Keith Andrews believes Stephen Kenny has had to cut through the snobbery that greeted his appointment as Ireland boss almost two years ago.
Kenny officially succeeded Mick McCarthy in April 2020 to less than universal acclaim as his dearth of experience as a manager in England was criticised by fans outside of League of Ireland circles.
The Tallaght man's background as manager of Dundalk, who he guided into the European League group stages, and of Dunfermline - who he led to a Scottish Cup final - was disregarded by those critics.
The naysayers pointed to predecessors such as McCarthy, Martin O'Neill, Brian Kerr - as Ireland's successful underage supremo - and Giovanni Trapattoni as having top level experience that Kenny lacked.
And, as the new manager's side suffered from a series of growing pains during an initial 11 game run without a victory, the outside noise increased.
“You've got to take it on the chin,” said Andrews. “I say it to Stephen quite often about when I go back into my local butcher's, they're quick to tell me about what we should and shouldn't be doing and sometimes it's not particularly pleasant!".
But Andrews, as Kenny's number two, says that the snobbery towards the new coaching staff's appointment was obvious.
“I think that’s probably fair," said the 41-year-old. "I think there’s snobbery in football full stop, if I’m being honest.
"When I played at a Premier League club where they wouldn’t watch a League One game, some players.
"That’s true of football, it’s not just in Ireland. I think that would have been the obvious one initially taking over.
“That snobbery exists in football full stop, not just in our football."
The defeat to Luxembourg a year ago in a World Cup qualifier was the lowest point of the Kenny era.
But, in the 11 games since then, Ireland have only lost once - to Cristiano Ronaldo's late brace of goals in Portugal - and are unbeaten in seven in a row after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Belgium.
Andrews had bumped into Kenny at a couple of Ireland games prior to a meeting for coffee at Kenny's invitation that became a four hour chat about the game.
That led to them working together with the under-21s and Andrews is clear that this Ireland team is playing true to both men's values.
Using Chiedozie Ogbene as an example, Kenny said after Saturday's game that he had asked his players to raise their levels to play international football.
"I don’t think it’s just psychological," said Andrews. "It’s something you have to do. You have to be collectively brilliant, I would say, in every aspect of the game.
"We’ve said to the players that we’re lucky in that we know they’ll do the basics, like the hard running.
"We just need to channel that in the right way. We know the endeavour will be there.
"It’s a real collective, whether we can win the ball back, how we build in terms of the positions we ask to take up.
"It might be an unselfish position for the first phase when building from the back and they get involved in the second phase.
"Things can’t be done in an individual fashion. That’s not the way we work and not what we expect from the players."
The midfield veteran of the Euro 2012 finals in Poland admits he would have loved to have played in Kenny's team.
"I’m not sure he would have selected me but, yeah, I would have," he smiled.
"A lot of his beliefs very much intertwine with my beliefs in terms of how the game should be played and coaches I’ve worked for, in terms of what I’ve believed in or haven’t believed in, in terms of what hasn’t worked well.
“We look at our squad obviously in trying to find ways to play that suit our players and hopefully we’re starting to get there with that. I think I would have enjoyed it."
