Stephen Kenny insists it is ‘completely unfair’ to use Ireland’s previous Nations League campaign as a barometer of his team.
In 10 games in the competition, Ireland have yet to win a match under Kenny’s watch and Martin O’Neill before him.
They drew five games and lost the other five, scoring just two goals along the way.
And Ireland have joined Iceland, Northern Ireland, Andorra and San Marino as the only European nations yet to record a Nations League win.
In Yerevan this afternoon, Ireland will look to put that right in stifling conditions with temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees.
But Kenny launched a passionate defence of the last Nations League venture when Covid ripped through his squad in games against Wales, Finland and Bulgaria.
Last night, he said: “It’s not fair to assess that campaign at all. Completely unfair. We were minus so many players for two of the windows, so it is not a fair assessment.
“I know people want to criticise that period and people really went after us in that period. But we’ve shown over the last year that the players have played brilliantly.”
Kenny continued: “We had a situation where after coming back from a Euro playoff in Slovakia we had to play Wales.
“We had a call late at night to say that five of the starting eleven couldn’t play because they were close contacts and two of the players on the plane couldn’t play.
“We were one of the few countries at the time that were adopting those rules on close contacts.
“In difficult circumstances all of the games were either drawn or lost by a goal. The players acquitted themselves well at the time considering the circumstances.”
Kenny wants fans to judge his team on recent performances in the second half of last year, when they finished a disappointing World Cup campaign strongly.
“The Irish public really identify with this team now. It’s a new style of play, it’s a vibrant style of play and the players have been terrific,” he added.
“The majority of our performances even against the top teams such as Portugal and Serbia were very good.
“We have scored 23 goals since March [2021] and we have shown that we are improving as a team. We have blooded an awful lot of players who have given us options.
“I think we are going to continue to improve as a team.
“But anything we get here out in Armenia, as they have shown with some of the results they have got, we will have to earn it
“We are not a team that can assume anything. We have to earn anything we get.”
Meanwhile, the Ireland players are waiting to hear if water breaks will be allowed in today’s game.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a scorching 36 degrees in Yerevan today, and are unlikely to dip below 30 degrees at kick-off (5pm local time, 2pm Irish).
Romanian referee Radu Petrescu must allow players to rehydrate if the temperature at match-time is 32 degrees or higher.
But it is understood the match officials can also use their own discretion if the mercury dips below that figure.
Kenny said: “It has to be over a certain temperature to get water breaks and at the moment it’s below that. We’ll have to see.
“We’ll know that we’ll have to adapt aspects of our play. We don’t want to make it too much of a contentious issue.
“We’re capable of adapting and we have to make sure we’re ready. The match isn't at 7.45pm at night, which would be ideal, but isn't 3pm either.
“We have to take the elements on and be positive in our approach.”
Probable Ireland team (3-4-2-1): Bazunu; Collins, Duffy, Egan; Coleman, Hendrick, Cullen, Stevens; Ogbene, Parrott; Robinson
