IT'S THE KENNY EVEREST SHOW

Talk of scaling the heights has worn thin but circumstances might allow underfire boss to remain in hot-seat for now

- PAUL O'HEHIR

STEPHEN KENNY'S is a curious case for the FAI to handle.

He's the manager with nine lives and keeps bouncing back from setbacks to fight again, all under the guise that his team is building towards something.

Time was duly given and rough nights were sucked up and accepted as part of this team's education.

But the leniency afforded to Kenny to oversee that has worn thin now, and no matter how he dresses it up, a third campaign running has just ended prematurely.

So it's hard to avoid the conclusion that Kenny has reached the point of no return and can take this team no further.

Bad luck has certainly played its part, no more so than this week with in-form Evan Ferguson's (inset) absence.

You would have fancied him to have done better with some of the chances Chieoozie Ogbene laboured over.

"You have to deal with the cards you are dealt with and that's part of life," said Kenny on Sunday night, when asked if he felt unlucky.

But let's not pretend that Kenny was the only manager whose plans were affected - and often decimated - by the Covid pandemic, or injuries.

Privately at least, you suspect Kenny fears he will merely be remembered as the enabler for the next manager to take these players to places he couldn't.