Following Republic of Ireland’s 2-0 loss to England at the Aviva Stadium, head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson was quickly quizzed about the factors contributing to the defeat. His cryptic response, “Seven minutes”, left many puzzled, with further explanation expected after the upcoming Nations League match against Greece. He cited the team’s self-assurance in taking decisions and initiating moves as a crucial difference between the two teams.
The enigmatic comment about ‘seven minutes’ will remain undisclosed until John O’Shea, playing his usual pre-match media liaison role, provides an update before the Greece clash. Hallgrímsson hinted that he might take until the October international training session to grasp a comprehensive understanding of the Irish squad, framing his current connection with O’Shea as akin to his previous co-management arrangement with Lars Lagerback for Iceland between 2011 and 2016.
Judging the game against England, he pointed out, it doesn’t just come down to the individual prowess of England, but also collective defensive decision making and prompt action. Despite adopting a back five defensive setup, akin to the one seen in O’Shea’s four friendly games of 2021, England’s interim coach Lee Carsley leveraged Jack Grealish at centre, revealing the limitations of using three central defenders.
Hallgrímsson disregarded the emphasis on formations adding that it should be about best utilising available players against the specific opponent at hand. When probed about the decision not to switch to a back four after halftime, he stated that they pondered a formation change. Still, in the end, they chose to focus on progressing with what was already in place, rather than make a drastic swap.
Looking ahead, Hallgrímsson suggested the possibility of O’Shea succeeding him as Ireland’s head coach after the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Hallgrímsson inferred that perhaps their overall performance might have been negatively impacted, but he highlighted their improved initiative in the second half of the game with England, which saw them rise in spirit and courage on the field and venture further up the pitch. However, he did acknowledge England’s solid management of the second half, skilfully defending their two-goal lead.
In relation to their defensive strategy of playing five at the back, he went on to suggest that when there were three central defenders against a single striker, they needed at least one player to come forward. The ultimate aim being that as they get better at playing as a cohesive unit, they develop the confidence to take control and decide to move into midfield.
Hallgrímsson’s reflections seem logical, and it’s worth noting that a five-player defence has been employed by Ireland under the guidance of Stephen Kenny with Anthony Barry as coach, fielding Matt Doherty, John Egan, Shane Duffy, Dara O’Shea, and Séamus Coleman against Portugal in 2021.
Hallgrímsson also highlighted what he believed were confidence issues within the Irish team, particularly on Saturday’s game, pointing to their reactionary rather than proactive approach to defending. The match on Saturday also saw Greece clinch a 3-0 win against Finland in Athens.
Hallgrímsson acknowledged that England was the group’s anticipated winner, suggesting the battle for second place lies between his squad, Greece, and Finland. With the players familiar with Greece – having faced the same team in the Euros – he remained hopeful of a different outcome this time.
The Irish team’s management on Saturday had him share the helm with O’Shea– referred to as the “assistant head coach”– and at times they even deferred to Crystal Palace coach Paddy McCarthy for instructing the players. “We are a team in this”, said Hallgrímsson, admitting he required significant assistance in the initial camps, given his unfamiliarity with the player’s personalities.