Heimir Hallgrímsson on Ireland World Cup hopes: 'We have it in our hands, so why be negative?'
POSITIVE: Head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson sits for a portrait before a Republic of Ireland squad announcement at FAI Headquarters. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile.
Whatever about the shrinkage of top-flight Irish players, it’s inopportune for that coterie to be suffering dips as the international itinerary climaxes.
That’s the situation Heimir Hallgrímsson faces when gathering his players on Sunday for the concluding qualifiers in the World Cup campaign.
Portugal, officially the fifth best team in the world, will come to Lansdowne Road seeking the win that books their ticket to North America with a game to spare.
Three days later Ireland will enter the Lion’s Den of the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. Among the 67,000 attendees will be Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
He’ll demand from manager Marco Rossi to avoid the replica picture of him cutting a disconsolate figure in Dublin after Hungary blew a two-goal lead.
Hungary are 27 Fifa placings above Ireland and have three straight European Championship tournaments behind them.
Everything points towards Ireland extending their tournament drought to a decade due to a shortage of them in this campaign.
Something spectacular, magical even, is essential for the predicted outcome not to unravel.
“We have it in our hands, so why be negative?” urged Hallgrímsson yesterday when unveiling his 25-man squad.
“It's difficult when the media is not optimistic but the fans are really confident and have shown they're supportive.
“Two wins and we are there.”
Not quite there but onto the next phase of the playoffs next March.
It would quite the achievement, bucking the form of an Irish side the Icelander continues to feel can make possible a summer trip for thousands to USA, Mexico and Canada.
A decade on from Shane Long bulging the net of world champions Germany, another scalp – or two – constitutes the road to redemption.
One win from four games, an unconvincing toil over Armenia at home, forms part of the reason why Irish fans don’t share the optimism of the manager.
He’s of a mind, once camp mobilises on Monday, to eschew the ‘noise’ capable of crippling their mission.
“We won't have to tweak much from our last performance against Portugal to get a point or even a three - if we are clever,” he reasons.
“Many of our players are struggling. They’re not playing well for the clubs, even fighting for minutes.
“This is a different situation from September when we had everyone playing and scoring, man-of-the-match performances. Let's hope it's just the reverse.
“We need to have a perfect game against Portugal. Even with a perfect game, we still can lose because of Portugal’s quality, both individual and collective. They haven't lost many in the last few years.
“All football fanatics know the quality of Portugal and they’d know if we go man for man all over the pitch, with their better individuals in all positions, that would be the wrong way to do it.
“The story of this Ireland team through the years is inconsistency so hopefully we can find some consistency.
“That's my take on it, how I see it and what we are trying to do.
“And again, not listening to the noise. Then you're a populist if you always change what you're doing.
“We cannot be changing our process according to somebody else's opinions.” Processes and philosophies are real things but personnel is the most pressing.
Jayson Molumby and Ryan Manning are both suspended for the first game, while Sammie Szmodics joins the lengthy injury list.
Uncapped US-based newcomer Kevin O’Toole isn’t expected to be abseiled straight into the team to curb Ronaldo but the manager is ‘positive’ about Evan Ferguson’s availability.
Ankle problems have disrupted the striker’s progress since joining AS Roma on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion.
A late tackle in the game against Parma last Wednesday week forced him off, leading to a scan revealing ligament damage and a sprain.
Ferguson’s firepower has supplied rare solace in a challenging campaign for Ireland, his winner against Armenia last month accumulating his tally to three goals in the space of four qualifiers.
His inclusion was justified by the manager, albeit on the basis of him recovering in time for the second part of the double-header.
“Evan expects to be back in the Roma squad for the weekend,” Hallgrímsson said about the upcoming Serie A game against Udinese, sufficient to overlook in-form Johnny Kenny for a maiden call-up.
“He is back on the grass but maybe we’ll only have the option of playing him in Hungary.
“He has been key to our goals and scoring for us.”
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