How Ireland rated: Heimir handles the heat, Jack's the lad
SHINING LIGHT: Ireland's Troy Parrott wins a header over Israel's Nikita Stoinov. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Ireland haven’t had a four-game window since 2022 and this period was noteworthy for being the most controversial since Saipan all of 24 years ago.
The Israel rematch last night put a cap on the drama but, as the players return to a sense of normality at club level the fallout, both on and off the pitch, will linger.
This window like no other has hurtled the Ireland squad into Reeling in the Years territory. They were the group that came within a vote of becoming the first Ireland team to boycott a senior international fixture. For that alone, their names will be remembered.
Opinion over the decision of the FAI and players to fulfil the games will endure across the political spectrum, even after they’ve shared the pitch twice with the Israelis, but the return from this gathering provides a springboard to achieve a top-two finish from the campaign.
They travel to face Austria on November 14 before concluding the series at home to Kosovo three days later. Ending up first or second, thereby confirming a second-seeded status for the Euro ’28 draw in Belfast, is within their gift.
Ireland had in place just the right type of character necessary to manage the variety of emotions and challenges that cropped up over 14 days. The coolness of the Icelander was called upon to take the heat out of situations and, while he rowed back about his genocide comment about Israel, all he did was cite the conclusion of an independent United Nations report.
The toll from what he described as the most testing period of his 20 years in management was evident when he was close to tears after the win over Israel last Sunday.
By midweek, in front of the cameras ahead of Austria’s visit, his default setting of calmness was restored and soon there was mention of pre-match prayer being introduced to underscore the sense of Zen amid the mayhem.
If it was his decision alone to extract Finn Azaz from the two games, that’s wise management.
Survival and damage limitation were the objectives referenced by Hallgrímsson in this regard over the weekend. Points on the board, while imperative, are secondary in a window that stretched patience and understanding among the squad.
Once players congregated in their Pristina conference room last Friday week, true feelings came to the fore about their unease at being associated with Israel. A chasm to the FAI may also have widened from the feeling of being left isolated to face the public music.
Debate ensued and, in some cases, tempers frayed. Against that backdrop, to emerge as a united force is admirable.
Jack Moylan takes that accolade on his first occasion to be in the squad for competitive matches. From his hat-trick on his debut against Grenada in May came the crushing blow of a red card against Qatar but he fitted seamlessly into the team, initially as a substitute against Kosovo before starting the next three matches.
His brilliant solo goal against Israel reflected the form he’s displayed since joining Brian Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff City. Those couple of No 10 berths supporting Troy Parrott are there to be cemented and the 25-year-old concludes the window as a new incumbent.
In the absence of Séamus Coleman and Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea was handed an onerous task of his first competitive camp as captain. The FAI decided, in their wisdom, to scrap normal media duties in the lead-up to the Kosovo game, leaving O’Shea as the first to do so in Pristina.
That he did adeptly and two days later he was coordinating a feisty meeting of his players. His performances over the three matches, before the birth of his child prevented him participating in the fourth, were equally impressive. The other player who left a lasting legacy didn’t kick a ball – Gavin Bazunu.
Aside from the obvious collective benefits of overcoming the pressure and adversity, Ireland under this manager have the look of a cohesive unit.
Tweaks, rather than surgery, to the team that came so close in the World Cup campaign last March was necessary and, in that respect, Moylan’s promise and the rise of James Abankwah into a viable contender to succeed the ageing Coleman is to be welcomed.
Ditto Adam Idah re-establishing himself as a reliable performer, albeit morphing into a foil behind the goal machine that is Parrott.
Failing to see out a creditable draw in Kosovo and win over Austria will pain Ireland, highlighting the weakness that continues to plague Ireland.
Central to that trend is a lack of control through midfield and the manager still seems to be experimenting to find the ideal combination to combine solidity and creativity.
Time can’t come quick enough for Josh Cullen to return from his long-term injury.
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