ROD FOR TH EIR BACKS
It sure Lux bleak for Kenny as super late Gerson strike marks new low for Irish football
A slow motion car crash from start to finish. What a shambles.
Stephen Kenny has yet to manage in front of an Irish crowd, but it was probably just as well that it was the wind howling around the stadium, not the fans.
Ireland can kiss goodbye to the World Cup.
And the spotlight intensifies on Kenny (right) with growing intrigue over what now lies in store for the beleaguered boss.
There was chit-chat this past week about whether Irish football could afford to just write off the World Cup campaign and allow Kenny sow seeds for future growth.
That is no longer a hypothetical question. It is suddenly the reality facing the FAI as they prepare for a long year ahead with nothing to play for. With six qualifiers still to come, Ireland are not done for mathematically.
But so much goodwill for Kenny evaporated here as the nightmare unfolded and the manager is suddenly swimming against the tide after a shock home defeat.
He hasn’t had an easy time of it since succeeding Mick Mccarthty but there were mitigating circumstances with a litany of players missing for one reason or another.
But on a night when victory was paramount, this defeat killed all hope for 2021 as Gerson Rodrigues pounced for a deserved winner with five minutes to play.
Ireland had enough of the ball to inflict some sort of damage, yet finished with just four measly efforts on target.
Luxembourg had the same amount, but crucially one of them counted, and but for debutante goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu they would have won by more.
Ireland made hard work of this game from the outset and you hoped it was nothing more than short-term pain for long-term gain. But utterly devoid of an imaginative spark in all areas of the pitch, Ireland constantly over-played the ball and always in the areas that didn’t matter. They never laid a glove against the minnows of the group and the lowest ranked team that Kenny has faced as manager.
Kenny signalled bold intentions by showing his ruthless streak.
He axed Mark Travers following his tough night in Belgrade and pitched in Bazunu, 19, instead for his first appearance at senior level.
In doing so, the Manchester City
youngster on loan at Rochdale, became the first teenage goalkeeper to start a European World Cup qualifier since Jan Oblak in 2012.
Jason Knight replaced Jayson Molumby in midfield and up front, Ireland’s attack in a 3-4-1-2 was led by two players who can’t get into their club teams; Callum Robinson and James Collins, the latter replacing the injured Aaron Connolly.
Ireland had plenty of ball in the final third but it was all out wide and they never looked threatening in the box.
Their only chance of note saw Collins lunging at a Robinson cross following a flowing move, but the big striker was denied by a super save by the goalkeeper with his feet.
Luxembourg were always comfortable and played with a sense of adventure.
They had more chances on goal than Ireland by the break and were it not for Bazunu’s scrambling acrobatics, Rodrigues’ cheeky lob would have rattled the net.
It wasn’t even the case that Luxembourg belatedly found confidence after realising that Ireland’s blunt attack wasn’t going to hurt them.
Because they actually started on fire because Vincent Thill reeled off two shots inside the opening three minutes.
Ireland needed a fresh approach and Robbie Brady replaced the ineffective Matt Doherty at the break with Alan Browne dropping to wingback.
But there was no immediate return and it was more of the same with Ireland huffing and puffing in possession.
Meanwhile, Bazunu was almost caught out when Olivier Thill drilled a long-range free-kick high towards his near post.
Browne then went close with a header from a Brady free but Ireland continued to struggle whereas Vincent Thill played like a man on a mission.
He brought a good smothering save from Bazunu just after the hour to maintain parity.
Robinson’s rising shot from inside the box, after good work from Knight, again offered a glimmer of hope. As did Collins’ audacious overhead from Brady’s cross that flashed just wide. Sub Shane Long forced the issue late on, yet the breakthrough never came. But it did for Luxembourg.
And it’s a long way back now for Ireland and their manager.