Captain of Ireland’s football team, Séamus Coleman, is doubtful to make a recovery from his ankle injury in time for the upcoming match against Greece at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday. During the 57th minute of a 2-0 defeat to England in the Nations League match held in Dublin, Coleman had to be substituted. Both of England’s goals were scored by Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
The severity of Coleman’s injury, according to Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Irish team manager, will become clear after assessment from their top-notch medical team. However, Hallgrímsson seemed sceptical about Coleman’s likelihood of playing in the upcoming game just three days away.
The Irish team, accepted Hallgrímsson, were not at their best in his first match as manager, with the final score restrained to 4-0 due to Caoimhín Kelleher’s exceptional goalkeeping. The lack of confidence and initiative on the Irish players’ side was evident.
Whereas, England was coming off a successful stint at the Euros and an under-21 tournament win, leading to a certain determination and will to succeed among its players. The Irish side, in contrast, was more passive, not taking necessary strides in defence and failing to capitalise on scoring opportunities.
Hallgrímsson expressed unhappiness with his team’s defence, especially with regards to Rice’s opening goal for England resulting from a long-range pass by Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anthony Gordon, bypassing the Irish defence. Despite a commendable save by second-string goalkeeper Kelleher and an effort from Nathan Collins to block Harry Kane’s shot, Rice managed to score.
Hallgrímsson stated that such defence lapses were unacceptable, regardless of the level of play, and were a significant disappointment for the team. He voiced additional dissatisfaction at the defence blunders, which led to England’s second goal. The Irish team were grossly disappointed with the goals conceded during the match.
Former captain of Ireland, Roy Keane, in his capacity as a game analyst for ITV, levelled harsh criticism at both the England and Ireland teams for their performances. Yet, his most biting remark was directed towards the decision makers at the FAI.
Keane observed that over recent years, the lack of quality has been a significant issue. “The FAI houses many dedicated individuals, but those at the helm making choices probably couldn’t successfully plan a pub crawl. Truly.” He said.
Before Hallgrímsson was signed on a contract of 18 months, Keane had three separate dialogues with the FAI.
Keane went on to say, “Ireland was vulnerable.” He found England’s performance in the latter half of the game to be abysmal. “Players focused on individual performance, holding the ball too long, and attempting ostentatious passes like Roy of the Rovers. They need to stick to the basics and draw Ireland out of their strategy. Even though Ireland displayed a substantial amount of pride in the second half, England lost their shine from the first half and their play was equally dismal in the second. With players nonchalantly walking off, an air of hubris was evident. There is a team out there that can exploit these weaknesses.”