OH IRELAND
It may have slipped your minds amid the FA Cup’s floodlit thrills and the prospect of a three-team title race, but another international break is coming soon to disrupt a domestic season in danger of gathering steam. For the Republic of Ireland, their March fixtures at home to Belgium and Switzerland are particularly significant – marking the start of a new era after former manager Stephen Kenny signed off with a typically underwhelming 1-1 draw against New Zealand in November. The former Under-21 coach stepped in to replace Mick McCarthy in 2020, taking on the kind of rebuilding job usually reserved for especially fraught episodes of Grand Designs. After a little north of three years in charge, Kenny went on his merry way with an eye-watering win percentage of 20.7% in competitive games – including that home defeat to Luxembourg – but did deliver on bedding in a talented crop of young players.
