Eoin Harrington reporting from the Aviva Stadium
There was a stage when it seemed almost inevitable that John O’Shea would transition from his role as Ireland interim head coach into the role on a permanent basis.
And then, in a bolt from the mid-July blue, Icelandic coach Heimir Hallgrimsson was appointed by the FAI as Stephen Kenny’s permanent successor.
It was an appointment that caught many by surprise. Up until mere days before his unveiling, Hallgrimsson had been on duty in his previous role as Jamaica manager. at the Copa America. Perhaps partly for that reason, Hallgrimsson had barely even entered the discussion of potential non-O’Shea candidates for the Ireland job.
Shortly after Hallgrimsson’s appointment, it was confirmed that O’Shea would remain part of the setup as an assistant head coach, alongside Paddy McCarthy, who had been part of O’Shea’s coaching setup.
His credentials are solid but, little over six weeks since he was confirmed as Ireland boss, it remains unclear just how much Hallgrimsson actually knows about Irish football.
The first press conference of the new era took place at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, with O’Shea intriguingly rolled out alongside the new man in charge. That decision, along with several telling answers during the presser, raise more than a few questions about just how involved O’Shea will be in running the Irish national team.
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John O’Shea set for hands-on role as Ireland assistant coach
29 August 2024; Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, left, and assistant coach John O’Shea during a Republic of Ireland squad announcement at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The first question of Thursday’s press conference cut right to the chase.
RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue enquired to Heimir Hallgrimsson what the exact nature of his relationship with John O’Shea would be, and who would be the “bastard” in their hypothetical good-cop-bad-cop setup.
Hallgrimsson’s response teed up an intriguing presser which shed light on just how influential O’Shea is set to be.
I think we just need to start working together to find out what is the best way to work. In my opinion, the personalities click, there’s a good trust between us. I think we can share more or less everything.
Like I said before, in the beginning John and Paddy will probably have more to say on the players, knowing their characters etc. They will probably be more guiding me in the beginning but that’s good because they both have the experience of playing with some of them and coaching as well.
It was clear throughout the press conference that Paddy McCarthy and particularly O’Shea have been extremely hands-on in selecting the first squad of the Hallgrimsson era.
After confirming he would declare for Ireland rather than England, Leicester City star Kasey McAteer has come into the squad for the first time. Barring that, the squad is strikingly similar to those selected by O’Shea for the two friendly windows earlier this year.
Indeed, Hallgrimsson admitted that he had largely deferred to O’Shea’s judgement and taken heavy influence from the two groups he put together in March and June.
More or less, I looked at the players that first and foremost had been in the squad for the last few games. Obviously, John and Paddy selected the squad for the last two camps so I was looking at those players and then asking about individuals, etc.
I’ve been trying to look at as many players as possible. Even that knowledge is probably not enough for me. I’ve said before that this selection is more based on the knowledge of John and Paddy.
In this camp, I have a chance to get to know [the players] personally and, after this camp, I can watch them live and see more of the players. At this stage, I’m not going to say I know it all.
I really need the professional help of those two guys to expedite what we can do. That is why it’s really important to me to have them…hopefully, I will catch up with them.
At this stage, it is understandable that Hallgrimsson does not have a deep personal connection with the Irish squad. It also t goes without saying that the main function of bringing O’Shea and McCarthy in would naturally be to aid with the transition process.
But the dynamic between the pair of coaches on Thursday was revealing. It is early days yet but it seems clear that O’Shea will be working almost alongside Hallgrimsson rather than assisting him.
“Not that it’s anything different, assistant coach or assistant head coach, whatever you want to call it,” said O’Shea, “Obviously, when I got the chance to take the team, I brought Paddy in so it’s great that we can carry that on.
“But, also now, we’re here to support the manager and help him accelerate learning about all the players as quick as he can and, hopefully, leading that into positive results for the team.”
The phrasing of O’Shea’s role being described as “assistant head coach” rather than merely “assistant coach” is a small detail but, with all things considered from Thursday’s press conference, it may be a significant one.
It is no secret that O’Shea was in the mix for the permanent job, nor is it a secret that Hallgrimsson’s knowledge of Irish football is patchy at best.
The Icelandic served as joint-head coach of his country’s national team between 2014 and 2016 before taking over on a solo basis. Could this in all but name be a similar situation?
None of this is to question Hallgrimsson’s authority or ability to competently coach a team. His success with the minnows of Iceland is a testament to that. But, as he enters into unfamiliar territory, Thursday’s press conference certainly raised a few intriguing questions about just how much delegation there will be to John O’Shea alongside him.
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