HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON’S LAST stand as Republic of Ireland manager could be approaching.
The question is whether he goes out with his players swinging or with a limp.
This morning, Hallgrímsson will announce his squad for the final pair of World Cup qualifiers at home to Portugal and away to Hungary.
Ireland are in third place on four point, one behind the Hungarians. Portugal need just a point in Dublin to confirm automatic qualification and if they were to be shared that would mean Ireland would require victory in Budapest for a play-off spot.
That’s not where the uncertainty ends.
Evan Ferguson is rated as highly doubtful to be involved after suffering an ankle injury in the early minutes of AS Roma’s game with Parma on 29 October. Reports of a sprain with ligament damage led to a timeframe of between two to three weeks out.
However, the Ireland camp were maintaining hope in recent days that a positive first week of recovery would allow for a slightly quicker return to action. Given Ferguson’s previous injury issues, however, that could be wishful thinking, but the feeling was earlier this week that Ferguson could still have a chance of making this squad provided he is managed correctly and can do a certain amount of work per day.
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It’s an indication of his importance to the cause that he will be given every chance to prove that he is fit, and while he has scored three goals in four games, Hallgrímsson should have Troy Parrott available.
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny has also come into form at just the right time, and there are further concerns for the Ireland boss.
Midfielder Jayson Molumby and left back Ryan Manning were impressive in last month’s window but are both suspended for the first visit of Cristiano Ronaldo and Co on Thursday week.
Injuries also look set to exclude around half a dozen players.
Robbie Brady, of course, is a long-term absentee with a calf injury and the reigning FAI senior men’s player of the year has been unable to feature at all in this campaign. Matt Doherty had been struggling with a wrist fracture and the Wolves defender is now dealing with a knee injury.
Sammie Szmodics also recently underwent surgery on his knee, but the Ipswich Town man was also dealing with suggestions he was not committed to the international cause after pulling out of games in consecutive months before then featuring for his club a few days later.
“On the mend after a minor knee op. Thank you for all the supportive messages,” Szmodics wrote on Instagram. “Also, thank you for the keyboard warriors that know more about my life and my situation than I do.
“The last two weeks have been nothing shy of ridiculous the amount of hate messages me and my family have received over the recent international football concerns.”
Also taking to a public forum at the end of last month to discuss those “international football concerns” was Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The midfielder sought to distance himself from declaring for the Boys in Green amid interest that pre-dates Hallgrímsson’s time in charge.
There was another attempt to bring him on board prior to the World Cup qualifiers kicking off but, to his credit, he was steadfast that he wanted to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans.
Midfield is such an area of concern anyway, but when you consider the dwindling options coming into this window it’s an even bigger issue. An update on Bosun Lawal at Stoke City is expected. That is where people who know the player better see his long-term future for club and country but he has also excelled at centre back in the Championship.
Will Smallbone returned to the picture with Ireland last month but then suffered a hamstring injury at loan club Millwall that is set to rule him out until January. Jason Knight is also on the men with a groin problem that meant he was unavailable for that defeat in Portugal and home win over Armenia in October.
His club boss stated in the middle of last month that the 24-year-old would be around “six to eight weeks” from returning to training, so it’s fair to assume he will not be in the mix.
Everton are without a win in three games since the last Ireland get-together – losing to Manchester City and Spurs with a 1-1 draw away to Sunderland on Monday – and while Jake O’Brien has started in each of those fixtures, Seamus Coleman has been an unused substitute.
Still, Hallgrímsson will not make the same decision as he did at the very start of the campaign to leave the experienced defender out. The Donegal man celebrated his 37th birthday on the day of the 1-0 defeat in Portugal last month and will once again be a key figure as Ireland look to somehow snatch a play-off spot.
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Heimir Hallgrímsson prepares to name Ireland squad for what could be last stand as boss
HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON’S LAST stand as Republic of Ireland manager could be approaching.
The question is whether he goes out with his players swinging or with a limp.
This morning, Hallgrímsson will announce his squad for the final pair of World Cup qualifiers at home to Portugal and away to Hungary.
Ireland are in third place on four point, one behind the Hungarians. Portugal need just a point in Dublin to confirm automatic qualification and if they were to be shared that would mean Ireland would require victory in Budapest for a play-off spot.
That’s not where the uncertainty ends.
Evan Ferguson is rated as highly doubtful to be involved after suffering an ankle injury in the early minutes of AS Roma’s game with Parma on 29 October. Reports of a sprain with ligament damage led to a timeframe of between two to three weeks out.
However, the Ireland camp were maintaining hope in recent days that a positive first week of recovery would allow for a slightly quicker return to action. Given Ferguson’s previous injury issues, however, that could be wishful thinking, but the feeling was earlier this week that Ferguson could still have a chance of making this squad provided he is managed correctly and can do a certain amount of work per day.
It’s an indication of his importance to the cause that he will be given every chance to prove that he is fit, and while he has scored three goals in four games, Hallgrímsson should have Troy Parrott available.
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny has also come into form at just the right time, and there are further concerns for the Ireland boss.
Midfielder Jayson Molumby and left back Ryan Manning were impressive in last month’s window but are both suspended for the first visit of Cristiano Ronaldo and Co on Thursday week.
Injuries also look set to exclude around half a dozen players.
Robbie Brady, of course, is a long-term absentee with a calf injury and the reigning FAI senior men’s player of the year has been unable to feature at all in this campaign. Matt Doherty had been struggling with a wrist fracture and the Wolves defender is now dealing with a knee injury.
Sammie Szmodics also recently underwent surgery on his knee, but the Ipswich Town man was also dealing with suggestions he was not committed to the international cause after pulling out of games in consecutive months before then featuring for his club a few days later.
“On the mend after a minor knee op. Thank you for all the supportive messages,” Szmodics wrote on Instagram. “Also, thank you for the keyboard warriors that know more about my life and my situation than I do.
“The last two weeks have been nothing shy of ridiculous the amount of hate messages me and my family have received over the recent international football concerns.”
Also taking to a public forum at the end of last month to discuss those “international football concerns” was Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The midfielder sought to distance himself from declaring for the Boys in Green amid interest that pre-dates Hallgrímsson’s time in charge.
There was another attempt to bring him on board prior to the World Cup qualifiers kicking off but, to his credit, he was steadfast that he wanted to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans.
Midfield is such an area of concern anyway, but when you consider the dwindling options coming into this window it’s an even bigger issue. An update on Bosun Lawal at Stoke City is expected. That is where people who know the player better see his long-term future for club and country but he has also excelled at centre back in the Championship.
Will Smallbone returned to the picture with Ireland last month but then suffered a hamstring injury at loan club Millwall that is set to rule him out until January. Jason Knight is also on the men with a groin problem that meant he was unavailable for that defeat in Portugal and home win over Armenia in October.
His club boss stated in the middle of last month that the 24-year-old would be around “six to eight weeks” from returning to training, so it’s fair to assume he will not be in the mix.
Everton are without a win in three games since the last Ireland get-together – losing to Manchester City and Spurs with a 1-1 draw away to Sunderland on Monday – and while Jake O’Brien has started in each of those fixtures, Seamus Coleman has been an unused substitute.
Still, Hallgrímsson will not make the same decision as he did at the very start of the campaign to leave the experienced defender out. The Donegal man celebrated his 37th birthday on the day of the 1-0 defeat in Portugal last month and will once again be a key figure as Ireland look to somehow snatch a play-off spot.
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