Brian Kerr: Stephen Kenny successor will need time to put stamp on Ireland team

Brian Kerr believes Stephen Kenny's successor will need time to put their stamp on the Republic of Ireland set-up if, as anticipated, the current manager's contract is not renewed following the disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Tonight's friendly fixture against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium could mark Kenny's final match in charge with his contract due to come to an end and an FAI board meeting on the horizon next week to decide the management team's fate.

The next set of fixtures for the Boys in Green will come in the form of friendlies, starting in March, with no competitive matches until the UEFA Nations League campaign begins in September 2024.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, former Ireland manager Kerr said he expected the curtain to close on Kenny's tenure in the near future.

"I don't envisage the FAI are going to extend Stephen's contract this time," he said.

"The FAI are obviously in very serious debt still, although they've reduced those debts in recent years, and they need the income that's generated by the national team to increase.

"The game is badly stuck for money, the whole infrastructure around the game needs investment, the League of Ireland needs investment.

"We need investment in young players, in personnel, in full-time coaches, in full-time set-ups to ensure that we have a stream of players coming into the international teams that are going to make us competitive again."

Kerr added that what was most "galling" about the current situation was that Ireland have found themselves outside the top 33 teams in Europe.

As for an eventual successor to Kenny, he touched on some of the names already linked to the role - Neil Lennon, Lee Carsley and Kerr's own former assistant Chris Hughton - and