THE TRUE LEVEL of the Ireland football team and the decision of manager Heimir Hallgrimsson not to travel to the UK for games were up for discussion on The Football Family, the podcast for subscribers to The 42.
“I think we’re extremely limited technically. I think we all know that by this stage. I’d still argue that the penny hasn’t fully dropped though. I think people are realising that we’re not brilliant, but I don’t know if they’ve quite realised just how bad we are,” Shane Keegan, the former Cobh Ramblers manager, said.
“I don’t see where the light is at the end of the tunnel either, if I’m totally honest.
“Heimir Hallgrimsson has commented himself about the habit of losing, considering it’s been so long since we’ve had a win.
“Maybe the players feel like they’re trying as hard as they have always tried, but perhaps subconsciously, it’s sort of like, “Well, sure it’s just another defeat, you know. it’s not a big defeat, it’s just another defeat on top of all the other defeats that we’ve already had”.
“Therefore, does that make losing it a little bit more acceptable to the players? Has it become a little more acceptable to just lose game, upon game, upon game . . . in comparison to a team that has experienced success and is deeply hurt when that success doesn’t come along again?
“Maybe that’s there a little bit.”
Hallgrimsson’s decision not to travel to the UK to scout Irish players over the weekend has drawn criticism from many quarters.
Keegan said: “This is crazy stuff! I’m completely willing to give him a free pass on the two results so far, he’s got such limited resources to work with and had such a limited window of time.
“But he’s creating a rod for his own back with stuff like this. Being so hands off by not taking press conferences mixed with this on top of it, it goes against everything that management is about.
“It’s about relationships. He has to go and build those relationships, it’s his job. He has to go and see those players as often as he can.”
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How much are they paying this guy to lose games, not do press conferences & not bother goin to see players & potential players!?
Really bad form by Heimer, he has to find out as much as possible about his players. Watching them play is one part.
@Bert Carolan: Dude he’s done better than any Ireland manager has since Mick McCarthy’s first Ireland tenure for Iceland which has a smaller talent pool, and it’s only been two games. This early in the tenure, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. If he was Irish, you’d be affording him the benefit of the doubt. Kenny was three years into his reign and people were still protecting him and you’re already on his back after two games?
@Conor Lynott: I didn’t call for him to be beheaded. He has said himself that he does not know the players. So get to know the players partly by watching them play. Any other manager in his position would.
And I’ve actually been impressed by what he’s said in his interviews and I couldn’t care less if he was from Mars as long as he gets us back to winning games.
@Conor Lynott: He is not going to attend any games to scout players. Everything is paid for flights, tickets, hotel and he is still not going to attend. Dont know about you but that sends a message to the players, as in i dont care.
@zoncolan: Nope, he said he didn’t attend ahead of the most recent international break. Maybe he’s familiarising himself with League of Ireland, maybe he’s learning how to deal with the FAI snake vat, maybe he was having a conversation with Stephen Kenny. Attending UK matches is one way of familiarising himself with the talent at his disposal, but it’s not the only way. Like I said, give him the benefit of the doubt. By the fifth international window, if results haven’t improved and he still says he’s not attending matches, then we can have the conversation.
@Conor Lynott: So….Kenny etc attended press conferences & went to watch irish players playing…he’s not doing even the bear minimum…are you suggesting this is too much for him to do?
@damien leen: Nope. Read again.
@Conor Lynott: Conor, hes not serious about this job. He had two months to prepare and understand the players. He also could have moved to Ireland in that time. Instead he flies in and co-coaches with O’Shea for a week and then flies back.
Ireland are ranked 58 in the world, should be close to top 30 and need a top class coach who is invested in the teams succes. This guy is half assing it so far
@Owen ODonoghue: He didn’t have two months to prepare for the role so…yeah otherwise you would have had a point.
@Conor Lynott: Fair enough, I’ll take your points and also Shane makes a good point below about how he might have to have gone all over the world in previous jobs.
But as you say it’s a results business so we’ll see.
@Conor Lynott: he was announced on July 10th. That means he probably had accepted the job in late June, in discussions before then. If the was even thinking about the job he should have been pulling together his idea of his strongest Irish team, young players he is excited by, old players to replace etc
@Conor Lynott: I have seen Lee Carlsey at multiple matches since he took over.
He isn’t a typical coach, he has his ways and id imagine the fact the countries he has managed had players in many different league that he has gotten comfortable watching the film and interpretating it.
Now the argument is whether watching a game from stands is better than watching a game on camera. This argument gets skewed as people assume he will be watching same tape we watch on our TV screens. There will be cameras that give full pitch views (similar to all pro 22 in NFL) where it’s easier to analyze a players movements.
Time will tell if it’s right approach.
@Shane: Good point about his previous gigs. Most of the players he’ll be looking at for Ireland are in one country though. And instinctively I’d say that being at a game and watching a player in the flesh is always better.
But you’re correct, time will tell and I just pray he turns it around.
His bosses should step in and tell him to go see the players at his disposal. IT’S HIS JOB!
Hallgrimsson is taking a big gamble by not scouting the players in person. Maybe he feels the scouting app is a more efficient way for him to get up to speed with who the players are.
His reign could end very swiftly if this backfires.
He doesn’t know the players and he doesn’t know how they play in their individual clubs. How can he get to know them without meeting and talking to them in their playing environment. He can watch video as much as he wants but there are aspects of the players game that he won’t see on video. He hasn’t moved to Ireland yet; hopefully he does in order to learn what the public actually thinks of him and the team. Maybe he doesn’t have the budget to go watch players. If so, tell the public that this is the case.
@Liam Martin: wast of time taken the Ireland job will win nothing as usual we don’t have it anymore look how far backwards we become
@Alan Moloney: the darkest hour comes before the dawn. The rehabilitation must start somewhere. Are you saying we should disband our International team ?