to a head.
Kenny will not walk away before he pushed, though, and there was no chance of him confirming any exit before he was informed as a matter of fact that his contract would not be renewed.
Still, he knows what’s coming.
In his programme notes tonight, he began by recalling his teenage years when his father started his own business by building a shed in their garden in Tallaght.
It was there that he cooked hams and bacon to supply shops around Dublin before eventually he needed to open a butchers in Ballyfermot to cater for demand. Kenny felt the business should be expanded again but financial circumstances didn’t allow it.
He provided this insight on the basis that “vision and ambition are important. It’s imperative to have clarity of thought, to see what can be achieved on many levels.
“Ambition can take you to the darkest of places,” Kenny continued. “It’s difficult to undertake a radical rebuild without set-backs. You have to show conviction amidst the criticism and adapt if required, but nurture talent, develop and believe in it.”
They were typically honest, revealing and admirable words.
So it would have no doubt pleased Kenny greatly that Adam Idah – one of those talents he embraced with the U21s and fast tracked with the senior team – netted the opening goal before the half hour mark.
Mikey Johnston, who was brought into the Ireland set-up this year after starring for Scotland at underage level, provided moments of skill and excitement to rouse a crowd that needed something to stir them in their seats.
Likewise Mark Sykes on the opposite flank, who impressed on the right and was also alert to the danger to nip in and tee up Idah when Sligo Rovers defender Nando Pijanker dallied in possession.
The starting XI was naturally much changed from the weekend but, given the cloud hanging over things, there wasn’t the same sense of trying to see who might play themselves into contention for next year.
Change is coming and there will be someone new to impress.
In the hours before kick-off Sports Minister Thomas Byrne had also confirmed that €6.8 million in State funding to the FAI had been withheld by Sport Ireland as a result of issues relating to the remuneration of CEO Jonathan Hill.
So there are still far bigger problems for the association to contend with.
The cycle of dysfunction continues, although James McClean has escaped the hamster wheel.
He left the pitch in the 67th minute for the final time on the night of his 103rd cap.
Teammates queued up to give him a hug as Aviva Stadium rose to salute him.
New Zealand had drawn level by this point, a long-range strike from Matt Garbett leaving substitute goalkeeper Mark Travers with no chance.
It was a familiar kind of blow to signal the end of a reign in which Kenny took one too many to survive.
