'My heart sank': Kenny Cunningham 'flummoxed' by Hallgrimsson's tactical set-up 

The former Ireland skipper says the first-half display against Hungary concerned him more than the performance in Yerevan.

KENNY LIVE: Former Ireland footballer Kenny Cunningham promoting Premier Sports at St Stephen's Green in Dublin on Thursday. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

While there has been a significant fallout from their defeat to Armenia in Yerevan on Tuesday, Kenny Cunningham admitted yesterday he was more taken aback by what he saw in the first half of the Republic of Ireland’s opening World Cup Group F qualification game against Hungary in the Aviva Stadium four days earlier.

Having been encouraged by what he was hearing from the camp in the lead-up to their showdown with the Hungarians, Cunningham was anticipating Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was going to set up his side in a way that played to the strengths of the players that were at his disposal.