The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), under the new leadership of Heimir Hallgrímsson, is in desperate need of a win in the impending match with Greece. The team, faced with several challenges, is eager to deliver a victorious performance. At the end of 2023, the FAI’s liquidity was only €1.6 million, a stark decrease from €10.9 million in 2022, as revealed in the forthcoming annual general meeting. The association’s outstanding debt amounts to €43.2 million, contributing significantly to a decade of austerity in Irish football.
While these financial realities should not directly influence the upcoming Nations League game against Greece, the necessity of avoiding a third consecutive loss is looming. The lack of adequate training for emerging talent, along with the unsuccessful recruitment of British-born players, has only worsened the situation, as evidenced by Ireland’s recent 2-0 defeat against England.
Regardless of these challenges, there was a glimmer of hope. Despite only having 29% possession of the ball, Irish goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher was able to keep his reflexes sharp despite spending another season as a reserve at Liverpool. The FAI is relying heavily on match-related revenue, amounting to €18.9 million last year, to keep operations running smoothly.
In order for Hallgrímsson’s squad to avoid repeating the same mistakes as Stephen Kenny’s previous leadership, it’s imperative for Ireland, currently ranked 58th globally, to triumph over 54th-ranked Greece. Assistant coach John O’Shea iterates that the Irish public must not take Greece lightly, as their team is both experienced and hardened.
After a disappointing failure to qualify for the Euros in Germany, the importance of upcoming games is at an all-time high for Irish football. Greece, despite their loss to Georgia after two previous victories over Ireland, remains a formidable contender.
Fotis Ioannidis’ double strike contributed to a 3-0 victory against Finland on Saturday, while Liverpool left back Konstantinos Tsimikas once again put on a stellar display. Next month, they’re expected to encounter Rice and Grealish through Anastasios Bakasetas and Dimitrios Pelkas in the Greek midfield. They are likely to perceive Ireland as an easy opponent, a group cantered primarily across the Turkish super league and their own national competition.
Achieving a win appears to be a challenging task for an emptied Irish squad as their game results are noticeably deteriorating. The 3-0 triumph against Scotland at Aviva on June 2022 was a mere aberration. Since 2012, as highlighted recently by Malachy Clerkin, it has been their lone victory out of 21 games against nations with superior rankings.
The goal difference paints a grim situation with only nine goals scored and 45 conceded. Considering their performance against England, there’s a possibility of Matt Doherty and Adam Idah being replaced by Chiedozie Ogbene and Troy Parrott.
Moreover, Hallgrímsson’s lack of readiness for this international window is a major concern. O’Shea was responsible for choosing the squad, and even the FAI requested UEFA to permit an assistant to undertake the manager’s role in pre-match preparations. O’Shea acknowledges that the manager has ample knowledge of the players but the portrayal to the media requires singular communication.
Regarding the fitness of the young player Evan Ferguson, there has been some inconsistency. After Ferguson’s short eight-minute game time against England following a recovery from an ankle injury, the manager indicated it would be October before he would significantly contribute. In contrast, O’Shea later declared Ferguson was fit to start. The clarity and consistency of communication are essential.
Hallgrímsson’s voice has seemingly been prevalent throughout their recent meetings, according to sources within the camp.
Kelleher voiced, “We’re an embracing team who are eager to learn and absorb all that we can.” By October, the team hopes to be thoroughly prepared and have a deeper comprehension of the manager’s goals. The emphasis is on scoring victories, which is crucial. The team’s preparation by October will indeed be ramped up.”
The probable members from Ireland include; Kelleher from Liverpool, Ogbene and Szmodics from Ipswich Town, O’Brien from Everton, Collins from Brentford, O’Shea from Ipswich Town, Scales from Celtic, Molumby from West Bromwich Albion, Smallbone from Southampton, Knight from Bristol City and Parrot from AZ Alkmaar.