Heimir Hallgrimsson has a very clear idea of how he wants his Republic of Ireland team to play, and he has an idea of the kind of players he wants.
Ahead of his first squad announcement in a week’s time, the new Ireland manager was answering fan’s questions at Lansdowne Road.
Interestingly, the former Iceland boss revealed that one of his top priorities, is finding a “b***tard” in the team, an enforcer of sorts.
“I think in many ways, Ireland is similar to Iceland in the sense that we don’t have many players playing at the highest level in the Champions League,” said Hallgrimsson.
“So there is no high, high, high-profile player. It’s going to be down to the group, to the squad to win the games, not the individuals.
“I think the first impression of the players is really good team players, really good characters, maybe a little bit too nice. Sometimes you need a bastard in your team. I’m looking for him. Maybe we can develop him.”
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Hard-hitting midfielders and defenders who had a bit of bite about them was something that Ireland used to have in abundance.
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James McClean certainly had that nasty streak on a football pitch, while player’s like Glen Whelan, Kevin Kilbane and Richard Dunne weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty either.
Roy Keane is probably the best and most famous example of the kind of player that Hallgrimsson is on the hunt for, as the former Man United midfielder would set the tempo in matches, and anyone who dropped below that tempo would feel the consequences.
Unfortunately the current Ireland team doesn’t have a player of Keane’s calibre in its ranks at the moment, but that’s not to say there isn’t some potential.
In terms of finding a “b***ard” who can get stuck in, show a some fight, rough up opponents and let them know that he is there, Jayson Molumby could potentially fill that role.
The West Brom midfielder has already collected 24 caps for Ireland, and showed some signs of promise, but it is the dark side to his game that might elevate him under Hallgrimsson.
Unfortunately for Molumby, that ‘edge’ that he plays with can sometimes boil over into something unproductive, and during a pre-season game against Real Mallorca, a video emerged showing the Irishman hitting Samu Costa in the face following a challenge by the Portuguese midfielder on 27 July.
This incident lead to a five match ban and a fine for £16,000, but if the new Ireland boss can “develop” him like he intends to, then Molumby could have a big role to play for Ireland in the immediate future.