Evan Ferguson is not expected to be available to represent the Republic of Ireland in the upcoming Nations League games against Finland and Greece in October, as reported by Irish team’s head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson. The former Iceland coach only allowed the young forward on the pitch during the final eight minutes of the 2-0 defeat to England at Aviva Stadium last Saturday, instead choosing Leicester’s Kasey McAteer over the Brighton and Hove Albion player.
Hallgrímsson indicated that Ferguson is coming back from an injury and has started training with the team, with his performance improving. He expressed hope that by next month, the young striker will likely be in a better physical condition to start playing, which will further boost his fitness levels.
The match last Saturday was Ferguson’s return to play since his ankle injury in March. Ireland’s Captain Séamus Coleman is likely to be sidelined for the home game against Greece in Dublin on Tuesday due to the same ankle injury that forced him out after one hour of play against England. His position in the squad will be filled by Udinese’s Festy Ebosele, currently on a season-long loan at Watford.
When questioned who’s currently making the team selection for Ireland, Hallgrímsson or his “assistant head coach” John O’Shea, the head coach responded that the decision is a joint one. Hallgrímsson, who was also quizzed on his choice to use a five-man defence team, admitted that he needed assistance during his initial days of coaching to get acquainted with his players’ skills.
Hallgrímsson, according to the FAI, has been negotiating since March to succeed the previous Irish manager, Stephen Kenny. If defeated by Greece, Hallgrímsson’s initiation would mirror that of his antecedent, Kenny, marked by initial competitive losses. This trend partly elucidates why Ireland has fallen down the global rankings to 58th.
Greece, with their new leader Ivan Jovanovic at the helm, gained an impressive victory against Finland with a 3-0 scoreline in Athens on the weekend, led by Panathinaikos forward Fotis Ioannidis’ two goals.
Referencing Ireland’s past home and away losses to Greece in 2023, Hallgrímsson voiced his hope for an improved performance. “They have a sort of upper hand over us, so hopefully, our performance will be marginally better than during our Euros campaign,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the broad fiscal scenario for Irish football remains grim, with the FAI’s president, Paul Cooke, urging fans to press political representatives for extra funding. Cooke, in his note to the England game’s programme, requested supporters to remind any politicians present about football’s urgent need for robust backing to nurture future generations capable of generating exhilarating moments.
The upcoming FAI annual general meeting will be held next Saturday at the St Helen’s Radisson hotel, located in Stillorgan. Here, the decrease in debt from €50.9 million to €43.2 million and its impact on the growth of football in Ireland will be debated.