Ireland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign against Hungary at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night, marking their first game of true and widely-understood consequence since the 2-1 Euro qualifier defeat to Greece in Athens in June 2023.
That claustrophobic Athenian night was the end of their Euro 2024 qualifying hopes and ultimately the end of Stephen Kenny’s reign. Another zombified campaign was drawn out, which was followed by the John O’Shea/existing-contractual-obligations holding pattern, in turn followed by Heimir Hallgrimson’s debut Nations League campaign and a couple of end-of-season friendlies.
Sure, the Nations League has plenty of ramifications, but any competition whose importance has to be irritably explained in advance of each game isn’t truly important.
The first game of a World Cup qualifying campaign is different: everybody knows the deal here. And given it’s opening night and, hey, Ireland are still unbeaten in the group, the Aviva’s already almost a sell-out and there’s a brisk edge to business at the Irish training camp at Abbotstown.
Ireland are past the development phase of their manager’s reign and the players are past the experience-gathering stage of their career.
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“We’ve had a lot of preparation, and this is it now”, says Kelleher. “So we need to go and perform. We’ve had a few attempts at qualification and obviously it’s not happened for us. But I think in terms of this group, most of us are looking in the right time of our career right now. We’re all at a good age, we’re all playing week in, week out now as well, which is important.”
The average age across 23 players is 25.4, which is still slightly young by international standards but it’s approaching peak athletic age nonetheless. And don’t mistake it for a totally callow group, with Kelleher among 10 squad members with at least 22 caps.
Maturity is blooming in other ways. Kelleher is now a first-choice Premier League goalkeeper while all of Nathan Collins, Josh Cullen, Jason Knight, and Dara O’Shea are their respective club captains. Matt Doherty, meanwhile, is the only thirtysomething in the squad and is among the leadership group at Wolves. Evan Ferguson has taken the plunge and is leading the line for Roma, before a fan-base whose fervour is oppressive, regardless of its mood.
Hallgrimsson has also spent a year building to this week.
“The last few camps have been really positive in terms of performances and results”, continues Kelleher. “I think the squad has remained relatively similar each time. So we’re all getting to know each other. I just think everything’s adding up and it’s looking good at the moment.”
Hallgrimsson spoke when first took the job of ideally building an undisputed starting XI, for the sake of consistency and coherence. Injury, form, club selection and the bare fact that many of Ireland’s players are at a similar level means he hasn’t achieved this, but he has kept on repeating his principles while developing a familiar system of play.
While Ireland can adjust depending on the level of opponent – see Nathan Collins playing as a hybrid defender-midfielder away to England last year – the game since have seen Ireland assume the same shape: a solid 4-4-2 without the ball and a more creative 3-4-2-1 in possession.
As regards his principles, Hallgrimsson stresses six pillars that forms his side’s identity.
He wants his side to be highly-organised; to be the best around at set pieces; to be focused and disciplined; to be the hardest-working team in any given game; t0 be forward-thinking and fast-attacking; and have a strong team spirit forged by the best characters and leaders possible.
Hallgrimsson has been drumming these principles into his players as, he says, he believes they are a good representation of the Irish people. It’s also been notable that the build up to this game has been the first in which he has called for the crowd to play their part, though the stakes and the kick-off time should mean he has little to worry about on that front.
After more than two years worth of dead rubbers and training exercises and getting-to-know-you games, Ireland have finally once again arrived at the sharp edge of international football.
“The next thing for us is to put the pressure on ourselves and to try and go and qualify”, says Kelleher. “We’ve had a few attempts with this group, but now’s the time they really want to push on and do it.”
For that to happen, Ireland must make a fast start on Saturday night. One of the reasons for these long, yawning stretches with nothing to play for have been Ireland’s appalling starts. They have lost the opening two matches of each of their last four campaigns, across Nations League and major tournament qualifiers. It’s 2019 since they last won their first opening game of a group campaign, and that was against Gibraltar. That’s so long ago that John Delaney was still the FAI CEO during that game. (Even if he was Executive Vice-President within an hour of full-time.)
“It would be ideal to start off with a victory”, says Kelleher. “The target for us is to probably start off with a win. I think it puts us in a great position. So, it’s going to be important. I don’t think a draw is the end of the world, but we’re looking a win. That’s what we need to get to be honest.”
Hallgrimsson, meanwhile, did what every other manager is media trained not to do and did not mind agreeing with a journalist’s leading question as to whether Saturday’s game is must-win.
“Yeah, it feels like it”, he said. “We’re not hiding away from that.”
The talk is mercifully about to end. The final words have been happily honest and straight.
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'It's go time for us now' - Kelleher sums up the Irish mood as they mercifully arrive at the stuff that matters
IT IS, CAOIMHÍN Kelleher tells us, “go time.”
