Stephen Kenny reiterated his belief that the FAI needs to do more to help Irish clubs qualify for the group stages of European competition following last night's hard earned draw with Istanbul Basaksehir.
The Super Saints face a trip to Turkey for Wednesday's return leg, but before that they're in SSE Airtricity League action against Dundalk on Sunday.
In the build-up to last night's game the Pat's manager said it was "insane" and "hard to fathom" why they weren't being given the weekend off so that they could properly prepare for the decisive second game against the Turkish Super Lig outfit.
And after last night's battling draw, the former Republic of Ireland manager once more vented his frustration about the situation.
"It is difficult," he said of having to play again on Sunday.
"I'm led to believe that the Turkish League have cancelled all the games for their European teams this week. They've prioritised the teams qualifying for the group stages, so they've cancelled all the league games.
"And if you're serious and ambitious, that's what you do."
Kenny is one of just four managers - alongside Stephen Bradley, Michael O'Neill and Filippo Giovagnoli - to have guided a League of Ireland club to the lucrative group stages of a European competition.
He did it with Dundalk and he says that back then, the FAI were willing to help the Lilywhites out.
"At Dundalk, we wouldn't have qualified for the group stages only Fran Gavin [FAI's Director of Competitions in 2016] made a decision to cancel one or two matches for us at that time, and that was pivotal in us qualifying for the group stages.
"They [Basaksehir] have a rest. It will be a game against them in five and a half days.
"We've lost Romal [Palmer] tonight. It looks like for a few weeks so it just puts a bit of pressure (on) collectively.
"Even apart from the game, preparation time is zero."
Basaksehir have played in the group stages of all of UEFA's club competitions in recent years, most notably beating Manchester United in the Champions League in November of 2020.
That, for Kenny, is the crux of the matter; his team are trying to come up with a performance to upset the odds against a side who - on paper at least - are at a higher level than his team.
"Once you get to the group [stage], you get on with it and that's what you have to do," he continued.
"But trying to get to the group is very difficult for Irish clubs, especially coming the [qualifier] route, going through the four rounds, it's hugely difficult.
"So you need all the support you can get. We want to go through, we're desperate to go through - we're determined.
"The reason I think we should (postpone domestic fixtures) is just to give ourselves a chance, because we have to go up levels to perform.
"Anyone can play three matches in six days. It's not that, but it's getting up levels and trying to outperform yourself and putting in the performance of your life; it's extremely difficult."
Pushed on whether he thought there was still time for him to interject to get the game against Dundalk postponed, Kenny added: "I'm only one person, so I don't know, I honestly don't know."
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