A sports journalist from Greece at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday evening was baffled, questioning in surprise, “Did the announcer just award Will Smallbone with man of the match?”
“No, not exactly,” we clarified, “this is meant to provide the national broadcaster with an Irish player to interview on the field post-match. Indeed, it was Chiedozie Ogbene who clinched it in the game against England.”
The flabbergasted Greek journalist swiftly shared this absurdity linked to Irish football with his co-workers, who found it amusing.
About sixty minutes later, the Icelandic manager of the Republic of Ireland, Heimir Hallgrímsson, articulately explained how re-establishing confidence could help his team overcome its poorest performance since 1971.
Hallgrímsson, who became the Irish manager just a month ago, will now lead a team that fell 2-0 in both of their Nations League matches against England and Greece. Despite this, he is confident that victory will come once the players starts to understand each other and his guiding principles better.
Anyone tracking Irish football performances recently could have informed him how this group has been a unit for the past four years, during which they lost 11 of their last 14 competitive games.
The circumstances in the 2020s significantly resemble the periods of 1946-1950 and 1967-1971. During these times, Ireland suffered 12 losses out of 19 international games and endured a 21-game winless spell, suffering 14 defeats respectively.
Hallgrímsson tends to overlook these historic failures, but he’s keenly aware of the magnitude of the current challenge.
He conceded, “We all have to admit that Ireland lacks a decisive player right now.” We can’t boast of having a star player like Zlatan, Messi, or Ronaldo. We don’t possess high-profile players like Gareth Bale of Wales in the past, or our very own Roy Keane, who played at top level.
He advocated for growth as a collective, saying, “Our development needs to be as a team. In this way, organizational structure will provide players with much needed confidence.”
Hallgrímsson emphasised confidence derived from defending without possession, considering it a doorway to controlling the game which could result in increased points and boosted morale. He expressed hopes for the improved fitness of some team members in October, and he singled out Evan Ferguson’s debut this season as a major gain once he is in optimal health. Hallgrímsson believes that Kasey McAteer displays promising potential.
According to Hallgrímsson, the challenge now is spotting the right talents and ensuring their consistent play, rather than frequently swapping them. His precursor, Stephen Kenny, had a similar approach after moulding a young team. However, serial injuries to notable players like Ferguson, Ogbene, and Séamus Coleman undermined his strategy of a consistent line-up. On a brighter note, Kenny could rely on the likes of Josh Cullen and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, but their absence in this international timeframe due to injuries was definitely felt.
Glenn Whelan, honoured with 91 caps for Ireland and presently functioning as a match analyst for FAI, temporarily switched his scouting duties for TV commentary recently. Reflecting on Ireland’s performance, he criticised the players’ approach, deeming their missteps largely responsible for the Greek team’s advancement. Whelan lamented the Irish player’s reaction to the first goal scored against them, describing their response as negative and unhelpful for the team’s current status.
Whelan proposed a revamping strategy by utilising talents from Jim Crawford’s under-21 crew. He underscored the remarkable performances of players like Sam Curtis and Andy Moran, whom he believes are pushing Ireland towards qualifying for the Euros following their victory in Turkey and a 2-2 stalemate against Latvia in Tallaght.
Whelan suggested that an infusion of fresh talent from the under-21s could potentially turn around the consistent losses experienced by Ireland in the last four years. However, in the period from 2019 to 2022, Kenny had already introduced an entire cohort of junior players, such as Smallbone, Ferguson, and Adam Idah.
Several obstacles currently stand in the way of the senior men’s team’s progress, as acknowledged by an FAI official. Due to an overwhelming debt of €43.2 million, the Association is unable to subsidise professional training in club academies—precisely the location where the FAI’s pathways initiative, overseen by chief football officer Marc Canham, is seeking to direct top-tier talent.
Compounding these issues is the limited scope of authority given to 57-year-old Hallgrímsson, who was only employed on a year-and-a-half contract. The initial vision for the “head coach” role, intended to replace Kenny, involved a contract until Euro 2028, with duties extending to the implementation of a consistent playing style from junior to senior squads. However, this idea was discarded during the nine-month recruitment process handled by Canham.
Hallgrímsson admitted that, although he noted significant improvement from the England match and previous performances, the team needs to up its game. Despite this, he remained optimistic until the goal by Ioannidis. “I’m not hiding behind that,” he stated.