Mercifully, sez you.
Ireland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign against Hungary at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night, marking their first game of true and widely-understood consequence since the 2-1 Euro qualifier defeat to Greece in Athens in June 2023.
That claustrophobic Athenian night was the end of their Euro 2024 qualifying hopes and ultimately the end of Stephen Kenny’s reign. Another zombified campaign was drawn out, which was followed by the John O’Shea/existing-contractual-obligations holding pattern, in turn followed by Heimir Hallgrimson’s debut Nations League campaign and a couple of end-of-season friendlies.
Sure, the Nations League has plenty of ramifications, but any competition whose importance has to be irritably explained in advance of each game isn’t truly important.
The first game of a World Cup qualifying campaign is different: everybody knows the deal here. And given it’s opening night and, hey, Ireland are still unbeaten in the group, the Aviva’s already almost a sell-out and there’s a brisk edge to business at the Irish training camp at Abbotstown.
Ireland are past the development phase of their manager’s reign and the players are past the experience-gathering stage of their career.
“We’ve had a lot of preparation, and this is it now”, says Kelleher. “So we need to go and perform. We’ve had a few attempts at qualification and obviously it’s not happened for us. But I think in terms of this group, most of us are looking in the right time of our career right now. We’re all at a good age, we’re all playing week in, week out now as well, which is important.”
The average age across 23 players is 25.4, which is still slightly young by international standards but it’s approaching peak athletic age nonetheless. And don’t mistake it for a totally callow group, with Kelleher among 10 squad members with at least 22 caps.
Maturity is blooming in other ways. Kelleher is now a first-choice Premier League goalkeeper while all of Nathan Collins, Josh Cullen, Jason Knight, and Dara O’Shea are their respective club captains. Matt Doherty, meanwhile, is the only thirtysomething in the squad and is among the leadership group at Wolves. Evan Ferguson has taken the plunge and is leading the line for Roma, before a fan-base whose fervour is oppressive, regardless of its mood.
Hallgrimsson has also spent a year building to this week.
“The last few camps have been really positive in terms of performances and results”, continues Kelleher. “I think the squad has remained relatively similar each time. So we’re all getting to know each other. I just think everything’s adding up and it’s looking good at the moment.”
Hallgrimsson spoke when first took the job of ideally building an undisputed starting XI, for the sake of consistency and coherence. Injury, form, club selection and the bare fact that many of Ireland’s players are at a similar level means he hasn’t achieved this, but he has kept on repeating his principles while developing a familiar system of play.
While Ireland can adjust depending on the level of opponent – see Nathan Collins playing as a hybrid defender-midfielder away to England last year – the game since have seen Ireland assume the same shape: a solid 4-4-2 without the ball and a more creative 3-4-2-1 in possession.
As regards his principles, Hallgrimsson stresses six pillars that forms his side’s identity.
He wants his side to be highly-organised; to be the best around at set pieces; to be focused and disciplined; to be the hardest-working team in any given game; t0 be forward-thinking and fast-attacking; and have a strong team spirit forged by the best characters and leaders possible.
Hallgrimsson has been drumming these principles into his players as, he says, he believes they are a good representation of the Irish people. It’s also been notable that the build up to this game has been the first in which he has called for the crowd to play their part, though the stakes and the kick-off time should mean he has little to worry about on that front.
After more than two years worth of dead rubbers and training exercises and getting-to-know-you games, Ireland have finally once again arrived at the sharp edge of international football.
“The next thing for us is to put the pressure on ourselves and to try and go and qualify”, says Kelleher. “We’ve had a few attempts with this group, but now’s the time they really want to push on and do it.”
For that to happen, Ireland must make a fast start on Saturday night. One of the reasons for these long, yawning stretches with nothing to play for have been Ireland’s appalling starts. They have lost the opening two matches of each of their last four campaigns, across Nations League and major tournament qualifiers. It’s 2019 since they last won their first opening game of a group campaign, and that was against Gibraltar. That’s so long ago that John Delaney was still the FAI CEO during that game. (Even if he was Executive Vice-President within an hour of full-time.)
“It would be ideal to start off with a victory”, says Kelleher. “The target for us is to probably start off with a win. I think it puts us in a great position. So, it’s going to be important. I don’t think a draw is the end of the world, but we’re looking a win. That’s what we need to get to be honest.”
Hallgrimsson, meanwhile, did what every other manager is media trained not to do and did not mind agreeing with a journalist’s leading question as to whether Saturday’s game is must-win.
“Yeah, it feels like it”, he said. “We’re not hiding away from that.”
The talk is mercifully about to end. The final words have been happily honest and straight.
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2026 world cup Caoimhin Kelleher Republic Of Ireland time for talk is over