Republic of Eire boss Stephen Kenny has insisted “nothing is not possible” as he plots Euro 2024 qualifying victories over European superpowers France and the Netherlands in September.
Kenny’s males belatedly opened their Group B account with a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar on the Aviva Stadium on Monday night to ease at the very least just a little of the frustration of Friday night time’s 2-1 defeat in Greece.
Eire’s hopes of securing one of many prime two spots look forlorn until they’ll pull off a sequence of shock outcomes, however that’s precisely what Kenny intends to do.
FT | Three targets, three factors #COYBIG | #IRLGIB pic.twitter.com/XIroeIq3RW
— Eire Soccer (@IrelandFootball) June 19, 2023
Requested what his message was to the gamers, he replied: “It’s a seven-day window simply, it’s a brief window. It’s France on a Thursday night time in Paris and Holland on a Sunday night time right here within the Aviva Stadium, so it’s a very, actually thrilling window.
“They’re two actually powerful video games, there’s little question about it, however very thrilling video games. We’ve simply bought to verify we’re nicely ready for them. They’re epic video games.
“On the similar time, nothing is not possible, that’s how we really feel about it.
“Clearly we pushed France very shut [at home]. I do know that is totally different in Paris, however it is going to be an attention-grabbing sport for us and really thrilling, the 2 video games.”
Issues we like to see #COYBIG | #IRLGIB pic.twitter.com/VAD9gFPuiQ
— Eire Soccer (@IrelandFootball) June 19, 2023
For 45 minutes, Eire hammered away on the guests, however with out the craft, tempo or guile to interrupt them down, though it took a wonderful response save from goalkeeper Dayle Coleing to disclaim Jamie McGrath seconds earlier than the break.
The sport modified, nevertheless, with Celtic winger Mikey Johnston’s half-time introduction and he had already sparked terror within the Gibraltar defence on three events when he ran on to Will Smallbone’s half-blocked free-kick and stabbed into the empty internet for his first senior worldwide aim.
Evan Ferguson elevated the lead inside seven minutes and substitute Adam Idah lastly opened his Eire account in stoppage time to safe the primary factors of the marketing campaign on the third try.
Requested if Johnston, whose 4 caps thus far have come from the bench, might make an identical affect over 90 minutes, Kenny mentioned: “He’s been terrific. Undoubtedly he can begin matches. I had it in my head that in all probability he was going to start out, but it surely didn’t occur for him in Greece.
“We’re nonetheless clearly a bit dissatisfied about Greece, we’re not getting away from that, we had been dissatisfied with that. It wasn’t his night time, definitely, when he got here on, however he has terrific expertise, I actually respect his expertise.
“He’s a Celtic participant and it is going to be attention-grabbing if he goes again there or not, we’ll see how his profession goes over the summer season.”
Victory over the workforce ranked 201st on the earth – Gibraltar have now misplaced 3-0 to all 4 of the opposite groups within the group – is unlikely to silence Kenny’s critics, but it surely at the very least will get them off the mark.
Kenny mentioned: “We clearly made life tough for ourselves after Friday night time. However Greece are an excellent workforce. They need to play Holland twice, now we have to play Holland twice, and France in France.
“For my part, France will win the group, so we simply need to have good September and October home windows.
“The return sport with Greece shall be a special sport, and clearly powerful video games towards Holland and France. However we nonetheless have each probability and we simply need to again ourselves in these home windows.”
