GREECE IS THE word once again.
It was against Greece that Stephen Kennyโs reign reached the point of no return, the 2-1 loss in Athens so comprehensive that the FAI had resolved to go in another direction.
Heimir Hallgrimsson is the man chosen to lead Ireland in that new direction, though he has started with a loose grip on the wheel. John OโShea and Paddy McCarthy picked the squad for these September games, and the system and personnel deployed against England was similar to that used by OโShea earlier this year and, indeed, by Kenny in that ill-fated Euros campaign.
OโSheaโs influence is such that he made an unprecedented appearance at the pre-match press conference, in place of Hallgrimsson. Uefaโs rules decree that the head coach must attend the media event on the eve of a game, but the FAI nonetheless pressed ahead with their own plan, decided in advance of the international window.
What resulted with a mildly exasperated OโShea delivering a reverse Steve Staunton. Iโm not the gaffer.
โThe boss is the boss and there are clear lines on thatโ, said OโShea, later adding, โitโs clear, Iโm the assistant.โ
The impression is that OโShea has been more viceroy than assistant for this camp, as King Heimir busies himself with enthronement.
Hallgrimsson is justifying this hands-off start by saying he needs time to acclimatise to a new squad and a new culture, continuing in this quasi-consultant role in which he is auditing whatโs good and bad before layering on his own influence. This makes a certain logical sense, of course, and itโs certainly in keeping with the steady pace at which his bosses make decisions. But Hallgrimsson was brought in to effect change and flip results, so for him to be still stocktaking during competitive games is another indictment of the FAIโs epic recruitment process. Plus, if you take the FAI at their public word in insisting that Hallgrimsson was their first choice for the job from as far back as March of this year, that he is still only getting to know the players six months on is utterly baffling.
Hallgrimsson said after the England game that it is not his style to make radical changes to the team, and so he may stick with the back three/five system that has served Irelandโs results so poorly in recent years. (Take Gibraltar out of the equation, and Ireland have lost 10 of their last 13 competitive games.)
Two of those defeats came against Greece, so Hallgrimssonโs riskiest move may be to stick with the same set-up. As part of his interview, Hallgrimsson is understood to have been asked how he would have reacted at half-time of Irelandโs defeat in Athens, and has been given the job partly for his adaptability. If he is true to the reasons the FAI hired him, and if he is fully in control of this team, then Hallgrimsson will surely change things up tonight.
Seamus Coleman is absent, but Festy Ebosele is capable of playing at right-back, along with Matt Doherty. Nathan Collins, Dara OโShea, Liam Scales, and Jake OโBrien are all centre-back options: Collins will surely be retained given his excellent club form and the fact he finished the England game wearing the captainโs armband. Scales would offer left-footed balance at centre-back, but equally, he may be an option at left-back, where Ireland are painfully weak. Doherty has experience of playing there, and while Robbie Brady struggled at left wing-back against England, Ireland are not tripping over themselves with better options.
Jayson Molumby and Alan Browne are central midfield options, with Will Smallboneโs role understood to have been scrutinised in the post-game video debrief.
Jason Knightโs versatility and energy may see him sprung into action, perhaps off the left, to allow Sammie Szmodics get into a central area in support of the striker. Adam Idah struggled in isolation against England, but Hallgrimsson has suggested Evan Ferguson is not yet ready to start. His cameo against England was his first senior appearance since the end of March.
Of course Hallgrimsson may be true to his word and stick with a back three, but whatever the system, Chiedozie Ogbeneโs role off the right flank will be crucial. Ireland must limit the influence of the Greek full-backs, especially left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who ran amok last summer in Athens when the Greek wide forwards stood on either touchline and pinned back the Irish wing-backs. Irelandโs best moments against England came when Ogbene was shifted to right wing-back, and the best means of limiting Tsimikasโ attacking influence is to force him to defend.
Gus Poyet is no longer the Greece manager, and he has been replaced by Serbiaโs Ivan Jovanovic, whose previous job was with Greek side Panathinaikos.
Greece opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-0 win at home to Finland, and though the manager has changed, much of the team remains the same. Midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas โ who tormented Ireland across both games last year โ remains captain, though Giorgos Masouras, who scored the winner in Athens, is absent through injury.
Itโs unfair to judge Hallgrimsson on the result against England, even if he admitted Irelandโs performance wasnโt good enough. He, like Stephen Kenny, will be judged by results against Greece. A draw tonight would be a step in the right direction.
Ireland (Possible XI): Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, OโShea, Brady; Ogbene, Browne, Molumby, Knight; Szmodics, Idah
Greece (Possible XI): Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Bouchalakis, Bakasetas, Mantalos; Chatzigiouanis, Ioannidis, Pelkas
On TV: RTE Two; KO: 7.45pm
Just play Nathan Collins as a defensive midfielder alongside Molumby. Our midfield has been way too light for way too long. Bring in Scales and Kasey McAteer also. Doherty, Brady should retire.
@John Pembroke: Even jake o brien is worth a shot, decent passer
@John Pembroke: playing an average centre back as a midfielder is a sure fire disaster.
@John Pembroke: 100% I like Collins as a DM sitting in front of a back 4. I would go Molumby and Smallbone in midfield with Sammie and Ogbene out wide. Ferguson instead of Idah upfront. Scales for LB (obvs)
Just get the Kenny/O Shea system out of their heads, and above all give youth its fling. We are building for the future, not living in the past!!!
Another loss would be a terrible start for the new manager.
its time to find a bridge and get over it in relation to the length of time it took to appoint a new manager. Thats history now and we are where we are. Also the approach of the new manager in terms of giving due respect to the role OโShea played as interim manager is no different to the approach of Jack Charlton when he was appointed and look where we ended up with him!
@MA McElvaney: Yes ignoring the fact that Charlton had Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, David OโLeary, Paul McGrath, John Aldridge, Kevin Sheedy, Tony Cascarino, Ray Houghton, Ronnie Whelan, Denis Irwin etc to get us where we ended up.
Wouldnโt have Doherty in again. He had a mare in Greece. Iโd try Oโ Shea at right back in a back four with Collins, Oโ Brien and Scales. Weโd have 4 big fellas for corners then. Would add Knight for a 3 man midfield also.