STEPHEN KENNY is not worried about dropping five points but acknowledged his St Pat’s side are having trouble with back fives.
The Saints are winless through the first two weeks of the season with one point from six and they face Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park this evening.
It is a slow start for one of the title favourites but Kenny reckons it is too early to know if the dropped points will be costly or if his side deserved their pre-season billing.
He said: “From our point of view, we could have had four points or six, certainly four.
“When we had that nine-game unbeaten run last year, we probably got a decision or two.
“These things will balance out over the course of the season.
“They have been very tight games. From my point of view, it’s my first year in the job.
“A lot of people tipped us for the league and I get that on the basis of how we finished last season. It can be premature as well.
“Other teams have been together a lot longer. Shamrock Rovers won four titles, while Shelbourne won it last year.
“We have it all to do but we are a very exciting and technical team.
“We can punish teams and have the ability to create chances and score goals.”
But the opening two games — Saints drew 0-0 with Drogheda United and lost 2-1 at Galway United — have given Kenny some food for thought as both sides played with back fives.
The former Ireland chief said: “We have to have different ways of attacking five-man defences.
“We had to reflect on how we can improve that side of things in our attacking play in relation to playing against five at the back, so we’ve been focusing on that.
“That’s one aspect we can improve on.”
But Kenny believes better weather and improved pitches will help as it will allow his dribblers — like Jake Mulraney — to get into dangerous areas.
LENNON FACTOR
He bemoaned the loss of holding midfielder Jamie Lennon for at least a month through injury, declaring that the Dubliner could play for Ireland.
Kenny — who likened Lennon to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri — added: “He’s the best holding midfielder in the league.
“I told him that he should try and put himself in the conversation for the international squad with his performances.
“There are loads of centre-backs and promising centre-forwards but it’s an area where there is not a lot of strength, so Jamie should aim to put himself in the conversation around that.
“He’s our Rodri. He holds things together and is unflappable.
“He’s not going to get loads of goals but is someone who does everyone else’s work for them. He’s out now with a thigh injury that he had two years ago.
“The key is to not let the loss of him affect the team. We’ve always played with five attacking players and him, really.
“He does so much work off the ball and protects the back four so well.
“It’s important that we learn to win without him.
“We don’t have a like-for-like replacement. We have to show an ability to win without him.”
