Over the last week, we have seen the good and bad of this Ireland side under Stephen Kenny.
Against Latvia, Ireland raced into a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes thanks to goals from Callum O’Dowda and Evan Ferguson.
Then complacency crept in. Two quick Latvian goals, both of which were scored outside the box as is customary these days, pegged Ireland back and at half-time, the excitement created by Ferguson’s first goal for Ireland was long since extinguished.
READ MORE: Stephen Kenny reacts to Mike Maignan's 'incredible' save as he reflects on Ireland v France
Chiedozie Ogbene’s second-half strike spared Irish blushes, but at full-time, the feeling was a negative one.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that after three years under Stephen Kenny, surely there should be more than this?
Less than a week later, the Aviva Stadium was purring as Ireland gave as good as they got against World Cup finalists France.
Resolute at the back, calm in possession and genuinely tactically astute, Stephen Kenny’s side epitomised everything he wants this Irish team to be, and had it not been for Mike Maignan’s wonder-save, the Boys in Green would have picked up a richly deserved point.
At full-time, the Aviva Stadium rose to salute the side and applaud their Herculean efforts. A far cry indeed from the muted response to the Latvia win just days prior.
How Ireland can switch between being so good and so bad is confounding. How this Irish team can casually throw away a two-goal lead to a side ranked 133rd in the FIFA Rankings, and then give the almost back-to-back World Champions the fright of their collective lives is beyond reason.
There must be a middle ground for this Irish side. When they’re 'on it', they look like a more than decent team that has a gameplan which the players and coaches believe in.
But when those standards drop, they can look a disorganised mess and a parody of a so-called modern team.
Kenny must find a way to keep the side at a high level. Sure, it’s easy to get pumped up for a sold-out Aviva Stadium welcoming the World’s best player in Kylian Mbappé.
But Kenny must ensure his players are just as amped up for a tough trip to a red-hot Athens in the middle of Summer.
Monday night’s performance against France has to be built upon. There have been too many false dawns under this management ticket over the last three years. Last night is the level Ireland have to play at moving forward.
There’s no reason why this can’t happen. There were exceptional performances all over the park last night. Gavin Bazunu, who’s in the middle of a poor season at struggling Southampton, commanded his area and pulled off a couple of top saves when Ireland were struggling to contain the mercurial French attack.
Seamus Coleman looked revitalised against Mbappé and kept the PSG star as quiet as Stephen Kenny has ever seen him. Josh Cullen was composed in possession, although perhaps a little too calm on the ball when he gave it straight to Benjamin Pavard for the French goal, while Jayson Molumby showed tremendous maturity in his battle with Real Madrid ace Eduardo Camavinga.
And with Evan Ferguson up front, Ireland finally have a player in the team that is capable of scoring a goal out of nothing.
So, while a quick look at the scoreboard will show another Irish defeat, a look beneath the surface will reveal a few bright sparks amongst the doom and gloom that so often engulfs Irish football.
Stephen Kenny has long targeted EURO 2024, and this is the campaign that will define his time as Republic of Ireland manager.
Perform as they did against France and Ireland have more than a decent chance of pushing the Dutch all the way for that second automatic qualifying spot.
But if Ireland play to the level they did against Latvia last week, then qualification isn’t just a pipe dream, it’s a delusion.
Next up is Greece in the middle of June. Which Irish side will turn up?
That’s anyone's guess right now.
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