No regrets for Hallgrimsson who refuses to admit defeat in World Cup qualifying bid

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

A bullish Heimir Hallgrimsson insists he has no regrets about taking on the Republic of Ireland job and is adamant that his team is still in with a shot of qualifying for next year’s World Cup after a “one-off” in Armenia.

The team’s disastrous performance and 2-1 loss against the lowly hosts in Yerevan last month punctured the positivity that had built up through the Icelandic coach’s initial time in charge and left qualifying hopes hanging by a thread.

But Hallgrimsson has declared that there is still everything to play for after naming a 24-man squad showing some changes for the upcoming games against Portugal away and the Armenians at home later in October.

“It was a one-off, hopefully a one-off in Armenia,” he explained, having recalled Seamus Coleman and John Egan to the squad. “Should we then totally change course and do something different with other players? I think that would be a wrong thing to do, definitely.

“Secondly, the players will relish this camp to answer for Armenia and I would like to give them that chance. That is one of the reasons why we believe in this group of players.

“They have the quality to qualify for the US in the summer but what I think and what I say is not the most important. It is what they say and what they believe and they will hopefully show you in this camp that they can play for this nation.” 

The Ireland boss admitted that suggestions he is now a ‘dead man walking’ in a role where his contract ends after these qualifiers hurt and disappointed him, but he is sanguine enough to know that this comes with the territory.

Halgrimsson, who had spells in charge of his native Iceland and Jamaica, insisted he had no regrets at having taken the Ireland job in the first place and the same applies when it comes to the positivity he preached before last month’s qualifying window.

“Absolutely not. I believe in this squad. I believe this squad has enough quality to qualify and the reason being is I have had squads with less individual quality than this one qualify for a World Cup and the Euros as well.

“I don’t regret saying it because this is how I felt and I always try to be honest. I can understand the people if they are fed up with having expectations and not succeeding in them but it is far from being over.

“We need good performances in this camp and even three points would keep us alive into November. It could go down to goal difference so definitely it is not over. Nobody should be disappointed at this stage.” 

He revealed that midfielder Jason Knight and defender Matt Doherty are both missing from this window due to groin and wrist issues respectively and that both are in contention for November’s meet-up as well.

Bosun Lawal pulled a hamstring in his last club game and so misses out this time as well but there are new faces aside from Coleman and Egan who have been reintroduced for “football reasons” but with an eye on the experience and leadership they bring too.

Will Smallbone, Jayson Molumby, Callum O’Dowda and Festy Ebosele are all back. So is Troy Parrott though he is still on the road back from injury and not considered an option for the game against Portugal, only the follow-up against Armenia.