Why former Ireland legend Richard Dunne is wrong about Stephen Kenny

Yes, I like all Derry City and LOI fans think Stephen Kenny can do no wrong (well apart from not winning the Premier Division when at the Brandywell), but I just think all this crazy talk from ex-Irish internationals Richard Dunne, Gary Breen, Kevin Kilbane, Stephen Hunt & Co is just a wee bit out of order and a tad arrogant from the former Premier League players.

"Everyone keeps talking about Dundalk, but he has failed elsewhere and he has still a lot to prove," Breen stupidly stated on Off The Ball, while ex-Ireland and Manchester City centre-half Dunne wrote on Sunday in his column in the Independent that: “Some people, including some players in the current senior squad, don’t know who he (SK) is." And he also added: "Friends in England have been sending me messages asking, 'who is this Stephen Kenny guy Ireland appointed?"

To answer Breen's comment that he failed elsewhere sums up how arrogant he and his old team-mates are; because during his managerial career Kenny has won 5 Premier Division titles, 3 FAI Cups, 7 League Cups, 4 PFAI Manager of the Year accolades and has managed in Europe with a host of League of Ireland clubs.

Then you have messrs Kilbane and Hunt, who also both stated in previous interviews that 'senior players' won't know Stephen Kenny and Dundalk doing well in Europe was great but going into international management is totally different and while I agree with the last two points, I'm still not having this madness from anyone that 'senior players' won't know Kenny.

Listen if I'm not wrong but the current 'senior big name players' in the Ireland dressing room are former Sligo Rovers defender Seamus Coleman, ex-Derry City winger James McClean and Derry man Shane Duffy to name but three.

Coleman and McClean definitely know all about Kenny. The current Ireland captain played in the League of Ireland for years, when Kenny was managing in it and as for McClean, well to be honest I don't really need to say anything other than the new Ireland manager gave him his debut in senior football.

As for Duffy, I know for a fact when he was a teenager growing up in Derry he like the entire city was gripped by Europa League fever in 2006, as the Candy Stripes had seen off the mighty IFK Gothenburg, hammered Gretna and were 90 minutes away from becoming the first Irish side to reach the group stages of a European competition, before French giants Paris Saint-Germain saw them off in the second leg at the Parc des Princes, so yeah Duffy also knows all about his new boss, way before he succeeded McCarthy.

Any other Irish players that had to go onto Google to find out more about their new boss then fair enough, but while Kenny will need time to develop his style and philosophy, I believe his footballing style, which in fairness to Mick McCarthy was slightly changing, will be enjoyable and from a fans point of view entertaining to watch.

Yes, I know Ireland will not all of a sudden turn into Spain or Pep Guardiola's Barcelona teams, but he will give senior and young players the belief to get the ball down and play and that belief factor is something that any player, especially young players, who has played under Kenny will always tell you, is something he's really good at.

Only a few months ago his U21 side hammered Sweden at Tallaght Stadium, before taking it to Italy in the game that finished score-less and they currently sit top of the pile in the Euro U21 qualification group and some of the football the likes of Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Zach Elbouzedi and Jayson Molumby have played, has been entertaining free flowing football, which given time I'm sure Kenny and his back-room team will be able to install into the senior side.

Kenny's attention to detail is second to none and his masterstroke of bringing Keith Andrews up alongside him from the U21's to the senior squad's coaching team and appointing Damien Duff, another Ireland international who won a host of things in the Premier League with Chelsea, will also prove to be another positive move by the ex-Derry gaffer.

I really hope Stephen Kenny is a massive success after taking over from McCarthy and also congratulations to the FAI for making a quick decision and hopefully now the FAI give Kenny time to work his magic.