Kenny has risen from ashes to ignite a flame of belief

Eighteen months in charge and 20 games played, Stephen Kenny's contract saga was finally resolved earlier this month ahead of the upcoming double-header with Belgium and Lithuania.

Almost a year to the day, as Ireland left the Lansdowne Road pitch with their tail between their legs following the shock 1-0 defeat to Luxembourg, many thought that Kenny would not see out the weekend.

By that stage, Kenny's record was nothing short of abysmal. Ten games played, six loses and four draws; the "goals for" column read a dismal three.

The manager could barely string a sentence together in the post-match press conference, and while it was hard to watch, the situation could not have been more dramatic.

For Kenny was a manager who was liked by some, most notably for his proven track record in the League of Ireland, his appreciation of the game being played the way it should be, and the fact that he had the nerve, or the gall some might say, to attempt to transform the way the national team would equip themselves on the international stage.

Alas and with the best will in the world, the manager’s grand plan was failing, and it was failing spectacularly when viewed from a results’ perspective.

And yet, that long weekend passed, and two days later, a rejuvenated Kenny stood up and stood out, as he essentially pleaded for his future ahead of the away game against Qatar, defending his philosophy and re-emphasising his belief that he was, in fact, the right man to take Ireland forward.

If Luxembourg was rock bottom, Ireland perhaps plateaued over the next three games, aided by a team-building summer break in Spain around two games with Andorra and Hungary, before the phoenix rose from the ashes and produced an incredible performance away in