STEPHEN KENNY knows Europe means a narrower focus – but he still takes a wide angled view on it.
St Pat’s host Lithuanian side Hegelmann at Richmond Park tomorrow in the opening round of the Conference League looking to start another great European run.
But Kenny’s men are not going into Europe in the best of form having won just one in nine, and scored just once in their last six games.
It is a long way away from the end of last season when his team won nine in a row as they went from third from the bottom to third from the top to qualify for Europe.
And the Saints gaffer is realistic about what is ahead of his team.
He said: “It is interesting, for me, to see a team with full confidence, winning all their league games and winning in Europe, and then to see those levels drop off.
“If everything was perfect I would not have been brought in in the first place (last year). It didn’t look like much was wrong – we were flying – and we still had a lot of stuff to iron out.”
But having hit form last year in Europe when they reached the Conference League play-off round, Kenny hopes for a change of fortunes again in this year’s competition.
He added: “The players worked so hard last year to come up from third bottom, it just looked so unlikely at that stage.
“The reason we worked so hard to qualify for Europe is when you get there you want to make an impact.
“There’s no point in doing it and just getting knocked out, you have to show a level of ambition and we will have to fight hard over two legs to get through.”
And that means improving their form, and particular, their finishing with five blanks in their last six games a worry.
Kenny previously highlighted how his wingers have been nullified in the League of Ireland lately.
But he hopes a change of focus can help them flourish tomorrow even as the Richmond Park pitch is narrowed because of UEFA rules about run-off areas on the sidelines.
Kenny added: “I know it is a dying art, not many teams play with them now, in Ireland. We have Simon Power, who has hit a bit of form, which is great to see after his injury issues.
“He is very different. His raw pace, according to StatsSports’ measurement, is on par with Chiedozie Ogbene, so Simon is probably the quickest player in the league.
“Will the wingers get more of a chance to flourish in Europe? We don’t know, because this is a good team.
“I don’t think this is going to be us getting on the ball and having waves of attack. I think this will be… they are quite an attacking team and they’ll try to control a lot.
“We’ll have to really, really fight to earn the right. We have worked so hard to get there, so when you are in there you have to make it count.”
