John O’Shea has aimed to downplay the significance of Heimir Hallgrímsson, the manager of the Republic of Ireland, not appearing before the media before the game against Greece set for Tuesday night at Aviva Stadium.
UEFA regulations mandate that the main coach, as opposed to their deputy, must attend the pre-match press meeting. However, the FAI requested an exception as Hallgrímsson takes this international break to get acquainted with Irish football.
Marc Canham, FAI’s chief football official, revealed at Hallgrímsson’s inauguration in July that the Icelandic coach had been identified as the top choice for the team as early as March.
The 57-year-old was unable to sign an 18-month agreement until his coaching commitments with Jamaica in the Copa America wrapped up in July. Hallgrímsson disclosed over the weekend that he would need the October break, with away matches in Finland and Greece, to truly understand the Ireland team’s “personalities.”
John O’Shea, despite handling media duties, insists that he remains the assistant, emphasising, ‘The boss is the boss’. O’Shea dismissed the thought that his temporary tenure as interim manager for four friendly games earlier in the year could cause confusion among team members.
“There’s no confusion at all, everyone knows who’s in charge. I’m simply the assistant, and it’s patently clear from my perspective and from the staff and players’ viewpoint. The plan was set in advance, and the strategy is unfolding as expected. So I really don’t understand why people keep interpreting otherwise,” O’Shea elaborated.
Imagine if I’d secured employment in Iceland,” mused O’Shea, “the reliance on my team’s support would be a given. It’s incredibly straightforward.”
O’Shea was quick to reject the suggestion that Ireland’s commitment to defending with a back five in their 2-0 defeat against England was indicative of his long-standing strategy. Despite the fact that his team sheets for matches against Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary and Portugal as interim coach highlighted three centre backs supported by ineffective wingers, he stated, “I wouldn’t go as far as saying this encapsulates my philosophy. Each game is considered on its individual merit and the unique strengths of each opponent. Your own team is always the primary consideration. You strike a balance and strive to approach each match with a tactical game plan.”
Under the instruction of O’Shea as third-in-command to Keith Andrews and manager Stephen Kenny, Ireland suffered two losses against Greece during the Euros qualification last year. “There’s value in reflecting on those games as the players are acquainted with their style. However, we’re aware of the change in their management. Ivan Jovanovic, their new Serbian manager, brings experience from his previous roles managing Greek football clubs and is well-versed in the abilities of their players. Their system remains largely unchanged yet they’ve made slight modifications we observed in their Finland match,” he explained.
Greece emerged victorious over Finland on Saturday night in Athens, winning 3-0. O’Shea noted, “My players recognise Greece as a formidable team, therefore, they’ll need to step up their performance.”
This weekend on LinkedIn, Canham revealed that he has transitioned to a new role in the FAI: chief football officer, a step up from his previous position as the director of football. Regardless of the title, both roles task him with steering the trajectory of Irish football from the grassroots level to the senior international squads.