Ireland aim to exploit Portuguese weaknesses in crucial World Cup qualifier

Unless Armenia get a shock result against Hungary, Ireland will require at least a draw against Portugal. 

Heimir Hallgrímsson: “We can't go all-in against a team like Portugal - it's not going to be a basketball match." Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Ireland cannot afford to be lured into a basketball match against the Portugal powerhouse on Thursday, according to manager Heimir Hallgrímsson.

Unless Armenia inflict a shock in Yerevan by holding or beating Hungary, Ireland will require at least a draw off Cristiano Ronaldo’s table-toppers to have any hope of snaring a World Cup playoff by beating the Magyars in Sunday’s final qualifier.

Hallgrímsson is without a slew of regulars through injury, from left-back Robbie Brady to Jason Knight in midfield and most recently Evan Ferguson. Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby, both starters in the October, are suspended for Thursday.

“Our approach is not going to change, so we need to play a certain style versus Portugal, whether we need a win or a draw,” the Icelander said about whatever outcome emerges from the earlier qualifier between Armenia and Hungary.

“We can't go all-in against a team like Portugal - it's not going to be a basketball match.

“Then we will take calculated risks if we need to score a goal later on in the game.

“We have a plan for it and the players must be ready psychologically for this encounter.” 

Hallgrímsson wasn’t diminishing the threat of Ronaldo, despite him entering his 41st year.

“The statistics speak and answer that question. He is still scoring goals and breaking records, one of the reasons why they are such a unique attacking team is his desire to score goals. They will deliver crosses, they will try to find him all of the time.

"Most teams, when they are winning, would cool the game down but Portugal always want to score more goals and he is one of the reasons why this Portuguese team is a unique attacking team.” 

However, all is not lost. The manager does see reasons to be optimistic facing the fifth best team in the world.

“We are definitely going to use some of their weaknesses, but we’re not going to talk about them,” he said.

“We need to be clever, I’m not going to say that here, but then Roberto Martinez will say, ‘Oh no, we need to change’.

“They are a strong team but there are also some weaknesses in the Portuguese team and it is our job to try and to exploit the weaknesses.”