Heimir Hallgrimsson: 'Coming in on such short notice to a big football culture like Ireland is pretty tough'

NEW ERA: Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and assistant coach John O'Shea pose for a portrait before a Republic of Ireland squad announcement at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Alex Ferguson was the last figurehead John O’Shea referred to as boss and it won’t be until next Monday’s introduction to his players when Heimir Hallgrimsson’s leadership qualities will be known.

In his first six weeks of the Ireland tenure, the Icelander has been content to take a back seat. After He’s attended just one match over the first three weekends of the UK club season and stressed the 23-player panel unfurled wasn’t a culmination of his assessment.

John O’Shea, the romantic but impractical contender among the field to fill the role, is masquerading as just that, notwithstanding the FAI insisting the double-act on show yesterday was merely a one-off.

It was the caretaker boss for the four matches earlier in the year, attended by another backroom member Paddy McCarthy, who made the calls on personnel.

Thirty years after his namesake Jason burst on the scene at the 1994 World Cup, Kasey was the big winner when it came to bolters, having completed his Fifa paperwork. Jayson Molumby gaining a recall after falling out of favour was another notable decision for the panel that opens the Uefa Nations League campaign against England on Saturday week, followed by another home fixture, the rematch with Greece, three days later.

Less palatable was axing the likes of Shane Duffy, Mikey Johnston and Michael Obafemi, Tom Cannon and Finn Azaz from the last squad O’Shea oversaw, the June Euro finals warm-ups for Hungary and Portugal.

That was an unusual way to start a new era, the absence of a newcomer putting his stamp on proceedings. Perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing that Hallgrimsson hadn't immersed himself swiftly, for a sobering reality would have confronted him once the muscle injury niggling midfield anchor Josh Cullen didn’t heal in time.

That pool of central midfielders is so shallow that only four were picked among the squad of 23. Just one, Will Smallbone of newly-promoted Southampton, operates in the Premier League.

From his 70-minute interaction with fans last week and yesterday’s similarly long media duties, all roads lead to Monday at Castleknock for the new era to officially start.

Giovanni Trapattoni adopted a replica attitude, leaning on Liam Brady in the early throes before flexing his authority on the training pitch in Portugal all of 16 years ago.

“People have been really encouraging and I haven’t felt any negativity but maybe they are sparing me the first weeks of the job,” he summarised of his bedding-in period, with a smile.

“Normally I’m realistic in every way. Coming in on such short notice to a big football culture like Ireland is pretty tough and a little bit daunting.

“I’ve tried to learn as much as I can but it has been a short transition time. I’m happy with what I’ve seen. Today, I’m a little bit more positive. Tomorrow, a little bit more negative. It’s just how it is when you don’t know it all.” 

That sense of unknown should dissipate from the time FAI tracksuits are donned for the first of five training sessions leading up to the derby. O’Shea was at pains to accentuate that turning point, like a father reassuring a son in a role reversal.

“When the boss sees the players in the flesh, gets to know them by seeing their personalities and what they're like on the training pitch, that’s the key element,” explained the Waterfordman.

“He’ll want to get his key messages across and then That will be a key element to them going forward. Selections and tactics, all of those things come into play.” 

Shaping that strategy will revolve around his target of avoiding relegation from a League B group completed by Finland. He has remained consistent in the view that England, themselves demoted from League A, will top the group, creating a battle between the middling trio of places.

He has, of course, a history of topping England from his time at the helm of his homeland at Euro 2016.

Amid dampening expectations for the opener against a side managed by former Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley, he did release a clue about that vital first pep-talk. Call it an ice-breaker.

“Everybody has told me that it’s like we’re playing one game, that we’re only playing England,” he began, “I always say that there’s two games. We play Greece only three days later and that’s a game we should not forget and need to focus on.

“So, once we’ve beaten England, we cannot celebrate for three days and lose against Greece.” 

Spoken like a person who’s been there and done that. His opening exchanges with his Ireland players might be worth the wait.