Heimir Hallgrímsson has asked the media to consider the Republic of Ireland’s stuttering World Cup qualification campaign from a “glass half-full” perspective.
“You decide if you see the glass half-empty or half-full, [that] is your job,” said the Ireland manager following a flat 1-0 defeat of Armenia at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night.
“I don’t think it matters what I say here. You will write what you think and the power of the media is huge. So, it is your decision if you see the glass half-empty or half-full.”
The written press spent the next 20 minutes with Hallgrímsson, pitching questions around a number of contradictions the Icelander has delivered over the past month. By the end, the glass metaphor carried little weight.
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The interview began with Hallgrímsson admitting that abandoning the formation he had coached into the Ireland squad for 13 months was a questionable decision.
“Probably,” he replied. “It’s always when you need to restart something, having a new coach or whatever, that you want to see and try.
“We needed to find a way not to concede as many goals.
“Against Portugal, I think [the 5-4-1] formation was spot on. Because there’s only one training day in between games, we kept the formation [against Armenia].
“We wanted to press higher than we did. They forced us back and we were a little passive. You sometimes become passive when you have nerves.”
Ireland eventually overcame 10-man Armenia with a headed goal from Evan Ferguson, just like they salvaged a 2-2 draw against 10-man Hungary last month with a headed goal from Adam Idah in injury time.
Tuesday’s result leaves Ireland on four points from four matches in Group F, a point behind second-placed Hungary after their captain Dominik Szoboszlai’s late equaliser in Lisbon.
Portugal now need a result against Ireland in Dublin on November 13th to qualify for the World Cup as group winners (a draw might suffice for Portugal, a win would make it certain). Ireland’s chances of reaching the playoffs in March as runners-up would be extinguished by a Portugal victory should Hungary also beat Armenia in Yerevan.
“Obviously, if I had the answer we would change it,” said Hallgrímsson when asked to explain Ireland’s nerves and passivity on his watch.
“We’re trying to find, is it this? Is it this? Is it this? I think it was a good step bringing in Séamus [Coleman]. He brought in confidence, but he can obviously only connect with the ones around him. He cannot affect the players on the other side.
“There’s a lot of reasons why we are passive. Probably because we haven’t had a run of success in games in the past and have been criticised.
“There’s a lot of reasons. But now we have played two games, a tough one in Portugal and Armenia here, and we’ve conceded one goal in this camp. I would consider that really a big positive.”
Hallgrímsson’s contract runs to the end of the qualification campaign. The former Iceland and Jamaica coach recently revealed that he postponed negotiations with FAI chief executive David Courell until after the final qualifier against Hungary on November 16th.
“I don’t want to be where I am not wanted,” he said.
Much of Hallgrímsson’s postmatch interview focused on his decision to pick “two Premier League starters” – the currently injured Matt Doherty and Jake O’Brien – ahead of Coleman for the September qualifiers.
“Still speaking about Yerevan?” the manager replied.
The logic behind excluding Coleman, along with Jayson Molumby and Festy Ebosele, from the Ireland squad last month seemed increasingly flawed with every passing moment the 37-year-old was on the pitch in the last two fixtures.
QPR captain Jimmy Dunne was also called up as right-back cover even though Coleman had confirmed his fitness and availability.
Hallgrímsson declined to concede that the non-selection of such a key figure was, in hindsight, a mistake.
“We don’t have the luxury of thinking backwards. That’s your [the media’s] job. It’s our job as coaches to select in the now, and to take decisions.
“I wanted to call him in. I thought it was just difficult to justify it. This was a good opportunity to justify it and I think we should get praised for bringing him in and playing him and he does this well, rather than criticised for not picking him earlier.
“I think that should be praised rather than criticised. Again, it’s a half-full or a half-empty glass.”
If Coleman does not feature for Everton between now and Portugal’s visit to Dublin next month, will he be retained in the squad?
“We’ll see,” said Hallgrímsson. “It’s a justifiable question. At least now he’s played well, he’s been a leader and we talked after Yerevan, we need leadership and him coming in.”
Before the defeat in Yerevan, Hallgrímsson highlighted the number of club captains and leaders in the Ireland squad.
As Ryan Manning joins Molumby on the suspended list for Portugal, along with the injured Robbie Brady and Doherty further reducing options at left wing back, Hallgrímsson could be pressed into reviving the international career of James McClean.
Stranger things have happened over the past month.
