The inquest has already begun, just two games into Heimir Hallgrímsson’s reign as Ireland manager.
Icelandic coach Hallgrímsson spent the week leading up to a Nations League double-header against England and Greece batting away questions about whether he was indeed a head coach. He would finish up the international window fielding questions about how he and his coaching team plan to fix the national team’s downward spiral.
On the face of things, back-to-back home defeats to England and Greece might have been expected. However, it was the manner of those defeats which had fans leaving early by the time Greece’s second goal hit the net on Tuesday night.
The days since have seen the likes of Brian Kerr question the manager’s application since taking the Ireland job, while Eamon Dunphy (in classic Dunphy fashion) has gone so far as to already call for Hallgrímsson to be sacked.
After Tuesday night’s defeat, midfielder Alan Browne would defend the new manager, saying that Hallgrímsson needed more time before meaningful change could be expected.
For a manager to come in and be given a week to prepare for two games, it is really tough.
I think the messages he has given us have been quite good and we have tried to deliver to the best of our ability. But, in the end, the quality has let us down – that seemed to be the difference.
England was always going to be a tough ask with their quality, we never really looked like winning that, and then tonight this was the one we needed to be winning to keep ourselves in a good position, and we failed to do so.
It doesn’t get any easier. It will be a tough month.
Despite his defence of Hallgrímsson, Browne would disagree with his head coach’s remarks about Ireland lacking confidence – and add some damning comments about the lack of quality in the Irish squad.
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Alan Browne bemoans lack of quality in Ireland squad
10 September 2024; Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson reacts during the UEFA Nations League B Group 2 match between Republic of Ireland and Greece at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Heimir Hallgrímsson had told the assembled media on Tuesday night that he thought the Ireland squad lacked confidence, repeating a point he had made after defeat to England.
Alan Browne, who started against Greece after a bench cameo against England, disagreed with that sentiment after Tuesday’s Greek tragedy.
I think everyone comes into camp quite confident.
Everyone goes away and does quite well with their teams and then we come together we do believe that we will get results but for whatever reason we are in that rot of coming out on the wrong side of them.
For Browne, the central issue is a simple lack of quality in the squad.
We probably don’t have that presence, that Premier League quality player that stands out a mile from the rest, like you might have had in years gone by.
Boys are playing in the Prem and doing quite well but we don’t have that world class figure that everyone looks at and thinks, ‘He is going to win us the game.’
I know Evan has obviously got a bright future, but it is a lot to put on his shoulders being so young. At the minute, he hasn’t played a lot of football. You are probably just missing that presence rather than leadership.
Next up for Ireland is a double-header of away days against Finland and Greece in early October.
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